Schlumberger Canada Ltd. is eyeing a move to the city’s new Queens Business Park when its chosen site is ready.
But for now, the company wants to stay put at its 6794 65th Ave. location. The city’s municipal planning commission gave the company a show of support Monday by agreeing to extend approval of four temporary buildings for another two years.
The buildings have been on site since 2000. There are two Atco trailers, a one-storey modular office complex and a tent used for storage. Approval for the structures was due to expire in September.
Toby Lampard, a Norglenwold businessman who leases the site to Schlumberger, said the company plans to move to a new site in the industrial park and has met with city land and economic development manager Howard Thompson a number of times.
Unfortunately, the lots that will be available in the first phase of Queens Park don’t suit the oilfield service company’s needs. A better site will be up for grabs when the second phase is developed, probably in two years.
In the meantime, the company wants to stay at its current site off Taylor Drive. Lampard also owns an adjacent piece of property that Schlumberger is using as a truck and supply storage yard. The five-year temporary approval for that use was due to expire in October.
Lampard said that because of the economic downturn Schlumberger has not yet chosen an alternative site.
The commission also approved a two-year extension for this site at 6791 65th Ave.
Lampard said city staff had some reservations about allowing the storage use to continue because the land was recently rezoned to commercial from its former industrial use. However, Lampard said he is not expecting to redevelop the site into mixed commercial-residential for at least three years.