Former Dairy Queen site on Athabasca Street to be rezoned
The former Dairy Queen site on Athabasca Street East will be rezoned to allow the property owner to use the lot for overflow parking and to prepare products for shipment.
Nexii, a manufacturer that creates sustainable and disaster-resilient whole buildings, asked city council to rezone 480 Athabasca Street East to an M1 light industrial district from an R4 core mixed residential district. This would permit some outdoor storage as a general light industrial use. The entire block across the street is already zoned M1, which was carried forward from a previous zoning bylaw.
During its Feb. 10 regular meeting, council voted unanimously to have the lot rezoned as a CZ contract zone on the advice of city administration. City hall did not recommend expanding the M1 district in this area since it is not identified for future industrial development within the
Official Community Plan.
“While the existing residential development in the area has not been substantially impacted by the existing M1 zoning, there is potential for land-use conflicts when industrial and residential developments exist in proximity,” a council report said.
A CZ contract zone agreement would allow restrictions to be applied on the property’s use and could be tailored for Nexii’s business operations, the report continued. This would prevent the property from being sold for other industrial purposes, which may affect adjacent properties. Businesses near the lot have used the property for parking since 2000. Recently, Nexii — which leases half the warehouse across the street at 461 Athabasca Street East — started using the property for additional outdoor storage.
Andrew Sloane, quality manager for Nexii’s Moose Jaw operations, spoke to city council about the need for the lot to be rezoned.
“Nexii is becoming a world-class player in the building technology industry and going forward wants to maintain Moose Jaw as an integral part of our operations,” he said. “This will provide stable employment and many longterm jobs with significant pay … . The plant will continue to be a major player in the expansion of the labour force in Moose Jaw.”
Nexii currently faces space constraints in its building and requires the lot to be used for overflow employee parking, to help store building panels, to help with receiving pallets and to help with loading and shipping of manufactured products.
“We recognize that in the past there were some concerns with this property not being kept properly in a neat and tidy condition,” Sloane continued. “Nexii has a new regime with a name and reputation to protect and is committed to maintaining a clean site throughout the course of our lease and to the keep surrounding area and residents happy.”
Nexii has worked diligently during the last six months to keep the site clean, including in the back alley, he continued. This is in addition to ensuring its 30 employees have off-street parking and ensuring the front street is clear and unobstructed.
Mayor Fraser Tolmie said he had visited the plant and thought council should do the same, as part of an overall economic development tour of unique community businesses that are global leaders in technology and design. “It would raise awareness for our city to know that we have these gems in our community,” he added.