Skip to content

Town council split on Gregg Distributors expansion plans

Athabasca town council tabled the discussion on expanding the Gregg Distributors building to their next meeting after a heated debate and several tied votes. Gregg Distributors is asking to expand its current location at the riverfront (5006 52 St.

Athabasca town council tabled the discussion on expanding the Gregg Distributors building to their next meeting after a heated debate and several tied votes.

Gregg Distributors is asking to expand its current location at the riverfront (5006 52 St.), but some members of council are hesitant because of the planned two-storey box design of the building. It was also noted that the building had a flat roof and might overshadow the train station, one of the town’s historically designated buildings.

Councillor Colleen Powell explained that she is not on the Riverfront Design Review Committee, but said just by looking at the proposed expansion, she can tell it is in violation of the Riverfront Plan.

“The Riverfront Design Review Committee is there to look at and make recommendations based on that plan, not based on what Gregg and council agree to,” she said. “When they look at the building, they would say it is out of scope in terms of size, the top of the building is flat, so that would be one reason they would reject it. I’m worried that it overshadows the train station, which is owned by the Town of Athabasca.

“It is a large, large expansion,” she continued. “I understand Mr. Gregg needs the space, I’m just not totally convinced this is the right space.”

Councillor Paula Evans said that unless Gregg Distributors was allowed to build a two-storey expansion, the building project would not go ahead.

Chief administrative officer Doug Topinka said that for the building to go ahead, council would have to make some variances from the riverfront development plan.

“(Variances are needed) both in height and in lot coverage,” he said. “That is up to council to say yes or no.”

The issue with the expansion is that the building sits in a direct control district, which means the plans have to be approved by council before construction can begin.

“He does own the land, even though it is direct control,” councillor George Hawryluk said.

“To create a dispute on one of the biggest businesses in this town … to me it looks much better than some of the places around. I have no problem voting for it.”

Evans said the applicant had gone out of his way to please the town, and Mayor Roger Morrill said he was happy to see the business thriving.

“I’m very happy to see the expansion, and the confidence they show in our community and in our economy,” Morrill said.

Hawryluk made a motion to approve the plan. Morrill, Evans and Hawryluk voting in favour of the expansion, with Powell and councillors Tim and Richard Verhaeghe voting against. The motion was defeated on a tied vote.

Powell suggested referring the decision to the next council meeting, but that motion was also defeated on a tied vote.

“Here we go, another catch-22,” Hawryluk said. “If I was the owner of Gregg Distributors, I would move my business somewhere else where people will appreciate what I provide.”

Morrill said he is pro-development, adding that he feels this expansion will be beneficial to the town.

“This is job creation and taxes that help pay for the restoration of some of the historical buildings in town,” he said.

“One thing that we do have to remember is that this is not an industrial park, this is our riverfront,” Tim Verhaeghe said. “While I appreciate Mr. Gregg being a businessman, I’m a businessman too, and we have rules, we have a Riverfront Design Review Committee and we have established certain principles that we want to see done.”

He said it’s important to keep those rules intact. “(Otherwise) let’s just develop the whole entire thing with two-storey buildings and not view our river at all. We have to maintain some sort of integrity to the riverfront.”

Richard Verhaeghe agreed with his brother.

“This doesn’t really fit the footprint and philosophy of the area, it’s kind of a monstrosity,” he said. “I’m not trying to criticize anything, but if we look at the train station, the existing architecture, this is going to become more boxy. This is closing up the openness, that’s why I voted against it.”

A motion was made by Tim Verhaeghe to refer the issue back to the Riverfront Design Review Committee, and that also was defeated by a tied vote.

“Going back to the developer and asking him to change the plans, after he made all the requirements that were put in front of him, will make us look like a bunch of fools,” said Hawryluk. “I don’t want to be part of a bunch of fools.”

Council then revisited the motion to refer the discussion to the next council meeting, which passed with all councillors in agreement.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks