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This article was published 10/1/2014 (2444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lombard North Group is proposing to build a new 75.6-acre development in East St. Paul.

The St. Boniface-based company is looking at building 200 single-family units and 30 multi-family units north of Garven Road. The development would be situated east of the Country Villas of East St. Paul and west of the TransCanada Trail.

The proposal notes there would be three single-family lots per acre and five condominium lots per acre. One area resident who wished to remain anonymous brought forth concerns in an email to The Herald that smaller urban lot sizes were making their way to the country as part of the proposal. The contact also forwarded a PDF copy of a slideshow presented at a community meeting in December.

Lombard North Group president Dave Palubeski acknowledged that while developers in the area have traditionally built homes that incorporated larger lot sizes, there are advantages to the smaller lots. For one, he noted, the proposed development will be a "more walkable community" by putting homes in closer proximity to one another.

The pitch said the community will "promote an active lifestyle" by including parkways, walkways, playgrounds, and exercise areas. Approximately 13.35 acres, or over 17% of the development, will be set aside as green space, including a naturalized creek area running through the development. The proposal also calls for trails in the community to connect with the TransCanada Trail and the Silver Fox Trail.

As well, Palubeski said in a phone interview that since the land itself won’t be as expensive as with larger lots, purchasers will be able to allot that money elsewhere.

"The price would be less, so people can afford better furnishings, better quality," he explained.

One element of the pitch that may affect nearby residents is that Lombard North Group has floated the idea of connecting residents of Silver Fox Estates to the groundwater line that will be installed for the new community.

Palubeski said some Silver Fox residents are interested in connecting, while others are satisfied with the current well-water service they are receiving.

He encouraged Silver Fox residents to consider the proposal closely, noting if they are interested in connecting when the development is built, the cost will be $4,990 per house, while it would cost $5,930 to connect at a later time. If Silver Fox does opt to connect now, the line can be routed through Silver Fox Estates, saving the 70 home owners a total of $65,664, or $940 per home.

Palubeski said further community consultations are planned, and he hopes a public hearing will be held by the Red River Planning District board this spring.



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