The City of Lacombe approved a borrowing bylaw at the October 22nd council meeting, allowing them to access the money required to move the Henner's Pond stormwater outlet project forward.

The project connects Henner’s Pond to William’s Slough into Wolf Creek, the natural outlet for all of Lacombe's stormwater.

Director of Planning and Operations Jordan Thompson says this is an important project for the development of the north end of Lacombe, which includes the Charis Village Seniors Housing project, which broke ground earlier this month.

“Right now the Seniors Village is in its first phase of development and any further phases of development beyond this current phase, requires this connection. As well, there’s residential development planned in Lacombe’s north end, and none of that residential development can occur without this connection.”

Thompson says the $1,820,000 project will be paid back almost in full over time.

“This project is part of what’s known as an offsite levy. As development occurs in the north end, the city will recoup its funds, or most of its funds, through development fees over time.”

The Henner’s Pond stormwater outlet project is still in the design phase, and the city is still seeking approval from various regulators, but they plan on construction starting this winter, and expect it to be completed before the spring.