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Plans for large propane tank near schools and restaurant get sidelined by wary council

Plans by a local business owner to expand his propane retail outlet with a large 4,816 cubic-foot tank to be situated near three schools and within a few hundred feet of a fast-food restaurant and the Al-kareem Mosque have been challenged by Lac La B
Mutual Propane’s current locations within hamlet limits is at 9905-103 St.
Mutual Propane’s current locations within hamlet limits is at 9905-103 St.

Plans by a local business owner to expand his propane retail outlet with a large 4,816 cubic-foot tank to be situated near three schools and within a few hundred feet of a fast-food restaurant and the Al-kareem Mosque have been challenged by Lac La Biche County councillors.

The owners of the Mutual Propane site, located at 9905 - 103 Street, had already spent $30,000 to clear, level and gravel a piece of land beside their existing shop across the street from Vera M. Welsh Elementary School when county officials examined the plans about three weeks ago. Since then, the owners of the business have been asked to halt their plans to move the 30,000 gallon tank into the municipal limits from its current location at the Lac La Biche Transport yard.

“It’s a safety issue really,” said Ward 7 Councillor, John Nowak. “The size of the tank that they wanted to move is quite large and in the event of something happening it could be a big disaster.”

County spokesperson Shadia Amblie agrees with Nowak and notes that a major concern by the county was the close proximity to a number of school and the density of the population in the area, and that this type of storage can potentially pose a risk to the hamlet.

Since stopping the move, council members decided last week they would try to encourage the Mutual Propane owners to set up the large tank in Sentinel Industrial Park west of Lac La Biche hamlet, as one of many possible options.

This would be the ideal location, said Nowak as it keeps things that are industrial in an industrial area.

Any future sites for the tank would have to have 3-phase power incorporated into it in order to meet the supply obligations, says interim Lac La Biche County CAO Barry Kolenosky, who contacted the Edmonton-based owner of the property to suggest the new location. The initial discussions went well, said Kolenosky.

“He wants to make it better and realizes that his customers are our customers.”

At a council meeting on Nov. 1, Kolenosky also informed councillors that Mutual Propane officials were seeking to be compensated by the county for the money that they initially put forth to renovate their current site.

They say their site preparation work was carried out after receiving all the proper permits and work orders from the municipality.

“Mutual Propane is seeking compensation to cover the dollars they’ve put toward the current rental property and site preparation,” said Amblie. “ They have requested [the full] $30,000.”

The Post contacted the business owners for comment, but were told there would be no public comment about the issue until further discussions and arrangements had been made with municipal officials.

Currently, there is no by-law in the county’s books banning the large propane tank from being erected within the corporate limits of Lac La Biche hamlet.

According to Amblie, Mutual Propane has been cooperative in trying to find a solution that works for everyone and has recognized the concerns of the county about their current site.

“Council has subsequently asked administration to continue negotiating with Mutual Propane and to bring back a recommendation for council’s consideration,” Amblie said.




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