District of Clearwater (DOC) mayor Merlin Blackwell has responded to recent comments from a local developer who alleges a “lack of interest” by the municipality regarding a proposed subdivision between Park Drive and Highway 5.
In an interview with the Clearwater Times on Oct. 15, Blackwell addressed the recent allegation, which was shared to social media by developer Doug Borrow. The owner of Borrow Enterprises had posted a photo of a sign at the site which had a sticker across it reading “Canceled due to lack of interest from the District of Clearwater.”
When completed, the project would add 112 serviced residential lots, with 34 of them ready in the first phase of development.
Addressing public statements by Borrow about the lack of progress regarding the project, Blackwell said that in early June 2023 the district hired a development consultant who had worked with the DOC in the past and was well known within the district to many, including Borrow Enterprises. The consultant agreed to take on the role of mediation and negotiation specifically for the development files in the Park Drive area.
“The development consultant was specifically tasked to work with all developers in the area with active files,” said Blackwell. “We needed solid numbers on the sewer, water and other infrastructure needs of that area so we could create a plan to make those services happen. This is critical to moving everything forward.”
Many of the pipes going into the ground would be passing by or through the Park Place subdivision, so particular attention had to focus on the Borrow development, he added.
Blackwell said the consultant was asked to look carefully at the district development bylaws and make suggestions for improvements, and council moved forward with the first of those improvements at its Oct. 3 meeting.
However, additional recommendations to move the development forward have hit some turbulence. As a result, and based on legal advice, council has paused work with the consultant to consider other ways to move things forward, said Blackwell.
“I think that [this pause] may have unfortunately been taken as a sign we weren’t going to use outside help,” said Blackwell. “That was not my intention. I asked around to other mayors and people I know in the business. Their advice was to wait for the new CAO to start, and then to find a way to solve the core issues in a way that was okay with legal.”
He noted that the district’s newly-appointed CAO, James Thackray, has “hit the ground running” and during his first week reached out to a couple of development engineers to assist the DOC. The district has again retained the previous consultant in an advisory and mediation role.
“I asked staff for timelines on all activity related to Mr. Borrow’s development,” Blackwell added. “Staff of both the district and our development services team keep very detailed records of dates and topics of meetings, file submissions, and referrals to internal and external agencies, and I am very thankful for their professionalism.”
Blackwell said he is looking forward to working with developers to get key infrastructure needs in place, including large upgrades on certain parts of the water and sewer system within the district. Council plans to continue to lobby the government for assistance in the form of grants and other supports to help facilitate the upgrades.
“It’s important that all developers lay their cards on the table,” Blackwell said. “We need to know exactly what they are planning and what they need from us. I hope that by bringing in objective outside professionals, we can get the trust from developers to do just that. I think the one thing that both Council, Mr. Borrow, and the other developers involved can agree on; we need more housing in Clearwater. Let’s work together to make that happen.”
The Times has reached out to Borrow for comment.
