Property tax concessions for businesses using technically vacant non-residential lots to house vehicles for work purposes will be discussed in a meeting with the taxpayers, town council members and Town of Didsbury administration.
Lowell Grasse of Grasse Lumber Sales appeared before council Nov. 24 to ask the town to overturn a decision earlier this year to no longer grant tax concessions for the lots that his lumber sales company, Dick's Trucking, Gil's Truck and Auto Repair, Res-Q Towing, and property owner John Hladych have.
The chamber of commerce ABCD committee also joined his presentation.
Grasse acknowledged the town needs a tax mechanism to deter speculators from holding on to undeveloped commercial land for many years at little cost.
However the decision to rescind tax concessions that have been given to businesses to park vehicles is punitive to operating businesses, Grasse said.
The lots in question have been paved or graded and gravelled, fenced and are maintained and groomed. They are used for parking numerous vehicles that the town and citizens don't want parked on the streets, he said.
Solutions offered by the town don't work, particularly the recommendation that the lots in question be merged with adjacent developed lots used by the business.
Grasse said that the lots have different owners or different lenders and other technical obstacles that prevent simply merging the lots with the developed property as a way to deem the property as developed.
“Let's work together to promote business in Didsbury,” Grasse urged.
Deputy Mayor Joyce McCoy said councillors should sit down with the property owners to go over their paperwork with them and be educated as to their side of the story.
Grasse agreed that a get-together would be a good step to solving the impasse.
Town administration will organize a meeting at a date to be announced.
