For sale signs dot the new Coulee Ridge subdivision in the city's south end. (CHAT file photo)

By Alex McCuaig

Public Services Committee

Council to decide whether to subsidize residential fire sprinklers

Feb 10, 2020 | 4:46 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A recommendation for a taxpayer-funded incentive program to off-set installation of residential fire sprinklers in a new city sub-division saw two councillors take very different stances Monday.

City staff are recommending a program that will provide up to $2,500 towards the $5,000 to $7,500 cost of installing fire sprinklers in homes in the new Coulee Ridge sub-division.

Approval of the sub-division was contingent on the homes having the systems installed due to the fire response time to Coulee Ridge being outside city guidelines.

Coun. Kris Samraj was quick to strongly object to the move during the public services committee meeting with Coun. Jim Turner expressing equally robust support for the incentive.

In response to Samraj’s comment that staff didn’t put forward an option those in that community assume the risk of living there, Turner said, “If we were to let that development to happen and then we had a major fire out there, who do you think will be blamed first?”

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Turner went on to say the incentive will make the private Coulee Ridge development more competitive and more in line with existing homes and other sub-divisions.

“So do we want to put more costs on those homes,” said Turner referencing Coulee Ridge, “or do we want to try to make them as competitive as possible with other homes that are for sale in the community being built in other neighbourhoods.”

Coun. Samraj, however, questioned the subsidy and was quick to note the community is being built out ahead of other planned sub-divisions which is already stretching out city infrastructure costs.

“I voted against this development mostly because it is an out-of-step development – meaning the city has to extend services in a manner it wasn’t planning to do. And that comes with extra costs and extra risk for the city,” he said.

Samraj said he objects to city taxpayers having to subsidize residential sprinklers because, “this development is already putting an extra burden on taxpayers and this is another. Now we’re making it easier for developers to make out-of-step developments by subsidizing this fire risk.”

The initial cost to city taxpayers is estimated to be $100,000 but could reach as much as $550,000 once Coulee Ridge is fully built out.

City council will now need to decide whether to approve the incentive or not.