High River Town Council received some steep requests on Monday for a privately owned and operated garden event space in town.

"When it was first brought to us I was quite intrigued by it and what the property owner wanted to do, but there's a responsibility on the property owner. This isn't town property, this is a private piece here. The asks were basically throw it all in the hands of the town to do everything for this."

The owner of the space has asked that the town waive the $2000 rezoning fee, either allow users of the garden space to park their vehicles in Birchwood Park's parking lot or build a new lot for their use, allow the owner to name the garden's governing society the "Birchwood Park Garden Society," and construct a pathway from the park's parking lot to his property. Snodgrass says this is private property and the town will not be paying for the work.

"We don't waive rezoning fees. We haven't done it for churches or anybody else to do their projects. It costs money to the town, to the taxpayers, to do these rezonings, and the people that are doing it need to step up and pay for it."

The land-owner came before council in January, wanting to make this space another place for events like weddings, food festivals and outdoor movies.

Mayor Snodgrass says now it looks like the owner really wants to throw it all in the town's hand to do everything, and he is very uncomfortable with the idea that the proposed garden space may separate the community.

"I think the Town of High River has done an exceptional job on integrating our immigrant community. The Filipinos and whatever your nationality is, we're all one group here in town and this seems to be a project that might separate that a bit. We have public parks and excellent spaces to do all of the events these people are talking about."

Council accepted the report for information only and will recommend that the owner use town facilities for the events he has discussed.