Dryden council votes down motion for Van Horne Landing

Dryden city council has shot down the idea of developing an outdoor event venue at Van Horne Landing.

Councillor Bill Latham put forward the idea in a Notice of Motion.

The motion resulted in prolonged debate about the venue and a permanent location for the farmer’s market.

CAO Roger Nesbitt says they already have plans for an outdoor event center across from the Mill.

“The idea of moving the outdoor event venue to that area (Van Horne Landing) would take a significant amount of lands out of the 10 acres that land parcel is sized at,” Nesbitt told could during the debate on the Notice of Motion.

Nesbitt adds they already have plans drafted for the downtown venue and is worried the Van Horne Landing location is a big change.

“That would be my concern, is that this is a pretty significant shift in direction from council, from what we’ve been working towards over the past couple of years with that particular area (the vacant mill parking lot).”

Nesbitt adds that even though they have design plans for an outdoor event venue, there is no money set aside for that project yet.

In the end, Latham’s Notice of Motion was voted down by city council.