The City of Thompson has approved a conditional use application that allows a local group of investors known as CMF Holdings to construct a conference centre or convention centre at the old heliport hangar at the Burntwood Sea Plane Base north of Jasper Drive, which used to be operated by Canadian Helicopters Ltd.
In August 2007, city council approved switching the assignment of a lease for the city-owned touchdown area and land the adjacent heliport hangar sits on from Canadian Helicopters Ltd. to CKF Holdings. The change in one initial represents a change in one of the investors since that time.
Canadian Helicopters sold their property, which consisted of the empty hangar, to CKF Holdings, but effectively needed the city's approval to switch the five-year lease for the land it sits on, which was set to expire June 30, 2008, to the new purchaser. Canadian Helicopters had been leasing the premises from the city for $800 per year.
Canadian Helicopters had not used the Burntwood Sea Plane Base for several years and now operates locally out of the Thompson Airport.
CKF Holdings proceeded with the application to switch the lease assignment even though the lease limited the use of the premises to the single purpose pf a heliport - and CKF did not want to operate a helicopter facility there.
CMF Holdings, however, asked council last month to add conference centre or convention centre and also allow winter testing or cold storage as permitted conditional uses in the Urban Hold (UH) zone and Public Environment Reserve zone (PER) for the proposed new buildings on the site north of Jasper Drive. The city will continue to own the land it is leasing to CMF Holdings.
Gary Ceppetelli, the city's director of planning and community development, says the approval and issuance of Conditional Use No. 809 permit do not constitute a rezoning of the property, but rather just adds additional permitted uses for the land.
The permit is subject to CMF Holdings getting the Manitoba Hydro "severance line moved to accommodate the proposed buildings."
The development review committee had addressed the conditional use application at both their May 22 and May 29 meetings, Ceppetelli said. A public hearing was held June 8 and no objections were received.
