Dawson Creek's boundary extension just got a whole lot easier.
Hurdles to incorporating two large agricultural parcels into the city for industrial use have been removed, the city council heard at its meeting last week.
Lands belonging to Wayne and Kerry Hansen could be brought into the city boundaries by as early as next summer.
The Peace River Regional District has reversed its opposition to the plan, which it claimed would lead to valuable farmland being gobbled up for industrial land that wasn't desperately needed.
"It's a huge piece that the regional district withdrew their opposition, which was based on the idea there was no need (for industrial land)," Chief Administrative Officer Jim Chute said.
"That takes off the board us having to provide enough consultant expertise to prove the regional district might have that wrong," he added.
Chute had earlier suggested such work could be pricey.
Anne Clayton, a land agent for the Hansens, presented to council Dec. 7, saying there is little industrial land remaining in Dawson Creek.
She said some are wary of investing in the city due to concerns about the availability of industrial land. That sends money to Fort St. John and Grande Prairie, she said.
The parcels include a quarter-section on Highway 97 and a half-section south of the Dangerous Goods Route.
Chute said staff believed they would have an answer from the province on the boundary extension in six months.
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