Upscale rooming house proposed for Highway 4 South in Rosetown

By Ian MacKay

People needing a place to stay in Rosetown for a week or two could have another option by the summer.

Murray Silljer, who’s developed Rudy Landing north of Outlook, wants to convert the Hill residence on Highway 4 South into an “upscaled rooming house,” according to his request to rezone the property.

”I think that’s something we need,” Mayor Trevor Hay said after Silljer’s verbal presentation to council on Feb. 17. “We don’t have a destination place to go to.” People on short-term work assignments here seek accommodation “all the time,” Hay said.

Murray Silljer from Outlook has a plan to turn the Hill residence into The Stay, offering short-term rentals at first, with further development to follow. Town councillors agreed to begin rezoning the property to C2 Commercial from Agricultural during their Feb. 17 meeting. Photo by Ian MacKay

Later in the meeting, councillors quickly approved beginning the process to rezone the property to C2 Commercial from Agricultural. The property next to it is zoned C2, said Amanda Bors, the interim chief administrator. The town must give public notice and the province’s Community Planning branch must approve the rezoning plan.

Silljer intends to have The Stay open in May with 10 bedrooms, according to his written document. He’ll have the garage converted to bedrooms.

His future plans include adding 10 cabins, creating a spa that provides hair dressing and tanning beds and a coffee shop that also offers wine and beer.

He operates Rudy Landing Developments Inc., which has 41, one-acre lots at Outlook so far, Silljer said. He had its roads and other infrastructure installed, he said.

“It is our flagship,” he said.

Silljer asked for a “speedy rezoning” and still had to speak with Saskatchewan Health Authority personnel. He needs the property rezoned and SHA approval before he can complete financing arrangements, he indicated.

“I can make things happen pretty fast,” he said about scheduling renovation work by contractors. “Pending approvals, it wouldn’t take us a month or two for us to be up and running with rooms,” Silljer said.

“A shortage of rooms” exists in Rosetown, he said, adding, “The opportunity is endless,” with about 6,500 vehicles stopping at the intersections of highways 4 and 7 here “during the daytime, every day,” he said.

“For something this big, it’s got to be expedited as quick as possible,” councillor Art Garrett said. “He’s a go-getter,” Garrett added, saying that he’d known Silljer for about four years.