The Lower Nicola Indian Band says it plans to address concerns heard before any new development goes forward at the former rest stop site near Merritt.

The LNIB and four other local First Nations are on track to acquire the property from the province, after signing an agreement last week to prioritize a Crown land tenure application that is in the queue.

One family on the Lower Nicola Indian Band who borders the property has told NL News they’re opposed to new developments there and say they haven’t been consulted.

“The Lower Nicola Band chief and council, as well as the five bands in the area, are committed to consulting the adjacent landowners. We’re only interested in moving forward with a development that mitigates any specific concerns. For example like environmental, or relating to water,” LNIB chief Aaron Sumexheltza says.

“We don’t have any specific timeline, but we are going to work diligently to consult our community members, work with the province. So we can move forward with the province in an expeditious manner… Beyond what the consultation process is with the province, but through our own consultation process we will hearing and listening to the families over the coming months to ensure that we do our best to address their concerns.”

Sumexheltza says the Nicola Valley First Nations would like to see some sort of commercial development as well as a cultural centre on the rest stop property.