If you’re a dedicated follower of St. Albert city council, you may have noticed the “A-word” uttered several times in chambers in recent months. Does that mean the city should be looking to start another round of annexation from Sturgeon County? The answer depends on who’s talking.
St. Albert city manager Bill Holtby was the first to bring up annexation. Several weeks ago, he was outlining potential options for light industrial land in St. Albert. At that time, he said annexation would be an option that council could consider if none of the land that’s already within St. Albert’s borders was deemed suitable.
But he said in a more recent interview that, in practical terms, annexation is a long way off.
“I believe that the city should sit down with Sturgeon County and have some dialogue about what might the future final St. Albert boundary look like,” Holtby said. “That could take many, many years to have that discussion. It’s not an urgency.”
As St. Albert and Sturgeon continue to develop, the two neighbours need to ensure they grow in a complementary fashion and don’t “have offensive land uses that are abutting each other,” Holtby said.
Discussions will happen when the timing is right and the political will is there on both sides, he said.
“I don’t see it as an immediate thing. I can see councils talking about this for the next five to 10 years and, perhaps somewhere in that horizon, making some decisions,” he said.
When the city annexed 1,336 hectares from Sturgeon County in 2007, it was for residential and commercial uses. There were three parcels of land designated as future study areas. This term was technically devoid of land use zoning, but it was thought that these parcels had potential for light industrial development. Since then, two of the parcels have been officially ruled out as light industrial.
Last year, council decided against pursuing an industrial designation for the Mis lands in the northeast corner, and earlier this year, it approved the Avenir residential development for a portion of future study area west of Ray Gibbon Drive. That portion also includes the SAS sports village, which is a blend of industrial and commercial. That leaves one future study area.
Meanwhile, council has asked administration for ideas on incorporating 260 to 300 hectares (642 to 741 acres) of light industrial land, either in a contiguous or non-contiguous configuration.
To former mayor Richard Plain, this is like trying to squeeze 10 gallons of water into a five-gallon pail. In a recent address to council, he suggested that annexation should be on the radar.
For Plain, the issue boils down to a simple question that council needs to ask the city’s planning staff: does the city have the land required to meet its needs for the next 25 years worth of residential, commercial and light industrial development?
“If the answer is no, they need to annex the land,” Plain said. “If you need to annex … get on with the job.”
The issue is “quite a few years” from needing attention, regardless of the push for light industrial development, insisted St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse.
“Our council hasn’t spent very many minutes talking about this. It just hasn’t been on our list of to-dos,” he said.
Sturgeon County Mayor Don Rigney thinks it makes no sense to be talking annexation now, when St. Albert just annexed more than 1,300 hectares in 2007.
“That’s enough for 10,000 to 13,000 homes,” Rigney said. “There’s anywhere from 35 to 100 years’ supply so it doesn’t make any sense.”
“If St. Albert wants to go down this road, I’m opposed to it as the mayor, but it will be up to council,” he added.
