City council is looking toward the future with a plan to sell land in northeast Edmonton to help pay for land inside St. Albert.
The Edmonton parcel, located in the Horse Hills area near the North Saskatchewan River at 195 Avenue west of Highway 21, was originally purchased more than two decades ago for sewer lagoons. It became redundant when the city joined the regional wastewater commission after it formed in 1985.
“It’s expensive land in a good location,” explained city manager Bill Holtby. “Council decided we would be better served if we sold that land and bought something within our own borders.”
He said the city was in talks with the City of Edmonton about the land sale, but could not say if there was other interest in the space.
The proceeds from the sale would go into the city’s land reserve fund to buy other property inside the city, Holtby said. Administration is not looking at any one privately held parcel, but staff is considering land in the annexed lands for various municipal uses such as a snow removal or an outdoor recreational park, he said.
“Almost as the land comes up for sale, we express an interest in it. Our intent is that we would not have any additional costs beyond the land reserve fund and this sale [in Edmonton].”
The city already owns land in the northwest, a 32-hectare parcel known as the Badger lands. The previous council identified affordable housing as the top use for the site, however the city has delayed creating an area structure plan until after council deals with smart growth planning principles. Holtby said a branch library is another possible use.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said the new land addresses long-term civic needs, but council wants to buy it now while it’s available.
“There’s nothing in the short-term that we need land for, but there are things in the future we will need it for,” said Crouse. “It’s not so much a priority as we’re always on alert.”
The potential of using newly purchased lands to develop something beyond municipal needs interests Coun. James Burrows. He would like to see the city acquire upwards of 90 hectares, or 200 acres, for a new light industrial park.
Burrows noted any land that is purchased must take into account an infrastructure study completed for the city about seven years ago. The study outlined the types of land the city needs to look for and possible development obstacles like incompatible land uses.
“We would have to be strategic about where we buy the land,” Burrows said. “It’s not just looking at the top of the land, but looking at the land itself and what is there.”
Coun. Roger Lemieux said the current land purchase and sale will not be ready in time for the current city council to finalize, adding they would probably fall to the next council to handle. However, he said there were some future needs the city would need to address.
“For sure we need service areas for Anthony Henday Drive,” said Lemieux, adding that bus garages were also a possible use.
