St. Albert has pinpointed potential options to address gaps in the Red Willow Trail system in the Oakmont neighbourhood, but whether the city will pursue them is still undecided.
Manda Wilde, the city’s senior parks development project manager, described options for adding trails during a virtual presentation Jan. 27 on Zoom. Wilde also answered participant questions, and gathered feedback. The presentation is available to watch on the city’s YouTube channel.
In late 2020, council approved the first phase of the project to fill in trails by the Oakmont neighbourhood and east to an existing dead-end trail behind the Botanica development, allocating $298,400 from the city’s capital reserve for public engagement, environmental and geotechnical assessments, route options, and a detailed design for the trail construction should the project prove feasible.
While presenting on the potential plans for three main sections of trail, Wilde noted floodplain sensitivity, limited available space, and steep slopes make this project particularly “tricky.” The option to leave things as they are and hold off on finishing the trail in these areas is always a possibility, Wilde emphasized.
Potential trail plans
The first trail segment the city looked at spans the existing old Bellerose gravel road, which Wilde said is used by cyclists and pedestrians, but is not aligned to city standards for mobility of all ages and abilities.
This gravel segment could be converted into a three-metre asphalt trail, consistent with the existing Red Willow Trail system. Wilde said there’s the potential to connect the trail up to Oak Hill Place, but noted the area is extremely steep and might require stairs or to be left as a grass connection.
This change would increase maintenance costs, but would improve accessibility for those with mobility aids, strollers, or walkers, Wilde said.
The second segment would extend the existing trail from Oak Point to Otter Crescent. Wilde shared two different potential alignments, each with sub-options for how the trail is built.
The first alignment would bring the segment south, closer to the river, with options for a three-metre-wide asphalt trail, or a 1.5-metre-wide gravel trail.
Embedded between the trees, the alignment would be “very consistent” with Red Willow Trail standards, Wilde said.
“You’re hearing and smelling and feeling closer to the river,” Wilde said.
However, aligning the trail by the river would require the removal of trees, and might also require the city to move soil into the floodplain, which would require provincial approval, something Wilde said the city “does not take lightly” and would want to avoid at all costs.
The second alignment would have the trail run down the edge of Otter Crescent, giving the best view of the Sturgeon River.
With the Otter Crescent alignment, the city could either clear trees along the edge of the roadway to build the three-metre standard trail, or take a portion of the pre-existing road for the trail, an option Wilde said would be “inexpensive.” This option would remove on-street parking, but require no or minimal tree loss.
The city identified one option for the portion of the path leading up to the Botanica development from Oakbay Point to Orchard Court: adding a three-metre asphalt trail at the top of the bank.
Not only would this trail run quite close to the property of existing landowners, Wilde said the area has varied slopes and could require switchbacks or stairs, reducing accessibility.
Wilde described the final section from Orchard Court to Botanica Trail as especially complex, with many “slopes to traverse and outfalls we have to cross.”
The first option would connect across the first outfall adjacent to Orchard Crescent with a bridge, and then run through the Boudreau development property and across the Riverbank Landing with a bridge and stairs leading down to the existing trail behind Botanica.
Wilde said this option would connect well to existing and planned commercial developments, reduce floodplain impacts due to the elevation, and provide exercise options with stairs. However, steep slopes would pose a challenge for construction, and stairs would introduce an accessibility barrier, Wilde noted.
The second option for the portion from Orchard Court to Botanica Trail is similar. Instead of carrying all the way through the Boudreau Development property, however, the trail would slope down halfway through and connect to a boardwalk close to the river that would then lead up to the existing trail.
Wilde noted the boardwalk would not be cleared in winter due to the potential for damage from snow-clearing equipment, and may be susceptible to flooding.
When asked by an attendee, Wilde said there is no formal agreement between the city and private landowners at this time, as the city has not yet decided it will build the trail.
She noted there will be a trail in the Riverbank Landing development in the future, but whether it will be part of the private development or connected to the larger Red Willow Trail system will be determined in this planning process.
Some attendants in the meeting expressed excitement for the potential trail connections.
“I'm looking forward to this connection being made. Orchard Court area needs more connections. So many people walk along the river in this area and a formal trail will be well used by Oakmont residents and others,” one anonymous attendee typed in the chat.
Others had more trepidation.
Hugh Campbell, a resident who lives on Oakbay Point, expressed concern that the potential trail would run right along his property line, making his comings and goings “quite visible to everybody who happens to walk by on Sunday afternoon.”
“That’s a concern for me,” Campbell said.
Another concern Campbell shared is continued wildlife disruption.
“We used to have many deer come by my property,” Campbell said. “Since Botanica was built, I haven't seen a single deer — There’s been an occasional moose, but much less than previously.”
He said there are also prairie chickens and “all kinds of waterfowl” in the area.
“To disrupt their lives would be a travesty,” Campbell said.
If the city decides the project is feasible, the trail project will enter into its detailed design phase. City council is not required to approve the project design, but would need to provide funding for construction in future budget processes.
Because the project could deviate from city standards, Wilde said her team might choose to have a discussion with council to get their perspective in the future.
“This is a non-standard, very tricky place to build trails,” Wilde said. “We have to make some compromises, and council may want to weigh in on those.”
