Earth moving equipment began work Friday morning on Erin Ridge North in St. Albert's northeast corner, marking the beginning of construction on a patch of land that's been the subject of controversy and delay for years.
Representatives from Landrex Developers and St. Albert city council were all smiles during a ceremonial groundbreaking on Wednesday.
"We're really excited to move forward," said Landrex senior vice-president Jan Butler.
"We've been out of business in St. Albert since 2006 and we look forward to getting that shovel going."
The land, which Landrex bought in 1988, has been at the centre of legal and political battles for years. A battle over the controversial Hunter Ridge subdivision proposal wound up in the courts before it died, then a lengthy and acrimonious annexation process finally concluded in 2007.
That milestone allowed Landrex to begin working on the current area structure plan, which itself involved a lengthy tug of war between the developer and the city over servicing.
"It's been a very tense road for a lot of years," said Mayor Nolan Crouse. "I'm happy that they can continue on with development."
The first stage of development will concentrate on a parcel along Coal Mine Road across from Everitt Drive, where Landrex will create 170 single-family lots around a stormwater pond. The area should be ready for house construction this November.
"We're really excited," said Michelle Fogolin of St. Albert's Sarasota Homes, one of the builders that will be active in the new area.
Fogolin is anticipating steady interest and expects to build about 20 homes in the area next year. She said the plan for the area is "great" and different with the pond and the commercial corridor along St. Albert Trail.
"I think it's going to be a real attraction to the north part of St. Albert," Fogolin said.
Servicing will likely reach the commercial corridor sometime in 2011, Butler said.
This is the aspect that most interests Mayor Crouse.
"I'm most interested in making sure that the highway corridor gets serviced and we get some non-residential developed," he said.
Coun. Carol Watamaniuk is pleased the new development will save some of the trees on the former agricultural site.
"I'm delighted to see development happening again," she said.
Having development finally start is a milestone, given the history of the land and because it's the first development to proceed in the annexed lands, said Coun. Gareth Jones.
"The first one in is always the toughest, I think. There's an opportunity for it to grow pretty quick now," Jones said.
Road closure
The first impact of the construction on area residents will be the closure of Coal Mine Road to allow for the installation of underground pipes. The closure will happen in about two weeks, Butler said.
Once the area is developed, the road will become a trail and a new street will wind its way to St. Albert Trail, she said.
The 92-hectare development will eventually be home to about 3,000 residents in a mix of low density and multi-family housing. It also has about 21 hectares of commercial land.
