Landowners, other interested parties within St. Albert and the public, specifically those within the annexed lands west of the city, have two weeks to tell city council what they think of the latest study that identifies land for light industrial development.
Council unanimously voted to receive and distribute for review the Future Study Areas Report: Potential Industrial Land during Monday’s council meeting. The report is the last of two requested, the first being the Future Industrial Land Requirements Study released over the summer by Business and Tourism Development, which identified how much land was needed.
That study said the city needed 700 to 900 acres of land for the next 25 years to maximize economic development. Council later asked administration to identify approximately 642 to 741 acres of land that could be used for industrial expansion. Two weeks later, the city fired the manager of Business and Tourism Development, which commissioned the report.
The report received Monday is the result of council’s request.
“The Future Study Areas Report is from planning and development and focuses specifically on where it would be located,” said senior planner Curtis Cundy.
With criteria including access to Anthony Henday Drive, a nearby workforce, land size, features and amenities, proximity to transportation and ease of servicing, planning and development identified several areas that could be used in the short, medium and long term. Many of the lands identified are within the annexed lands and some of those parcels are difficult to service.
In the short-term, planning identified a five-year supply of land that is easily serviced and already designated or zoned. The lots are located in South Riel, just west of South Riel and in South Campbell.
Medium-term, there are three possible options, ranging between a 12- and 17-year supply. Most of the land identified is located west of the city in the annexed lands. Almost all of the parcels identified have challenges, whether they have already been identified for post-annexation commitments, are difficult to service or are non-contiguous as far as the city is concerned.
Planner Carol Bergum said there are no recommendations for the long-term.
“There is more planning required, perhaps looking beyond St. Albert’s current boundaries,” Bergum said.
While council was warned by Mayor Nolan Crouse to steer away from debating the report’s contents until it comes back to council Dec. 5, some councillors had questions of planning staff.
“What makes one better than the other in terms of servicing?” asked Coun. Wes Brodhead, on the phone from Toronto.
Bergum indicated in one example, with the second of the three medium-term options, that while one parcel would be easy to service with water from Northridge and sewer pipes from the Northwest Urban Village, the adjacent parcel would involve installing two pipes through the undeveloped subdivision of Timberlea, as well as adding a lift station.
“You’d need extra infrastructure,” Bergum added.
The next step in the process is soliciting feedback from landowners in the proposed areas, as well as any other interested parties. That feedback is due by Nov. 25, which council admitted is a very tight timeline, but important so they can consider the report again on Dec. 5, when debate on the report’s contents can begin.
“It gives us a number of options to consider,” said Coun Malcolm Parker. “I look forward to Dec. 5 so we can get moving.”
