A new subdivision could bring thousands of people to Big Lake while preserving an ancient forest.
Approximately 40 people attended an open house at the Glendale Golf & Country Club last week on the Big Lake Neighbourhood Three structure plan. Proposed by Walton Development and Management, it's the third of five neighbourhoods planned for the southeast end of the lake.
The plan, if approved, would add 4,200 people to the lands between Big Lake, the Yellowhead, 215 St. and 231 St. said Chris Dulaba, an engineer for Stantec Consulting. "There's a lot of folks who have a keen eye on environmental features and what's happening in this area," he said, especially the large natural corridor that runs down its centre. "It's a wonderful habitat and we intend to maintain that."
Deep, old forest
The 164-hectare development consists of two blocks of homes on either side of a wide natural area, plans suggest. Homes would be a mix of single and multi-family units with the eastern block having some multi-use zones for stores or business.
The natural area is an integral part of a wildlife loop between Big Lake and the North Saskatchewan River, said Bruce Thompson, a St. Albert-based environmental scientist retained for the project. "One of our major recommendations was that this is a real important wildlife corridor … protect it."
It's a unique area known for its orchids, moose and deer, said naturalist Elke Blodgett, who likened it to the Wagner Natural Area to the south. The forest is deep and dark enough to get lost in and features spruce and birch trees that can reach 120 feet in height. There are even two old trapper's cabins hidden in its depths. "It should be a historic site."
Stantec plans to preserve as much of the forest as possible, Dulaba said, and will add three naturalized wetlands to its western edge. There will be trails through the area but they will be restricted to limit human-animal encounters.
The paths and wetlands will follow the land's existing drainage corridors, Dulaba said — a design trend that's catching on. "The less dirt you move, the cheaper it is and it actually creates a better neighbourhood."
Native plants will be used whenever possible, he continued, and no roads will cross the corridor. The constructed wetlands should remove most pollutants from stormwater before they reach Big Lake, Thompson said. Developers could also consider restricted covenants as a way to reduce fertilizer use and in turn, algae blooms.
City lights could affect wildlife in the forest, Thompson said, so he's recommended that streetlamps and windows in the area face away from the trees. Certain wavelengths are also less likely to disturb animals.
Ecologists impressed
This is one of the better developments proposed for this region, said Dave Burkhart of the Big Lake Environment Support Society, especially since it keeps cars out of the natural area. But it was also a leapfrog development with few provisions for local services to make it walkable. "There's not going to be any public transit put there for a long time."
Charlie Richmond of Edmonton's Sierra Club praised the developer for preserving the natural corridor, noting that it was a significant chunk of land to set aside. The developer should consider elevated walkways like those in Elk Island National Park, he added, as they would reduce the risk of moose encounters.
Blodgett was still disappointed with the development and feared it could bring vandals to the area, as has happened in St. Albert's white spruce forest. "It hurts to see it become part of just another suburb."
Stantec will fine-tune its plans over the next few months, Dulaba said and hopes to present it to Edmonton city council this fall.
