St. Albert council has approved amendments to its Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan (ASP).
The rezoning would allow for drive-thru restaurants to be built on one portion of land along St. Albert Trail, Coal Mine Road, and Ebony Way, as well as medium-density buildings such as apartments, townhouses, and supportive living in the opposite end of the neighbourhood along Edison Drive.
The redistricting vote during the July 2 council meeting, which included both sites, passed by 6-1, with St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron opposed. She was particularly concerned with changes along St. Albert Trail from mixed-use to commercial corridor, and recalled a past vote to make it mixed-use.
"It was not a unanimous vote at the time," Heron said. At the time, she said, some councillors believed strongly St. Albert Trail should be commercial corridor.
"But their proponent was very passionate with this vision about walkability," she said.
Coun. Wes Brodhead said he didn't think the shift back to commercial corridor would completely diminish the walkability, but said it was "interesting in light of our earlier conversations."
Coun. Ken MacKay said he wasn't sure that simply having drive-thrus would make the neighbourhood any less walkable.
"They'll also have sit-down portions," MacKay said. "My understanding is that one of them might be very attractive to many other residents in the neighbouring communities that will have to walk there."
Mike Yochim, vice-president of operations for land developer Landrex, said they tried to balance the main use of St. Albert Trail with creating and maintaining walkability.
"On the back half where the apartment and mixed-use is, we still have that park," Yochim said. "Yes, there are drive-thrus, so there will be cars coming in and out. But for the most part, you're going to see people walking to that site, spending hours there, and then walking or biking out. Not driving in, parking and staying."
He said signage would be important for the area, so there isn't conflict between bikers, pedestrians, and cars.
Heron said although she had reservations about the drive-thru, she held off on making an amendment as she didn't want to hold up the process and felt she was "alone" in that reservation.
Some residents were concerned over the what the changes would mean for traffic in the area, outlined in a "What We Heard" report which is accessible through council's July 2 meeting agenda.
"The area cannot accommodate the traffic that the apartments and drive-thru restaurants would demand," one resident wrote on Jan. 8.
"[Drive-thrus] were not in the original plan for the site for a reason," another resident wrote on Jan. 9. "Allowing increased commercial/[drive-thrus] on the East Village site, in addition to the future residential rental apartment traffic, would increase traffic volumes and compound existing unaddressed traffic concerns."
Heron said she was fine with the density shift from high to medium on Edison Drive, but said she voted against it because of the commercial corridor redistricting.
"I fought so hard for the original vision, and it was Landrex that sold me on that and convinced me, and now you're asking me to go the other way," Heron said. "I just feel like this entire community is about cars and I was excited to support this mixed-use concept and I'm just sad to see it go."
