Council members revisited a 12-year-old planning document and floated new ideas to inject life into St. Albert’s downtown during an April 6 committee meeting.
Administration facilitated a brainstorming session for growing foot traffic within the downtown, and presented background on the City's Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (DARP). Adopted in 2010, St. Albert’s DARP replaced a previous redevelopment planning document from 1990.
Adryan Slaght, the City's director of planning and development, outlined objectives in the 2010 plan, including increasing desirability to live downtown, creating a central gathering place, establishing an architectural theme, and fostering a mix of businesses.
As for how the plan will continue to be implemented going forward, the City has funded a $165,000 DARP project prioritization review as part of the 2022 budget.
According to the budget, this project will evaluate all the recommended capital projects within DARP — such as servicing or transportation network capacity projects — and prioritize them to achieve the best benefits for the least cost.
Long-term projects remain unfunded
Some key projects under DARP remain unfunded, however, including the development of the Millennium Park site and Pavilion, as well as improvements to downtown streets and the development of a new Civic Square.
After hearing feedback from councillors, Slaght said in the case of Millenium Park — currently evaluated at $12 million — the project’s lack of current funding might be of benefit, as it provides an “opportunity for second thoughts.”
Coun. Mike Killick said he supports the idea of the park, but noted the conceptual design seems inadequate for the city's planned growth.
“As we grow to 100,000 … it just seems small to me,” Killick said.
Slaght said the design was chosen partly due to the sensitivity of surrounding mature trees which act as a dike in holding water runoff come springtime.
Kristina Peter, City planning branch manager, added that the City is also conscious about the project’s budget, and the land is costly to build on.
She noted a park “can evolve over time as well,” and highlighted that the designs for the park are still at the conceptual stage and could be amended going forward.
Does DARP need a re-do?
Mayor Cathy Heron asked Slaght whether the DARP remains valid after 12 years.
“If we were to start a brand new DARP today, do you think it would look similar to what we have?” Heron asked.
Slaght said he believes it would be similar, noting that the document contains strong policies, though there are some regulations that are overly specific and could be too restrictive, deterring potential redevelopers. The City is discussing ways to make the downtown more competitive from a redevelopment perspective, Slaght said, which involves simplifying some regulations, such as height regulations on a parcel-specific basis.
“You’ll likely see some recommended amendments or modifications to DARP,” Slaght said, noting these suggested changes could come to council in the form of wider land-use bylaw amendments administration is currently working on.
The land-use bylaw review is projected to come before council at the end of 2022.
Council members also discussed potential new concepts to continue to move forward with their vision of a vital downtown.
Heron said a potential strategy down the line could involve introducing paid parking, the proceeds from which could be reinvested in the downtown with improvements, such as public art.
“I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but at some point, residents are going to have to realize you don’t get free parking,” Heron said.
Coun. Natalie Joly argued the issue with parking is “more of a communications issue.”
“The most vibrant downtowns on the planet are the ones with really limited parking,” Joly said, referencing concerns she has heard about a potential affordable housing complex downtown at 22 St. Thomas Street leading to less available parking.
Coun. Sheena Hughes argued the City should get rid of building height minimums to promote redevelopment.
“I think that’s actually a quick, easy thing to do,” Hughes said, adding that maximum height restrictions would be kept.
Killick said the City needs to find a short-term priorities to tackle this year, such as a temporary event space.
“I would love to see something … that’s really actionable,” Killick said. “Any of the other things, whether it’s affordable housing or Millennium Park, they’re longer term … if we just focus on the big-buck items, it’ll be another four years before we have a vibrant downtown. We need to strike when the iron is hot.”
