Changes to the Riverside area structure plan were presented to council on Monday. The biggest concern voiced by councillors was over the phasing of the school site.
Since the new ASP proposes a change in location to the school site from the north side of McKenney to a location south of the arterial road, the school site is expected to be built later in the development. It is expected to be completely built out in 12 to 15 years.
Jonathan Lay, development manager at Genstar, indicated that the company has given a lot of thought on how to develop the school site faster and intends to build medium density parcels along the two collector roads that will service the school. Lay expects these to sell quickly since there is an appetite for this type of housing in St. Albert. It will allow the collector road system to be more rapidly built out.
He also pointed out that there were many positives to moving the site off the arterial road, which is expected to expand to seven lanes (including turning lanes) in the future.
“Locating an elementary school site on an arterial road isn’t the safest location. It presents serious problems with regard to pedestrian access and with regard to school bus and parent loading,” said Lay. “It also presents an area where the bulk of the children will live in the neighbourhood.”
The new school site is larger than the original – increasing from 3.44 to 4.18 hectares – which makes Michael Brenneis, associate superintendant of finance for the St. Albert Public School Board, happy.
Although concerned about access to the site, which is now located in a higher density residential area, he recognizes that the trade-off is worth it.
“Given the enrolment projections coming out of that (neighbourhood) it would need to be a very large school,” he said.
The neighbourhood is intended to accommodate 9,584 residents – 1,600 of them children and the school board is already struggling to secure large enough school sites elsewhere to service its ever-growing student population.
Lay also reassured council and the school board that the townhomes in front of the school would most likely feature rear facing garage access.
Council was happy to see changes to the ASP that would increase the amount of commercial allowed in the neighbourhood.
The original plan set aside 3.8 hectares of land for a mixed-use development. The amended version reduces the amount of high-density residential planned for that site, allowing for more designated commercial space, said senior planner Lenore Mitchell.
The changes require a Municipal Development Plan amendment, which was presented to council in December and subsequently referred to the Capital Region Board. A decision is expected to return to council on March 21.
Coun. Sheena Hughes expressed her disappointment that more commercial had not been considered along Ray Gibbon Drive, which is intended to become a major thoroughfare for both St. Albertans, as well as those travelling into northern Alberta, once it is expanded.
“While we can all be happy about this tiny pocket of commercial, this is a huge opportunity lost,” she said.
Many environmental concerns were expressed on the part of residents and councillors, given that the neighbourhood borders the Grey Nuns White Spruce Forest and the Red Willow Park system and is located next to a flood plain.
The new ASP also proposes boundary change to include a portion of land east of Ray Gibbon Drive and exclude a portion of land west of the road next to Big Lake, which is classified as environmental reserve managed by the city.
Density in the neighbourhood will be increased to through a variety of housing types.
The developers increased the number of medium- and high-density residential units to 50% of all dwelling units.
Third and final reading will take place on March 21 in council chambers.
