I take issue with the response of Mayor Heron to the community reaction to the presentation by the St. Albert chief administrative officer (CAO). More than being heard, the residents should have been given more weight than that offered by the CAO that the reputation of the City with developers was at stake.
The land development legislation and processes as outlined by the CAO are correct. However, a missing element is the role of administration and council to act in favour of the long-term interests of St. Albert in greenfield developments, i.e., not previously settled. While it is not uncommon for developers to seek amendments to plans relating to subdivision and development of lands (IDP, Municipal Development Plan, Area Structure Plan) the process, especially in new development areas, therefore places greater onus on administration and council to determine what is in the best long-term interests of St. Albert. Typically there are either none or few residents living in or near to the development. So it is left to administration and council to decide what is right for the longer term.
In this regard, I believe the CAO has set aside well-known transportation and settlement issues associated with development of Erin Ridge in favor of putting more emphasis on accommodating the short-term interests of the developer. By way of example and for the sake of argument, where is the developer in Kingswood serving the best interests of St. Albert by rebuking/stalling development of lands in Kingswood; so much so that Council has to consider expropriating lands for park development. Whose reputation is being slurred in that matter.
The argument opposing 50 Edinburgh Court accessing to Neil Ross Road, under the logic that it will somehow compromise the planned 60 kmph speed zone, flies in the face of the various commercial developments in Erin Ridge that council/administration has approved for accessing St. Albert Trail. My oft-repeated complaint on these matters is that concerns identified by other levels of administration, e.g., transportation, planning, are rarely given the support from the CAO and council particularly as I have seen it unfold regarding Erin Ridge, Jensen Lakes, Range Road 260 and Elysian Fields. The lands in question typically do not have residents living within the 100-metre radius for “courtesy notices.” Consequently, it is an open field for the administration and developer to engage in discussions of what is best.
Regrettably, too often in the past these discussions and negotiated settlements have been made that benefit a developer who is not typically in it for the long term. Something has to change and in this instance, accessing Neil Ross Road seems more than logical.
Ken Crutchfield, St. Albert
