TAMRMS#: B06
7.1
REQUEST FOR DECISION
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Bylaw 16/2024 - Northeast St. Albert ASP (1st Reading)
Presented by: Craig Walker, Planner II, Planning & Development
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
recommendation
1. That the public hearing on Bylaw 16/2024 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 16/2024, being the adoption of the Northeast St. Albert Area Structure Plan, be read a first time.
3. That Bylaw 16/2024 be defeated.
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SUMMARY
• An Area Structure Plan (ASP) application has been submitted by Invistec Consulting Ltd., on behalf of Landrex Hunter Ridge Inc., to enable outward growth in the recently annexed lands in the northeast part of the City, entitled the Northeast St. Albert Area Structure Plan (NEASP).
• The proposal entails the equivalent of approximately 4½ quarter-sections of land, 78% of which was annexed from Sturgeon County in 2022. The NEASP envisions residential neighbourhoods, employment areas, mixed-used nodes, schools, and natural areas - including a sizeable area located adjacent to the Sturgeon River. Upon full build-out, the NEASP will accommodate 10,599± residents and create 850± new jobs. Long-term, the plan area will involve the extension of 127 Street from its current terminus near Anthony Henday Drive, as well as a potential trail and/or wildlife corridor linking the Sturgeon River all the way to Carrot Creek.
• The proposed NEASP represents a substantial departure from the City’s vision and scope for predominantly westward outward growth outlined within the City’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Flourish. To support such growth, an estimated $69.7 million dollar upfront infrastructure investment is needed to achieve the growth envisioned within the NEASP.
• The City of St. Albert is currently well positioned to accommodate future residential and employment growth elsewhere through existing approved ASPs over the next 20 years.
• On November 5, 2024, a public hearing has been scheduled, after which City Council will decide on whether or not to pursue the NEASP further.
• Within Alberta’s planning and development legislation, all individuals/entities can apply for statutory or regulatory changes. City Administration must follow the prevailing legislation and the City’s statutory and regulatory documents when providing comments. As the proposed NEASP does not align to the MDP, City Administration recommends to Council that they do not approve the proposed NEASP. Notwithstanding, should Council opt to proceed, the next step will be to refer the application to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board for a decision, and subsequently return to City Council to consider second and third readings.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
• Municipal Government Act Section 633(1): “For the purpose of providing a framework for subsequent subdivision and development of an area of land, a council may by bylaw adopt an area structure plan.”
• Municipal Government Act Section 633(2): “An area structure plan
(a) must describe:
(i) the sequence of development proposed for the area,
(ii) the land uses proposed for the area, either generally or with respect to specific parts of the area,
(iii) the density of population proposed for the area either generally or with respect to specific parts of the area, and
(iv) the general location of major transportation routes and public utilities, and
(b) may contain any other matters, including matters relating to reserves, as the council considers necessary.”
• Municipal Government Act Section 638(2): “An area structure plan and an area redevelopment plan must be consistent with
(a) any intermunicipal development plan in respect of land that is identified in both the area structure plan or area redevelopment plan, as applicable, and the intermunicipal development plan, and
(b) any municipal development plan.
• Municipal Government Act Section 692(1): “Before giving second reading to:
(c) a proposed bylaw to adopt an area structure plan, a council must hold a public hearing with respect to the proposed bylaw in accordance with section 216.4 after giving notice of it in accordance with section 606.”
• Ministerial Order No. MSD: 088/20 - Schedule A:
• Section 4.1: “A municipality must refer to the [Edmonton Metropolitan Region] Board any proposed new statutory plan”.
• Section 5.1: “Statutory plans or statutory plan amendments referred to the Board pursuant to Section 4.0 must be referred to the Board after 1st reading and before 3rd reading of a bylaw or bylaws.”
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
A proposal for a new ASP in the northeast part of the City was received from Invistec Consulting Ltd., on behalf of Landrex Hunter Ridge Inc. The purpose of this report is to provide information on the application, a detailed policy analysis, and recommended motions for Council’s consideration.
Site Information and History
As detailed within Attachment #1 (Bylaw 16/2024: Northeast St. Albert ASP), the Plan area includes approximately 298 hectares (736 acres±) of land in the northeast part of the City. In addition to Landrex, there are 18 other landowners within the Plan area - two of whom have also retained planning consultants to participate in this ASP process in a more intentional manner.
The Northeast St. Albert Area Structure Plan (NEASP) is bound by St. Albert Trail to the west, Sturgeon County to the north and east, and existing St. Albert neighbourhoods to the south. The area predominantly entails undeveloped, agricultural lands - 78% of which were annexed from Sturgeon County in 2022, as well as a remaining undeveloped quarter-section located within the City’s previous boundary (also agricultural at present).
Prior to the Sturgeon annexation, a 2020 Growth Management Study (ISL Engineering & Land Services) indicated that, based upon higher than historical growth assumptions, it will take nearly 25 years to fully develop the lands found within the pre-annexation City boundaries (e.g. Riverside, South Riel, St. Albert West, infill, and others). The impetus for the 2022 annexation was to satisfy the City’s subsequent long-term growth needs over a 40 to 50-year horizon. Accordingly, the MDP was amended in 2022 to clarify the priority growth areas, to increase the non-residential tax base, assign high-level future land uses, and a conceptual road/infrastructure network to the annexation lands.
At the time of preparing this report, there is no sanitary sewer capacity in the northeast part of the City, including the subject ASP lands. Accordingly, a parallel City-led review is underway referred to as the “Northeast Servicing Project”. At Standing Committee of the Whole on October 8, 2024, Administration outlined several options to Council which could address the situation affecting existing neighbourhoods, and potentially enable development into Northeast St. Albert as well. For more information, please refer to Attachment #3: Previously Distributed Agenda Report.
Proposal
As illustrated in Map 2 of the NEASP, the future land uses are envisioned for residential neighbourhoods, employment areas, various mixed-used nodes, schools, and natural areas - including a sizeable area located adjacent to the Sturgeon River. Upon full build-out, NEASP is anticipated to accommodate 10,599± residents (planned at 40 dwelling units per net residential hectare) and create 850± new jobs. The NEASP dedicates approximately 19% of the net developable area to Employment Lands and approximately 38% of the net developable area for Residential uses.
The NEASP establishes a high-level transportation and servicing network, proposes a staging plan, and identifies potential site constraints that will be examined in detail and mitigated at future planning stages (e.g. oil and gas infrastructure, watertable and topographical challenges in locations, the Sturgeon River floodplain).
The proposed NEASP includes policies which guide future decisions on other diverse topics such as economic diversification, agriculture, urban design, environment, indigenous culture, energy transition, major open spaces, and collaborating with other regional/government partners.
Long-term, the area will involve the extension of 127 Street from its current terminus near Anthony Henday Drive, as well as a potential trail and/or wildlife corridor linking the Sturgeon River all the way to Carrot Creek.
Associated technical reports were submitted by the applicant to inform the NEASP creation, as follows:
• Agriculture Impact Assessment (2021);
• Engineering Design Brief (2024);
• Environmental Site Assessment, Phase 1 (2021);
• Geotechnical Investigation for NW 21-54-25 W4 (2021);
• Historic Resources Overview (2020);
• Hydraulic Network Analysis (2024);
• Natural Area Assessment (2021);
• Technical Report (2024); and
• Traffic Impact Assessment (2024).
As outlined within the St. Albert planning framework, the future Neighbourhood Plan (NP) process will require further technical analysis. It should be noted that there are specific technical matters contained within some of the above technical reports which will inform needed NEASP amendments (or conversely - technical report updates), should this application proceed. These technical alignment matters include:
• The Natural Area Assessment reflects the previous MDP’s policy direction (not the current MDP policy direction).
• Site-specific geotechnical investigations are not required until the Neighbourhood Plan stage, however annexation documentation indicated that the area includes a high-water table and steep slopes in various locations, which could have implications on future land use viability.
• Certain land uses (and their associated traffic assumptions) within the Traffic Impact Assessment do not align with the actual land uses proposed in Map 2 of the ASP.
A February 2024 letter from the City to the Applicant touched upon these matters (and other technical items), the bulk of which were subsequently addressed via clarification, added ASP policies, revisions to engineering documents, or deferral to a Neighbourhood Plan solution.
Structure of NEASP Document
The overall structure of the NEASP has been drafted to mirror the general structure of the St. Albert West ASP, as follows:
Part 1: Introduction
• This section discusses the purpose of the ASP, place within St. Albert, regional and provincial planning framework, and a summary of community engagement.
Part 2: Site Analysis
• This section discusses the context of Northeast St. Albert, and environmental constraints within the Plan area.
Part 3: Vision and Principles
• This section discusses the overall vision and high-level principles that will guide future development in Northeast St. Albert.
Part 4: Area-Wide Policies
• The area-wide policies will apply across the entire Plan area. They are organized based on the following principles for Northeast St. Albert: Economic Diversification, Urban Design, Environment, Culture & Community Services, Transportation, and Utility Infrastructure.
Part 5: Land Use Policies
• The land use policies are based on the land use designations within Northeast St. Albert, which include Major Open Spaces & Parks, Mixed-use Areas, Neighbourhoods, Employment Area, and Mixed-use Employment Area.
Part 6: Implementation
• This section contains policies regarding how planning and development in Northeast St. Albert will be implemented.
Part 7: Statistics
• This section contains a table of the future land use statistics in Northeast St. Albert.
Part 8: Maps
• This section contains maps of the ASP location, future land use, transportation, water servicing, wastewater collection system, stormwater management, legal land descriptions, major open spaces and parks, site analysis, natural features, direction of development, aerial photograph, and topography.
Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Flourish
The intent of a growth strategy is rooted in well-established planning principles. It is best practice to implement long term growth through prioritization development areas over the buildout of a community plan. This is due to the limits of market demand (there is only so much growth to go around) and the significant costs associated with municipal infrastructure/service expansions into different areas concurrently. A growth strategy also clearly communicates the municipality’s intention to the community. This helps developers and other community builders plan accordingly.
During the formation of the MDP, one of the four project phases was dedicated to developing a growth strategy for the pre-annexation lands. The project included developing three growth scenarios - West, North, and Intensification focused - with the intent of strategically directing growth. Ultimately, a combination of the West and Infill focus scenario was incorporated into the MDP, which was largely informed by City Council’s decision regarding the Community Amenities Site location. Concentrating outward growth in the west optimizes key community building elements including the employment lands (and their viability for infrastructure servicing), Ray Gibbon Drive improvements, the future Community Amenities Site, and the Carrot Creek open space corridor.
The associated MDP goal for Sustainable Growth is as follows: “St. Albert optimizes its land, infrastructure, and financial resources to support intensification and outward growth that together attract a diverse range of residents and businesses.”
The proposed ASP is deemed as “outward growth” and is subject to the following MDP Principles and associated policies:
1) “Manage and coordinate growth in a logical manner that efficiently utilizes land, infrastructure, and fiscal resources.”
2) As stated in the preamble for section 13.1 of the MDP, “St. Albert will focus most of its outward residential growth within existing or amended Area Structure Plans.” As such, the proposed ASP area is not a priority area for growth and is not envisioned to be developed over the next several decades. This is reflected in Map #4, which identifies Northeast St. Albert as not within the “Priority Area for Outward Growth”. It is expected that the scope of growth (100K population and 13K new jobs) will occur over the span of 25 to 30 years from when the MDP was approved (2021), based on average growth rates. As the MDP was approved prior to annexation, the MDP focuses on accommodating growth within pre-annexation boundaries. Conversely, 78% of the Northeast St. Albert ASP’s lands were annexed from Sturgeon County in 2022, which is an estimated 40 to 50-year time horizon. From a growth perspective, enabling development of the northeast lands is beyond the scope of the MDP, as well as the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan (which contemplates growth until 2044). Further, based on existing ASP’s, the City has approved enough greenfield residential units and the associated population growth to realize this vision. As such, St. Albert is currently very well positioned to accommodate future greenfield development over the coming decades. While the subject lands are envisioned for urban development in the future, the timing should coincide with the building out of the “Priority Area for Outward Growth”. It would also result in outward growth being dispersed across the west and northeast, with civic investment in the west not being fully optimized.
3) MDP policies 6.3.2, 13.1.2, 13.1.9, and 13.1.11 as outlined in Attachment #8 also apply.
It is the City’s position that the proposed ASP does not align with critical policy directions within the MDP. While there is alignment with the Future Land Use Map (Map 3), density targets, and other select policies, the ASP notably does not align with the anticipated prioritization and the associated timelines in Map 4 of the MDP and would undermine the overall direction of the growth strategy. The City supports land development and infrastructure investment in a strategic, sustainable manner, however the timing of this NEASP is premature based upon growth needs.
Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan (EMRGP)
Since this ASP was initiated by the land development community, a comprehensive analysis to assess regional alignment was not conducted by Administration (as was the case for the MDP and the St. Albert West ASP). However, the proposal does not appear to align with the overall intent of Sections 4 and 6 of the EMRGP, entitled “Integration of Land Use and infrastructure”, and “Agriculture”, respectively. For example:
- Objective 4.3: “Plan and develop greenfield areas in an orderly and phased manner to contribute to complete communities.”
- Objective 4.6: “Prioritize investment and funding for regional infrastructure to support planned growth.”
- Policy 4.1.1: “Employment and population growth will be planned and phased in a responsible manner and a contiguous pattern to accommodate [the EMRB’s population and employment projections to 2044.]”
- Policy 4.2.1: “A proportion of residential growth will be accommodated in urban communities through intensification of built-up urban areas to meet [the EMRB’s intensification targets].”
- Policy 4.3.2: “Greenfield areas will only be considered for development in locations that meet all of the following criteria: (c) have long term municipal storm, water and wastewater servicing capacity to accommodate the planned development.”
- Policy 6.1.3: “In the metropolitan area, prime agricultural lands identified through the land evaluation and site assessment tool shall be conserved for agricultural purposes for as long as possible, recognizing that these lands will urbanize over time to accommodate growth.”
On November 5, 2024, a public hearing has been scheduled, after which City Council will be requested to make a decision on whether or not to pursue this ASP further. City Administration has determined that the ASP is not supportable from a planning perspective. Notwithstanding, should Council opt to proceed with this ASP, the next step will be to refer the application to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board for a decision, and subsequently return to Council to consider second and third readings. The Alternatives section explains in more detail the process and risks associated with this approach.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Applicant Communications & Engagement:
- September 2021: Applicant erected on-site signage regarding the ASP in two locations.
- September 2021: Applicant hosted a virtual public meeting, which was advertised in advance: 1) within two editions of the St. Albert Gazette; and 2) by mailing 500+ letters to landowners within a 100 metre radius (including St. Albert and Sturgeon County addresses). For more information, please refer to Attachment #2: Summary of Virtual Public Meeting from September 2021.
- December 2023: Applicant updated on-site signage to reflect Plan revisions.
- October 2024: Applicant hosted drop-in public information session at a local hotel, which was advertised in advance: 1) within two editions of the St. Albert Gazette; 2) by mailing 500+ letters to landowners within a 100 metre radius (including St. Albert and Sturgeon County addresses); and 3) referenced on the City’s Cultivate the Conversation webpage. For more information, please refer to Attachment #4: Applicant’s What We Heard Report from October 2024.
City Communications & Engagement:
- January 2022: City developed a Cultivate the Conversation webpage and mailed 500+ letters to all City/County landowners within a 100 metre radius.
- December 2023: City updated the Cultivate the Conversation webpage and undertook an additional 500+ letter mailout to aforementioned landowners to inform of Plan revisions.
- August 2024: City updated Cultivate the Conversation and mailed 18 landowners within the Plan area (only), to inform of final adjustments.
- October 2024: City advertised for the November 5, 2024 public hearing via two editions of the St. Albert Gazette, and on Cultivate the Conversation.
- In addition, on various dates throughout the process, the City circulated the application (and all revisions) to applicable City departments, utility providers, and various public sector partners for input. Where applicable, such input was addressed via the supporting technical/engineering documents, and/or incorporated into the final version of the ASP, and/or will be deferred to the Neighbourhood Plan stage. For more information, please refer to Attachment #7 - Summary of Comments Received.
- Administration notes that engagement with Indigenous communities did not occur through the Northeast St. Albert ASP process, as it did with the City-initiated St. Albert West ASP process. Should this application be approved, engagement with Indigenous communities shall occur during the five-year review of the Northeast St. Albert ASP.
Previous Council Discussions:
- As detailed further within Attachment #3: Previously Distributed Report on Northeast Servicing Update, a number of off-site leviable capital projects may prematurely be warranted as a result of urban expansion into Northeast St. Albert prior to the substantial built-out of existing lands within the pre-annexation boundaries. Although some of these are already warranted regardless (i.e. with or without the Northeast St. Albert ASP proceeding), Standing Committee of the Whole was advised on October 8, 2024 that these costs would amount to approximately $69.7 million.
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
Council is required to give first reading to the NEASP in order to ensure fairness to the applicant and to ensure that the applicant’s application is properly considered.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks
While the City supports sustainable land development and strategic investment, there is a risk that the City may be perceived as ‘anti-growth and development’ - despite being well positioned to accommodate growth elsewhere within the City - if the NEASP is not approved.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priority One, Economic Prosperity: Expand opportunities for employment and economic growth with land development that attracts a mix of industries and businesses. This strategy includes completing the plans for the recently annexed lands, and supporting agreements that foster development and affordability within St. Albert.
Strategic Priority Five: Financial Sustainability: Ensure responsible and transparent fiscal management, decision making and long-term financial sustainability that allows the City to respond to changes in revenue sources. This includes net positive revenue-generating infrastructure, long-term financial sustainability.
ALIGNMENT TO SERVICE DELIVERY
Current Planning Application Processing: Processing and coordination of the approval of statutory plans and amendments, subdivision, and condominiums applications.
IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternatives could be considered:
ALTERNATIVE 1: Council may refer the NEASP to the EMRB. To proceed with approval of Bylaw 16/2024, the following motions would be used:
1. That the public hearing on Bylaw 16/2024 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 16/2024, being the adoption of the Northeast St. Albert Area Structure Plan, be read a first time.
3. That Schedule A of Bylaw 16/2024 be referred to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board.
Financial:
Unlike the St. Albert West ASP, the fiscal impacts of greenfield expansion into the northeast annexation area have not been fully investigated. Approval of the NEASP risks prematurely triggering the necessity of City investments for infrastructure and other services - with an estimated $69.7 million required up-front to support off-site leviable capital projects. In addition, growth in this area could result in additional infrastructure investments in the Northeast quadrant in the order of $232 million in the next 16 years. Although the approval of an ASP does not necessitate immediate construction, if subsequent planning and development activities proceed in the near-term (e.g. Neighbourhood Plans, redistricting, subdivision), the associated City expenditures incurred require reprioritization of City priority projects based on the City’s debt ceiling - unless existing budgetary commitments are revisited. As such, adding additional greenfield lands risks slowing the land absorption of St. Albert West, having unknown financial consequences on that strategic investment. Likewise, there will be similar implications for the lands designated for re-development and infill.
Compliance & Legal:
As outlined previously, the current proposed NEASP does not align with the City’s Municipal Development Plan - Flourish. Accordingly, advancing the Northeast St. Albert ASP will require an amendment to the Municipal Development Plan (discussed further below). Notwithstanding, such an amendment does not appear to align with certain sections of the EMRGP. There is the potential that EMRB may not support the NEASP.
Program or Service:
If third reading is later given, notwithstanding the planned 5-year minor MDP update, the Planning Branch will immediately require funding and staff capacity to pursue a systemic and foundational amendment to the MDP. This will require staffing support from other City departments and consultants regarding planning, engineering, financial, and related aspects, as well as substantial community engagement. While costing has not been contemplated, major amendments to statutory plans are costly, and it is anticipated that the updates would require re-prioritization of Council approved projects (due to staffing resources) and high-level estimated costs. In the interim, existing Council priorities and projects will continue to be delayed. Longer-term, staff capacity across City departments will be required to evaluate future planning applications in Northeast St. Albert (e.g. Neighbourhood Plans, redistrictings, subdivision) and their associated implications on City infrastructure and other services.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks:
Impacts to staffing resources and budgetary implications, as detailed as above.
ALTERNATIVE 2: Council may direct that Administration create a project charter to amend the MDP in order to align it with the proposed NEASP in order to increase the chance of approval of the NEASP at the EMRB. To proceed with approval of Bylaw 16/2024 in this manner, the following motions would be used:
1. That the public hearing on Bylaw 16/2024 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 16/2024, being the adoption of the Northeast St. Albert Area Structure Plan (NEASP), be read a first time.
3. That Administration come back to Council in Q1 2025 with a Project Charter to amend the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) to align with the proposal in the Northeast St. Albert Area Structure Plan.
Financial:
It is anticipated that the project charter costs for a major amendment to the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) would be estimated at approximately $800,000.
Compliance & Legal:
As previously mentioned, the current proposed NEASP does not align with the City’s Municipal Development Plan. Requiring an amendment to the MDP for conformance with the ASP may still not fully align with certain sections of the EMRGP. There is a risk that the EMRB may not support the NEASP, even with an MDP amendment.
The MGA provides that “if a proposed bylaw does not receive third reading within 2 years after first reading”, then the previous readings of a proposed bylaw are rescinded. If this alternative was selected and Council later approved the associated project charter, work would need to be aligned in order to ensure that the MDP amendment came back to Council for consideration with enough time to ensure that both the MDP and NEASP could be referred to the EMRB at the same time, within two years of first reading of the NEASP.
Program or Service:
The Planning Branch will urgently require funding and staffing capacity to pursue a systemic and foundational amendment to the MDP. Timing of such an amendment is anticipated to take approximately 18 months, inclusive of statutory plan creation and statutory adoption. Development of the MDP amendment will involve support from other City departments and consultants specializing in planning, engineering, finance, and related areas, as well as significant community engagement. While the costs have not been fully assessed-this will be determined through the project charter process-major amendments to statutory plans are generally expensive. In the interim, developing a Project Charter in Q1 2025 will affect staff availability to work on other Council priority projects, such as the Infill Strategy and potentially the Housing Accelerator Funding projects, as well as the implementation of the St. Albert West ASP Neighborhood Plan adoption. In the longer term, it is anticipated that updates will require re-prioritization of Council-approved projects due to staffing limitations and high-level estimated costs. This project will also affect staff capacity across City departments, as resources will be needed to evaluate future planning applications in Northeast St. Albert (e.g., Neighborhood Plans, redistricting, subdivision) and their associated implications for City infrastructure and services.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks:
This amendment would necessitate a substantial shift in growth prioritization for the City of St. Albert, as the MDP must remain aligned with the EMRB Growth Plan. Potential unintended consequences of this amendment may include: limiting infill redevelopment opportunities until most greenfield lands are developed; reducing the priority and capacity to invest in mature neighborhoods (specifically those neighbourhoods that are over 30 years old); declining commercial investment along St. Albert Trail in existing areas due to greenfield development; longer repayment periods for infrastructure investments in both the St. Albert West ASP and the NEASP; and an increase in the overall tax rate as a larger portion of residential lands is brought online.
In addition, risk include the potential impacts on staffing resources and budgetary implications, as detailed above.
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Report Date: November 5, 2024
Author: Craig Walker, Planner II
Department: Planning & Development
Department Director: Kristina Peter
Managing Director: Adryan Slaght
Chief Administrative Officer: Bill Fletcher