TAMRMS#: B06
7.1
REQUEST FOR DECISION
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Bylaw 14/2026 - Redistricting of Fire Hall #4 Site (1st, 2nd, 3rd Readings)
Presented by: Suzanne Ruegg, Planner, Planning & Development
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
recommendation
1. That the Public Hearing on Bylaw 14/2026 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 14/2026, being amendment 18 to the Land Use Bylaw 18/2024, be read a first time.
3. That Bylaw 14/2026 be read a second time.
4. That unanimous consent be given for consideration of third reading of Bylaw 14/2026.
5. That Bylaw 14/2026 be read a third time.
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SUMMARY
This report discusses proposed amendments to Schedule A of Land Use Bylaw 18/2024.
The application is to redistrict a portion of 1100 St. Albert Trail, in Jensen Lakes, from Future Urban Development (FUD) to Public, Private, and Institutional Service (PPI) District, to enable the development of Fire Hall #4.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
On January 23, 2024, the following motion was approved:
CM-24-002 Project Charter FIRE-005 Increase (Fire Hall #4)
That the budget for Project Charter FIRE-005 be increased from $16,341,000 to $19,341,000 to be funded from Borrowing Bylaw 22/2021, and that Administration use the additional funding to build Fire Hall #4 using a conventional construction methodology.
On November 21, 2019, the following Postponed Motion was approved:
PM-20-072 - Fire Hall #4 - Capital Project Charter FIRE-005
Fire Hall #4 - Motion to proceed with land acquisition for $2.5 million in 2020.
Fire Hall #4 - Delay design, construction, and all related mobile equipment by one year to commence in 2022 with exception of the tanker truck in 2021.
The Municipal Government Act section 692(1) states: Before giving second reading to…
(f) a proposed bylaw amending a statutory plan or land use bylaw…
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.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Proposal
The City of St. Albert’s Capital Projects Branch has applied to amend the Land Use Bylaw 18/2024, Schedule A, by redistricting 0.99 hectares (2.45 acres) of City-owned land at 1100 St. Albert Trail, to enable the future construction of Fire Hall #4. The legal description is Plan 222 0513, Block 1, Lot 1. Road access to the proposed Fire Hall #4 site will be from a service road adjacent to St. Albert Trail. Please find attached a copy of the location map (Figure 1), and the land use map (Figure 3).
In 2021, the City purchased land at the north end of the Jensen Lakes neighborhood for the construction of a new fire hall to serve the north end of St. Albert, as well as to provide land for a future transit park-and-ride facility (timeline to be determined). Through Borrowing Bylaw 22/2021, Council approved funding for the construction of the new fire hall.
To proceed with the next stages of the fire hall development, the lands must be redistricted, which requires Council approval. The proposed redistricting applies only to the portion of land intended for the fire hall and does not include the lands identified for the future transit park-and-ride.
Should Council approve the redistricting, a subdivision application will be processed to create a separate parcel for the fire hall. The subdivision decision will be made by the Subdivision Authority, in alignment with Council direction and requirements of the Municipal Government Act.
The current land use district as shown in the Land Use Bylaw is the Future Urban Development (FUD) District. The Future Urban Development District is a holding district until urban development occurs on the land. The use, fire hall, is listed within the definition of Government Service. Government Service is not a permitted or discretionary use within the Future Urban Development (FUD) District. The proposed land use district is Public, Private, and Institutional Service (PPI) District, where Government Service is a permitted use.
“Government Service: means a development where municipal, provincial, or federal government services are provided directly to the public, and includes development required for the public protection of persons or property. Typical development includes a police station, fire station, courthouse, post office, transit service, public museum, library, school board, or social services office.”
The proposed redistricting is consistent with the Jensen Lakes Area Structure Plan, which shows the area north of where Fowler way meets St. Albert Trail as a transit centre/Park-and-ride node with a fire hall and commercial uses. Redistricting will allow the fire hall project charter to commence onwards through subdivision to construction.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
This item was circulated in internal departments and external agencies, as well as to residents, landowners, and businesses within a 100-metre radius from the site.
A notification sign was posted on the site. The sign was installed on December 2, 2025.
No questions or concerns were received from the mailout to residents, landowners, and businesses.
However, the issue of site servicing was raised through internal circulation. The current sanitary and storm systems in the Jensen Lakes and Erin Ridge North systems do not have available capacity to service the proposed fire hall, with the existing state of the infrastructure network. This is a requirement of the future subdivision, as per the Municipal Government Act.
To enable servicing that will meet the required subdivision conditions, Engineering Services & Utilities have stated that water servicing would extend across St. Albert Trail at the intersection with Ernest Boulevard. As per the Engineering standards for non-residential development, stormwater servicing would be managed on-site until the larger storm water management facility for the entirety of the transit-oriented development (TOD) node is developed.
As the sanitary servicing capacity within the Northeast Servicing Area is limited, the City can enable additional capacity through the use of interim in-pipe storage solutions. This will meet the City’s engineering standards and can be achieved through the following details:
• Extending trunk and servicing lines across St. Albert Trail would provide additional in-pipe storage; thereby, increasing the capacity of the system adequately to accommodate the Firehall.
• The in-pipe storage would be necessary, because the lift stations these pipes will feed into are at maximum capacity.
• The extension of these lines is not enabled by the scope or funding of the Fire Hall #4 construction project. A separate charter for this servicing option is expected to be presented to Council on May 5, 2026. As the trunk line will service a larger development area, it is Off-Site Levy eligible. The separate charter will allow for tracking of this work outside of the main Fire Hall #4 project charter.
• Future permanent servicing will be possible once the Northeast Servicing project is completed.
The evaluation of these solutions is still ongoing. If additional funding costs to enable the land development or construction of the fire hall are required, that will be brought to Council by the project team, separately from the redistricting.
The ability to service a new lot is necessary for subdivision approval.
Public Hearing
The public hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2026. A public hearing notice has been posted on the City website, and full page Citylights advertisements appeared on both April 16, 2026, and April 23, 2026. A press release was also issued for this public hearing.
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
The recommended approval of this application will enable the subdivision, development permits, and construction of Firehall #4.
Financial:
The site will need to be serviced to enable Fire Hall #4 construction. Internally, Engineering and Utilities departments are working on a site servicing solution.
Compliance & Legal:
First reading for Bylaw 14/2026 must be completed in order to get the bylaw “on the table” for Council’s consideration. Providing first reading of a bylaw does not indicate agreement with the bylaw, but rather is the process by which the applicant’s bylaw may be put forward in accordance with procedural fairness principles.
The public hearing and first, second, and third readings of Bylaw 14/2026 are scheduled for the same day. The Municipal Government Act provides that a proposed bylaw must not have more than two readings at a council meeting unless the council members present unanimously agree to consider third reading at the same meeting.
If unanimous consent for third reading of Bylaw 14/2026 is not granted on May 5, 2026, after first and second reading, third reading of Bylaw 14/2026 will occur at the next regular Council meeting on May 19, 2026. During that time between May 5, 2026, and May 19, 2026, Council members will be unable to accept further written or verbal submissions germane to this matter, and will not be able to ask for new, substantive information on the subject matter prior to third reading (MGA, s. 187; Procedure Bylaw, Schedule E, s. 19).
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks
None at this time.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priority One, Economic Prosperity: Support an investment positive environment that encourages economic growth and the development of new and existing sectors.
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Current Planning Application Processing: Processing and coordination of the approval of statutory plans and amendments, subdivisions and condominium applications.
IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternative could be considered:
ALTERNATIVE 1: Defeat second or third reading of Bylaw 14/2026 after closure of the Public Hearing. An implication of defeating this Bylaw would be that the applicant cannot re-apply until at least six months after Council’s decision.
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time
Risks
If the redistricting is not approved by Council, it would delay the construction of Fire Hall #4, as the land use is not currently enabled through the Land Use Bylaw.
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Report Date: May 5, 2026
Author(s): Suzanne Ruegg
Department: Planning & Development
Department Director: Kristina Peter
Managing Director: Adryan Slaght
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher