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Bylaw 14/2024 - St. Albert West Area Structure Plan (1st Reading)
Presented by: Tracy Tsui, Planner II, Planning & Development Department
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
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1. That Bylaw 14/2024 be read a first time.
2. That Schedule A of Bylaw 14/2024 be referred to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to provide the context of the St. Albert West Area Structure Plan (ASP), and to provide information to St. Albert Council as they contemplate the adoption of this new statutory plan. On June 4, 2024, Council will be asked to give Bylaw 14/2024 (the St. Albert West ASP) first reading, which will then initiate a referral to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB) as part of the Regional Evaluation Framework (REF) review process. Referral to the EMRB is required under provincial legislation, and it must occur after Council’s first reading and before third reading of the ASP Bylaw. The purpose of the REF review process is to ensure all member municipalities align with the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Growth Plan (EMRGP). Subject to approval from the EMRB, the public hearing, and second and third reading will of Bylaw 14/2024 will be scheduled.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In March 2022, the City’s Planning Branch embarked on a project to develop an Area Structure Plan for a portion of lands in the western area of St. Albert that contains approximately 1,035 hectares (2,557 acres). The ASP is called the St. Albert West ASP, and it was prepared with planning and technical consultation from Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Updates were provided to the Standing Committee of the Whole (SCOW) during the preparation of the St. Albert West ASP.
• Please refer to the attachment, 'Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’ for the agenda report on October 11, 2022. This agenda report discusses the two-tier Area Structure Plan and Neighbourhood Plan structure, original project schedule, earliest version of the land use concept, and policy highlights of each proposed land use in St. Albert West.
• On February 14, 2023, Administration provided another update to SCOW to discuss updates to the project timeline, land use concept, dedication of Municipal Reserve along Carrot Creek and Big Lake, and potential municipal uses on the City-owned Badger Lands and Lakeview Business District. Please refer to the attachment, 'Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’ for the agenda report on February 14, 2023.
• On May 3, 2023, a Council Advisory was provided to Council summarizing the discussion from the SCOW meeting on February 14, 2023, as well as Administration’s next steps for the St. Albert West ASP.
• On December 12, 2023, Administration provided a third update of the St. Albert West ASP to SCOW, and had in-camera discussions regarding potential municipal uses at the City-owned lands in the Lakeview Business District and City-owned Badger Lands. Please refer to the attachment, 'Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’ for the agenda report on December 12, 2023.
Bylaw 14/2024 - St. Albert West Area Structure Plan
The draft St. Albert West ASP is now ready for review by Council and the EMRB. Please refer to Schedule A of Bylaw 14/2024 for the proposed St. Albert West ASP. The structure of the St. Albert West ASP is outlined as follows:
Part 1: Introduction
• This section discusses the purpose of the ASP, place within the City of St. Albert, regional and provincial planning framework, and a summary of the earlier community consultation sessions.
Part 2: Site Analysis
• This section discusses the context of St. Albert West, and environmental constraints within and around the Plan area.
Part 3: Vision and Principles
• This section discusses the overall vision and high-level principles that will guide future development in St. Albert West.
Part 4: Area-Wide Policies
• The area-wide policies are policies that will apply across the entire Plan area. They are organized based on the following principles for St. Albert West: Economic Diversification, Environment, Urban Design, Culture & Community Services, Transportation, and Utility Infrastructure.
Part 5: Land Use Policies
• The land use policies are based on the land use designations within St. Albert West, which include Major Open Spaces & Parks, Neighbourhoods, Mixed-use Areas, Employment Areas, and Mixed-use Employment Areas.
Part 6: Implementation
• This section contains policies regarding how planning and development in St. Albert West will be implemented.
Part 7: Statistics
• This section contains a table of the future land use statistics in St. Albert West.
Part 8: Maps
• This section contains a map of the ASP location, land use concept, transportation network, water servicing network, wastewater collection system, stormwater management system, legal descriptions, major open spaces, site analysis and constraints, natural features, direction of development and phasing, aerial view, surrounding context, and anticipated Neighbourhood Plan areas.
In preparing the St. Albert West ASP, technical studies were completed to provide detailed analysis of subject lands and implications of proposed land uses. The technical studies include:
• Agricultural Impact Assessment
• Historical Resources Act Approval with Conditions
• Natural Features Assessment and Prioritization Report
• Servicing Design Brief
• St. Albert West ASP Technical Report
• Transportation Impact Assessment
The proposed St. Albert West ASP was prepared in conformance with policy directions within the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan (EMRGP) and Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Flourish.
Additionally, the St. Albert West ASP is the first ASP to implement the City’s 2-tier Area Structure Plan and Neighbourhood Plan (NP) framework. ASPs under the two-tier framework are more conceptual in comparison to ASPs under the single tier framework. It is the Neighbourhood Plans that provide greater details regarding, but not limited to, layout of land uses; servicing design for stormwater, wastewater, and water; exact locations and sizing of stormwater management facilities; transportation network including local roads, pedestrian walkways, and multi-use trails; locations of proposed residential densities including low, medium, or high density; etc. Additional technical studies at the Neighbourhood Plan stage are also required to support a proposed NP land use concept.
Neighbourhood Plans are not presented to Council or the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board for approval, but to the City’s Director of Planning and Development, provided they are in conformance with its approved ASP and the MDP. Neighbourhood Plans require approval before subdivision and redistricting applications (which are approved by Council) can proceed. Preparation of Neighbourhood Plans is the responsibility of landowners.
Bylaw 14/2024 - To Amend North Ridge Area Structure Plan Bylaw 4/2015
Approval of the St. Albert West ASP will necessitate amendments to the North Ridge Phase 2 Area Structure Plan and repealing of the existing Cherot ASP. These Plans will be discussed in the following sections.
The existing North Ridge ASP currently refers to the City-owned lands south of Fowler Way as a ‘Future Development Area’. The proposed amendment to the North Ridge ASP is to remove the ‘Future Development Area’ from the North Ridge ASP, and instead, be added to the St. Albert West ASP. This amendment is to enable cohesive planning of the City-owned Badger Lands as a whole, because the North Ridge ASP was approved under the single tier ASP planning framework, and the St. Albert West ASP was prepared under the new two-tier ASP and NP planning framework.
The amended North Ridge Phase 2 ASP will have an area of approximately 26.0 hectares (64.2 acres), bounded by Fowler Way to the north, Hogan Road to the east, Villeneuve Road to the south, and the eastern boundary of 43 City Annex North to the west. Proposed amendments to the North Ridge Phase 2 ASP will not impact the technical aspect of the approved land use concept or current growth of the Nouveau neighbourhood.
Please see Schedule B of Bylaw 14/2024 for the ‘clean’ version of the amended North Ridge ASP. For actual amendments to the North Ridge ASP, please refer to the attachment called ‘North Ridge ASP Amendment - Redline’.
Bylaw 14/2024 - To Repeal Cherot Area Structure Plan Bylaw 23/2014
The Cherot ASP is currently an approved ASP within the proposed St. Albert West ASP boundary, and the intent is for the Cherot ASP to transition to an NP when the St. Albert West ASP is approved. The proposed Cherot NP contains an area of approximately 185 hectares (458 acres), and is bounded by Villeneuve Road to the north, Ray Gibbon Drive to the west, Carrot Creek to the east, and Township Road 540A to the south. Road access to the Cherot NP area will be from Villeneuve Road, Cherot Boulevard / Range Road 260, and Township Road 540A.
All technical aspects of the current Cherot ASP including density, land use, servicing design, and maps will not change through this transition process, and would remain consistent with the technical studies that supported the current land use concept for the original Cherot ASP. Upon approval of the St. Albert West ASP, approval of the proposed Cherot NP would also enable development to proceed, as it currently stands under the single tier ASP framework.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Engagement
There were two main phases of engagement for the St. Albert West ASP with members of Council, City departments, Indigenous communities, external agencies, and the general public. Phase 1, held in Spring-Summer 2022, was to introduce the project, and discuss opportunities, constraints, and vision for St. Albert West. Phase 2, held in Fall 2022, was to present a draft land use concept based on background documents, studies, and input from the first phase of engagement from the public and stakeholders. Since then, the draft St. Albert West ASP and associated maps have been refined based on technical studies and updated information.
For detailed information regarding the tactics used, stakeholders, and a summary of the engagement outcomes and discussions, please refer to Phase 1 Engagement - What We Heard Report and Phase 2 Engagement - What We Heard Report. The engagement reports were previously distributed to Council and can be found in the attachment, ‘Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’. Court Reports were also completed at the Phase 1 and 2 Public Open Houses on May 26, 2022, and October 19, 2022. Please see attached Court Reports.
Intermunicipal Discussions
A meeting with St. Albert’s municipal neighbours, City of Edmonton, Sturgeon County, and Parkland County, as well as the Government of Alberta (Alberta Forestry & Parks Department) was held on February 5, 2024. Discussions included, but not limited to, the extension of LeClair Way, the expansion of the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, the referral process for ASPs and NPs, and local versus regional employment. The discussions have been addressed through the text and map of the St. Albert West ASP, where appropriate.
A meeting with the EMRB was held on February 13, 2024. Discussions included, but not limited to, meeting the minimum residential density, land use statistics, the difference between local and regional employment, and the concept of value-added agriculture as per the EMRB’s Regional Agriculture Master Plan (RAMP). The discussions with the EMRB have been addressed primarily through the text and policies of the St. Albert West ASP.
On April 24, 2024, the City of St. Albert circulated the final draft to the City of Edmonton, Sturgeon County, Parkland County, and the Government of Alberta, in keeping with the MDP for 21 calendar days. No comments were received during this circulation.
Public Information Session
On April 25, 2024, a public information session was hosted by Administration to inform the community of the proposed St. Albert West ASP as to what will be presented to Council. Fifty-five attendees signed in at the public information session, and City Administration were present at the public information session to answer any questions. Please refer to the attachment called Public Information Session - What We Heard, which provides a summary of some of the conversations from the public information session. Please note that not all conversations were included in the summary, as the public information session was an informal in-person drop-in event.
Circulation
The St. Albert West ASP and its supporting technical studies were circulated on April 24, 2024, to internal City departments, external agencies, Indigenous communities, and the general public through the project website.
Three physical signages were also installed on April 25 and 26, within the Plan area to inform passersby of the proposed St. Albert West ASP. The signs are located:
1. On the City-owned Badger Lands north of Villeneuve Road;
2. Immediately south of the Cherot neighbourhood within road right-of-way; and
3. At the northwest intersection of Ray Gibbon Drive and LeClair Way within road right-of-way.
As per the Municipal Government Act, advertisement of Bylaw 14/2024 is required is required at least once a week for two consecutive weeks in one newspaper or publication circulating in the area. Bylaw 14/2024 will be advertised for two consecutive weeks in Citylights prior to second reading of the bylaw.
Cultivate the Conversation
An online public engagement platform called Cultivate the Conversation (CTC) was launched in March 2022 for the St. Albert West ASP project. CTC was used to provide details about engagement events, share engagement reports, circulation documents, project updates, and presentation recordings. The project website can be accessed by searching ‘St. Albert West Area Structure Plan’ in the search bar of the CTC online platform.
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial: None at this time.
Compliance & Legal: None at this time.
Program or Service: None at this time.
Organizational:
• Planning Branch: Prepare Neighbourhood Plans for City-owned lands in Lakeview Business District and Badger Lands. Neighbourhood Plans are reviewed internally and approved by the Director of Planning & Development.
• Engineering Services: Prepare the servicing design for the City-owned lands in Lakeview Business District.
• Economic Development: Market City-owned lands in Lakeview Business District.
• Environment Branch: Upon approval of the Neighbourhood Plan for the City-owned Badger Lands, conduct appropriate environmental studies for remediation. The remediation process is dependent on the identified future land uses.
Risks: None at this time.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Please refer to the attachment, 'Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’ for the agenda report on October 11, 2022.
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Please refer to the attachment, 'Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’ for the agenda report on October 11, 2022.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
Please refer to the attachment, 'Previously Distributed Agenda Reports’ for the agenda report on October 11, 2022.
Administration has also attached the document entitled “Legislative History Badger Lands - Solar Farm” to provide further clarity to this matter.
IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support Administration’s recommendations, the following alternatives could be considered:
• Alternative 1: Do not approve the proposed St. Albert West ASP but advise Administration of any revisions.
• Alternative 2: Do not approve; do nothing.
Financial: Any proposed revisions to the St. Albert West ASP will require additional time and may require additional budget and resources, depending on the scale and nature of the revisions.
Compliance & Legal: None at this time.
Program or Service: Planning and development applications for Cherot can still be received, as the Cherot ASP Bylaw 23/2014 would remain in effect if Bylaw 14/2024 is not approved.
Organizational:
• Development of the Community Amenities Site can continue, as the Cherot ASP is still in effect.
• The City-led Neighbourhood Plans for Lakeview Business District and Badger Lands cannot be approved until the approval of the St. Albert West ASP.
• Potential delays in the servicing design for Lakeview Business District, which is being managed by Engineering Services.
Risks: As a result of the St. Albert West ASP not being approved, this would delay planning and development timelines, and the City may miss potential land investments in Lakeview Business District.
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Report Date: June 4, 2024
Author: Tracy Tsui, Planner II
Department: Planning & Development Department
Department Director: Adryan Slaght
Managing Director: Diane Enger
Chief Administrative Officer: Bill Fletcher