TAMRMS#: B06
title
Bylaw 5/2020 North Ridge Area Structure Plan Amendment - Public Hearing (2nd and 3rd reading)
Presented by: Eric Schultz, Planner, Planning & Development Department
label
RECOMMENDATION(S)
recommendation
(1) Bylaw 5/2020 North Ridge Area Structure Plan Amendment - Public Hearing, 2d and 3d Readings
1. That the Public Hearing on Bylaw 5/2020 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 5/2020, being amendment 1 to the North Ridge Area Structure Plan, be read a second time.
3. That Bylaw 5/2020, being amendment 1 to the North Ridge Area Structure Plan, be read a third time.
body
PURPOSE OF REPORT
This report discusses proposed amendments to the North Ridge Area Structure Plan, and presents the proposed amendments for public hearing followed by 2d and 3d readings if Council so desires.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
N/A
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Current Planning Application Processing: Processing and coordination of the approval of statutory plans and amendments, subdivision and condominiums applications.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
The Municipal Government Act Section 692(1) requires the subject matter of this report to go to Council and that a public hearing be held.
The Municipal Government Act, Part 17.1, outlines the regulations and compliance to the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Board (EMRB). As such, Ministerial Order No. MSL111/17 Regional Evaluation Framework, states that the ASP amendment must be referred to the EMRB as the application results in a change to the boundaries of the area structure plan.
This amendment conforms with the Municipal Development Plan, Policy 3.1 - Future Land Use Policy:
The City of St. Albert shall direct future growth and development in accordance with Map 2 - Future Land Use Policy and in keeping with the policies contained in CityPlan 2007.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The North Ridge Area Structure Plan (ASP) was approved by Council through
Bylaw 4/2015 on February 2, 2015.
Select Engineering, on behalf of Badger Land Development Corporation, submitted an application on April 23, 2019 to amend the North Ridge Area Structure Plan Bylaw.
The purpose of this amendment is to expand the North Ridge neighbourhood boundary and create a second phase of the neighbourhood. Phase 1 is completely developed. Phase 2 is located north of the existing Villeneuve Road right-of-way, which forms the northern boundary of Phase 1. This amendment establishes the land uses and circulation patterns within North Ridge Phase 2.
The amendment lands are located in the northwest quadrant of St. Albert (please refer to the attached Figure 1 - Location Map), and are bounded by:
- Villeneuve Road to the south,
- Crown lands to the west,
- Fowler Way to the north, and
- Hogan Road / Range Road 255 and Jensen Lakes neighbourhood to the east.
The legal descriptions and addresses are:
Legal Description Address
Part of SE-18-54-25-4 42 City Annex North
Plan 052 5581, Block 2, Lot 1 43 City Annex North
Plan 042 6146, Block 1, Lot 1 44 City Annex North
Part of SE-18-54-25-4 25516 Secondary HWY 633
Plan 042 6146, Block 1, Lot 2 25522 Secondary HWY 633
The future Fowler Way runs through the top portion of the amendment lands. The lands south of Fowler Way will be developed; the lands north of Fowler Way are not included in the North Ridge ASP and will be included as part of a new ASP in the future.
The east half of quarter section SE-18-54-25-4, municipal address 42 City Annex North, is owned by Badger Land Development Corporation. They are proposing a 29 hectare± (72 acres±) development in the area north of Villeneuve Road and south of the proposed Fowler Way.
The west half of the quarter section is owned by the City of St. Albert. Approximately 12 hectares (30 acres) south of Fowler Way will be referred to as "future development area". There is also a 2 hectare± (5 acre±) parcel located in the southwest corner of the quarter section, which is owned by AltaLink and contains an electrical substation. When the City lands are developed, an amendment to the North Ridge ASP will be required.
There is a three (3) hectare± (7 acre±) parcel of Crown lands in the southwest corner of the amendment area which is the site of a former landfill. Approximately 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres) will be included as "future development area"; the remainder will be part of the future Ray Gibbon Drive extension.
The amendment to the North Ridge ASP proposes land use designations (see attached Figure 2 - Future Land Use Map) of low density residential, medium density residential, commercial, park, and stormwater management facility. More details can be found in the attached Bylaw 5/2020 North Ridge Area Structure Plan Phase 2 Amendment.
Residential Density
The proposed ASP amendment area meets the current EMRB density of 40 dwelling units per net residential hectare (du/nrha).
A breakdown of the proposed number of dwelling units and residents can be found in Table 3-2: Development Statistics in the North Ridge Area Structure Plan Phase 2.
Boundary Change
North Ridge Phase 2 is an expansion of the existing North Ridge neighbourhood. Phase 2 is adding 29 hectares± (72 acres±) of developable land to the Area Structure Plan, plus 13 hectares± (32 acres±) of "future development area" land, 2 hectares± (5 acres±) for an electrical substation, and 3 hectares± (7 acres±) for the future Ray Gibbon Drive extension.
Water and Wastewater Servicing Requirements
Servicing for Phase 2 will be extended from Phase 1, using two existing watermains and an existing sanitary trunk main.
Stormwater Management Facility
One Stormwater Management Facility (SWMF) is proposed within Phase 2, located in the southwest corner of the development area. This facility will outlet directly to an existing 525 mm storm sewer that was constructed as part of Phase 1.
The storm pond will operate as a standard detention storage facility. It will receive minor system piped flow and major system road runoff from the neighborhood and discharge to the existing North Ridge stub by gravity.
The topography in the amendment area is generally flat. Due to the relatively flat nature of the site and the existing elevation of the outlet stub, fill material will need to be brought in to allow the SWMF to drain via gravity alone to the 525 mm storm sewer pipe in Phase 1. The storm pond has been designed with an elongated layout that reduces the amount of fill required.
The City-owned lands will require a separate SWMF. When the lands are ultimately developed, it is anticipated that this SWMF will take advantage of the existing topography and outfall stormwater from the City lands west to Carrot Creek.
Fowler Way
In 2015, the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was updated by Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd. Based on recommendations from the updated TMP, St. Albert City Council approved a realignment of a portion of Villeneuve Road, as well as the creation of a new major roadway called Fowler Way. The proposed ASP amendment has incorporated these changes.
A functional plan for Fowler Way was completed in 2018. The next step will include resident / owner public engagement, geotechnical and environmental assessments, and geometric review to finalize the actual roadway alignment. Preliminary design will begin in 2021 and construction is anticipated to begin in 2025.
Villeneuve Road
Villeneuve Road is currently developed as a paved two-lane, rural, connector residential roadway along the southern boundary of the proposed development area. It currently connects St. Albert Trail to Ray Gibbon Drive.
Based upon the TMP, Villeneuve Road will no longer connect to Ray Gibbon Drive. Access to Ray Gibbon Drive will be via Fowler Way. Villeneuve Road will connect to Fowler Way via a north-south neighbourhood roadway running through the City-owned lands west of 42 City Annex North.
When Fowler Way is constructed, Villeneuve Road will function as a neighbourhood residential roadway, providing access to Deer Ridge and North Ridge to the south and Jensen Lakes and North Ridge Phase 2 to the north.
The Villeneuve Road connection to Ray Gibbon Drive will be closed at the AltaLink electrical substation. Access to Ray Gibbon Drive will be via Fowler Way, which can be accessed from North Ridge Phase 2 via Villeneuve Road in the south or Hogan Road in the north.
Connection between Phase 2 and Phase 3
There is a proposed pedestrian connection between Phase 2 and Phase 3. City Administration had requested a roadway connection between the two phases. Based upon this request, the applicant provided traffic generation data that identified estimated levels that were beyond acceptable traffic generation levels for the street typology.
Complete Streets
On October 22, 2018, Complete Streets guidelines were approved by Council. The North Ridge ASP amendment shows the new road name classifications.
Engineering Services intends to have the Engineering Standards updated with the Complete Streets requirements by the end of Q2, 2020. All phases of development in North Ridge Phase 2 will be built to these requirements.
School Site
Phase 2 does not have a school site identified within the Future Land Use Map. A school site and accompanying park space must be a minimum of 3.8 hectares and the municipal reserve for North Ridge Phase 2 is only 2.6 hectares.
Agricultural Impact Assessment
Select Engineering Consultants Ltd. conducted an Agricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) on the east half of parcel SE-18-54-25-4 in December 2019 for Badger Land Development Corporation, and on the west half of the parcel in January 2020 for the City of St. Albert. The purpose was to determine whether urban development on prime agricultural soils within the Greater Edmonton Region is logical and what impact this development will have on the future of agricultural lands within the area and the province.
The findings of this AIA support the City of St. Albert Municipal Development Plan (MDP), which designates the subject lands for residential development. Typically, lands within an urban boundary are anticipated to allow for development growth in a contiguous manner as to support municipal population projections and growth. As identified within the AIA, Phase 2 does contain Class 2 soils; however, the eastern half of parcel SE-18-54-25-4 enables logical and contiguous expansion of the North Ridge neighbourhood. This proposed amendment is in alignment of the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Growth Plan policy direction contained within Section 6.2.4.
Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB)
Processing of the ASP amendment application required a referral to the EMRB according to Section 4.2 (c) of the EMRB’s Regional Evaluation Framework (REF) 2.0 document:
c) The proposed statutory plan amendment would result in a change to the boundaries of an area structure plan.
• The boundaries of the North Ridge Area Structure Plan have changed.
The application was referred to the EMRB after Council’s first reading of Bylaw 5/2020. The EMRB reviewed this application and on May 13, 2020 issued its approval for the bylaw to be passed if Council so desires.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Public Meeting
A public information meeting was held on January 29, 2019. There were 15 residents in attendance. Questions focused on the potential closure of Villeneuve Road, how the increased population would affect traffic in North Ridge Phase 1, and the loss of agricultural land.
A transcript of the public consultation meeting, prepared by a Court Reporter, is attached as the Court Reporter Transcript.
Circulation of Application
The proposed ASP was circulated on April 23, 2019, to internal departments, external referral agencies, property owners within a 100-metre radius, and attendees of the public meeting who provided a mailing address. Two residents submitted letters (see the attachment Public Comments). The first expressed concern regarding property values being affected by Fowler Way. The second letter expressed concerns regarding the noise from Villeneuve Road. St. Albert Public Schools sent a letter stating that additional school sites will be required to accommodate student growth in the north of St. Albert.
First reading was held on March 16, 2020. Following first reading, the public hearing was posted on the City website. The public hearing will be advertised in CityLights on the 2nd and 3rd Wednesday preceding the hearing. A notification letter about the public hearing was mailed to property owners within a 100-metre radius of the site and to attendees of the public meeting who provided a mailing address.
The public hearing is tentatively scheduled for June 15, 2020, following a 12-week review period required for an Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB) referral.
IMPLICATIONS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
• The proposed stormwater management facility utilizes submerged pipes with in-pipe storage of water, and there are long-term maintenance costs associated with this design.
• The north-south Villeneuve Road extension to Fowler Way is proposed to run through City-owned lands only, so the City will be responsible for the full cost of this roadway.
Legal / Risk:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
As development proceeds:
• Engineering drawing reviews, development agreements, and inspections of infrastructure.
• Planning and Development will have Land Use Bylaw amendments, subdivision plans, and development permits to review and provide decisions on.
• Safety Codes will have building plans to review and buildings to inspect.
• Recreation Services will have park planning and development.
• Public Works will have maintenance of infrastructure.
• Fire Services, Community & Social Development, Transit, and other departments will have services to a new area of the City.
Organizational:
None at this time.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendations, the following alternatives could be considered:
Defeat second and third reading of Bylaw 5/2020 (ASP), which will have the following implications:
• The applicant cannot reapply within six months for the same or substantially the same ASP amendment.
Report Date: June 15, 2020
Author: Eric Schultz
Department: Planning & Development
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Kerry Hilts
Chief Administrative Officer: Kevin Scoble