TAMRMS#: B06
10.2
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Bylaws 24/2021 & Bylaw 25/2021 Erin Ridge North - Redistributing Density Area Structure Plan & Land Use Bylaw (2nd & 3rd reading)
Eric Schultz, Planner, Planning & Development
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
recommendation
Bylaw 24/2021
1. That the Public Hearing on Bylaw 24/2021 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 24/2021, being amendment 11 to the Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan, be read a second time.
3. That Bylaw 24/2021, being amendment 11 to the Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan, be read a third time.
Bylaw 25/2021
1. That the Public Hearing on Bylaw 25/2021 be closed.
2. That Bylaw 25/2021, being amendment 195 to the Land Use Bylaw Schedule A, be read a second time.
3. That Bylaw 25/2021, being amendment 195 to the Land Use Bylaw Schedule A, be read a third time.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
This report discusses proposed amendments to the Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan and the Land Use Bylaw - Schedule A. The purpose of these amendments is to redistribute the residential densities and dwelling types within the plan area. Both amendments require a public hearing and Council’s approval as per the requirements in the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
St. Albert Council Strategic Plan
Strategic Priority #5: Housing: Enhance housing options.
Facilitate an increase in the variety of housing types in St. Albert to respond to market demands and accommodate the diverse needs of residents.
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Service Component
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.
Both amendments conform 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.
The application was submitted when CityPlan 2007 was the City’s Municipal Development Plan; however CityPlan 2007 is no longer in force so it is no longer relevant whether these bylaws are consistent with CityPlan 2007..
The application was also reviewed under the City’s new MDP, Flourish. The application is generally consistent with Flourish. The designation of this area on Flourish Map 3, Urban Structure and General Land Use, is Neighbourhoods.
The definition of Neighbourhoods: “predominantly residential areas, as identified on Map 3, made up of low-rise housing, along with schools, parks, shops, and services. Many existing Neighbourhoods will evolve by adding new housing that respects the established character, while new Neighbourhoods will include a greater variety of housing types.”
The Land Use Bylaw amendment conforms with the proposed Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan, which shows the amendment areas as low density residential, medium density residential, and medium/high density residential.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
WSP, on behalf of Landrex Hunter Ridge Inc., is proposing amendments to redistribute the residential densities and dwelling types within the Erin Ridge North Phase 2 plan area, to better meet market demands for housing options. The legal description is part of SW ¼, 21-54-25 W4M with the municipal address of 3-54307 Hwy 2. Please refer to the attached Location Map.
After holding a public open house on December 15, 2020, WSP submitted two applications on January 15, 2021; one to amend the Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan and one to amend the Land Use Bylaw 9/2005, Schedule A.
Updated applications were submitted on February 22, 2021, removing a site located on the south edge of Erin Ridge North.
Area Structure Plan
The Erin Ridge North Area Structure Plan (ASP) was first approved on January 11, 2010, and last amended on April 1, 2019. The proposed amendment will remove a high-density residential site and redistribute the density among a number of low and medium-density residential sites. Please refer to the attached Bylaw 24/2021, Future Land Use, Figure 2.
There will be no change to the total number of dwelling units in the Erin Ridge North ASP, and thus no change to the overall neighbourhood density, as shown below:
Dwelling Unit Redistribution
Apartment suites: remove 405, add 0
Mixed-use apartment suites: remove 0, add 250
Single family homes: remove 77, add 61
Townhouses: remove 0, add 171
Total: remove 482 units, add 482 units
The estimated population for Erin Ridge North will change from 4,381 to 4,443, an increase of 62 persons. This change is due to an increase in the number of medium density units and a decrease in the number of high density units; medium density units use an estimate of 2.23 persons/unit, while high density uses 1.76 persons/unit.
The proposal presented at the public open house included a high density site located to the east of the existing low density residential development along Encore Crescent, south of Edison Drive. In response to residents’ concerns about their proximity to this higher density development, the applicant moved the density further to the north, where no development has yet commenced.
The first application included a DCMU site located on the south edge of Erin Ridge North, with road frontage off of Coal Mine Road, Ebony Way, and St. Albert Trail. However, this site was within 400 m of the proposed future LRT line, which would have required that this application be referred to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB), increasing processing times. In order to allow for the development of Stage 18 subdivision to begin this year, the applicant removed the southern site in the amended applications. The result of this change is that the redistribution of density will occur entirely within Erin Ridge North Phase 2 (north of Neil Ross Road), and will not require EMRB referral.
The applicant had proposed adding six single-detached houses in the eastern park, fronting onto Edison Drive. Both the Planning and the Recreation and Parks departments had concerns about how this placement would affect the park, and after consulting with the applicant, these six single-detached houses were moved further north, next to the proposed high-density site.
Redistricting
The Land Use Bylaw 9/2005, Schedule A, graphically identifies each parcel of land in the City and its current land use district. When there is a change to a district in Schedule A, a redistricting occurs. The area of land being redistricted is approximately 6.0 hectares (14.8 acres), with the redistricting occurring in a number of sites north of Neil Ross Road, as shown in Bylaw 25/2021. Please refer to attachment Proposed Land Use District Changes.
The public hearing on Bylaw 25/2021 can be opened, but a decision by Council cannot be made until Bylaw 24/2021, an amendment to the Erin Ridge North ASP, has been approved by Council. Administration has received a subdivision application for Erin Ridge North Stage 18. A decision on the subdivision is made by the Subdivision Authority following the decision of Council on Bylaws 24/2021 and 25/2021.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
Public Open House
A virtual public open house was held on December 15, 2020, from 18:00 until 20:00. It was hosted by WSP, on behalf of Landrex, and approximately 20 residents attended. After the developer’s presentation, residents expressed concerns about these applications. Their primary issue was the addition of a high-density site immediately to the east of the existing low-density residential sites located in Encore Crescent, north of Neil Ross Road. The current ASP shows the site as low-density residential, and residents who bought in Encore Crescent were anticipating more low-density housing next door, not townhouses or apartments. Residents also raised concerns about the effect that this higher-density site would have on traffic, crime, and property values.
Circulation of Application
The developer modified their proposal prior to making a formal application on January 15, 2021. The high-density site next to existing low-density residential was removed, and the density redistributed to a larger medium-density site north of the large eastern park.
The proposed ASP and Land Use Bylaw amendments were circulated on February 2, 2021, to internal departments, external referral agencies, property owners within a 100-metre radius, and those requested that attended to virtual public open house on December 15, 2020. An update to the plan required a second circulation, which was circulated on February 26, 2021.
Public Engagement Platform
The City of St. Albert has a public participation platform called Cultivate the Conversation. This tool was used to host an Erin Ridge North - Density Redistribution page for these applications. Residents were able to use this page to view documents and status updates, submit questions, or contact the planner assigned to the file. The link to the Erin Ridge North Density Redistribution page is:
https://conversation.stalbert.ca/erin-ridge-northdensity-redistribution
No residents provided direct feedback to either circulation, nor submitted any questions/comments via the Cultivate the Conversation platform.
Public Hearing
Following first reading by Council, information about the public hearing was posted on the City website. The public hearing was advertised in CityLights on June 2 and June 9 2021. A notification letter about the public hearings was mailed to property owners within a 100-metre radius of the site, as well as residents who participated in the public open house.
The public hearings are scheduled for June 21, 2021.
IMPLICATIONS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
None at this time.
Legal / Risk:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
As the Erin Ridge North neighbourhood develops, there will be incremental impacts to the City and various departments. For example:
- Public Works will have more roads, pipes, stormwater management facilities, and parks to maintain.
- Emergency Medical Services will have a new area to service for fire, enforcement, police, and ambulance.
- Recreation will have to prepare park master plans and provide recreation amenities.
- Engineering will have a geotechnical study and design plans to review, and inspections of infrastructure.
- Planning and Development will have subdivision plans and development permits to review.
- Safety Codes will have building plans to review and buildings to inspect.
- Transit will have to provide service to the neighbourhood.
- There are other areas of the City that will also be impacted by servicing a new neighbourhood.
Organizational:
The approval of Bylaws 24/2021 and 25/2021 will have immediate impact on the Planning and Engineering Department, as subdivision plans and engineering drawings will have to be reviewed and development agreements negotiated to enable development. Other various departments may also need to conduct inspections and be involved in meetings with the developer/consultants.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternatives could be considered:
1. Defeat second reading of Bylaws 24/2021 and 25/2021. An implication of defeating these Bylaw would be that the applicant cannot re-apply within six months. A decision on the subdivision application for Erin Ridge North Stage 18, by the Subdivision Authority could not proceed, because it required land use changes as proposed within Bylaws 24/2021 and 25/2021.
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Report Date: June 21, 2021
Author: Eric Schultz
Department: Planning and Development
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Kerry Hilts
Chief Administrative Officer: Kevin Scoble