Airdrie City council approved a number of changes to bylaws June 6 to allow for development changes in various parts of the city, including Monklands, the new South Point development and Coopers Crossing.
Council approved disposing of a laneway in Coopers Crossing to allow the developer, Westmark Holdings Ltd., to consolidate five parcels of land into one in Phase 22 of the community.
City Planner Karl Mielke said the small 0.06-acre laneway has “virtually no development potential.”
“The developer has decided that the parcel would be more easily developed as one consolidated R-3 parcel,” he said.
A representative from Westmark Holdings spoke in favour of the bylaw amendment. No one spoke against it and council unanimously approved the change.
Council was also asked to approve a change to allow 2.37 acres in the Monklands Soccer Complex to be rezoned from residential to park use. The land is situated between Ralph McCall School and Monklands Park.
City Planner Mark Spence said the land had been zoned for residential use in February 2010 to allow Habitat for Humanity to build multi-family units on the site. Habitat has since abandoned that plan and the City Parks Department applied to have the land re-zoned to allow for parks use, with the intent of providing an outdoor skating rink.
“Council has approved money for 2016 for the development of a permanent skating surface in that area,” said Archie Lang, operations manager of Parks and Public Works for the City of Airdrie. “The thought is, for spring to fall, it would be utilized, most likely, as a multi-sport court that would be for ball hockey and possibly basketball.”
No one rose to speak during the public hearing and council unanimously approved the amendments.
Vesta Properties will be developing a new community in Airdrie’s southeast called South Point and council was asked to approve amendments to allow both residential and commercial development on the site, located between the existing community of Hillcrest and Highway 2.
Kent Sellers, president of Vesta, spoke during the public hearing and indicated the proposed residential development would include six different housing types on 70 acres. Vesta has entered into an agreement with the City to help construct portions of Main Street and 40 Avenue north of the development, including a temporary southbound on-ramp to Highway 2.
Councillor Ron Chapman asked staff whether the City had entered into discussions with the Province – which is responsible for building any interchanges with Highway 2 – regarding Vesta building a temporary on-ramp.
“We are addressing the off-ramp with the Province in three ways,” said Lorne Stevens, director of Corporate Services. “We have recently met with the assistant deputy minister of Alberta Transportation, expressing our desire to build a staged on ramp. We have also expressed our interest and intention to Alberta Transportation staff we have met with. The third component, and probably the most key one, is we will be working on the ultimate design for 40 Avenue with the Province.
“Certainly, (Vesta building a temporary on-ramp) is no surprise to the Province, the details of which just have to be worked out. We are confident there is a solution.”
Airdrie’s new Waterworks Bylaw was also put before council for approval. The bylaw includes regulations intended to protect the City’s water quality and prevent interference with the water system.
Glenn Archer, team leader, Water Services, said under the new bylaw only Alberta Environment and Parks Certified Water and Wastewater Operators, who are also City employees, will be allowed to open or close mainline water valves.
“This is to ensure those persons accountable for water quality are operating the water system,” he said.
Modifications to existing equipment to install a hydraulic valve operator will be required and council was asked to approve moving approximately $30,000 from the water reserve to the operating budget.
Council approved both the bylaw and the request to reallocate the funds.
