A plan to guide the development of a primarily industrial area in Airdrie’s northeast will be brought back to council with additional information, after concerns were raised regarding mineral rights, tax impacts and land-use considerations.
“The [East Points Community Area Structure Plan (CASP)] was prepared with a vision of creating a highly attractive business industrial park, which supports the natural environment and encourages sustainable economic growth for the City of Airdrie,” said senior planner Gail Gibeau in a presentation to council at a regular meeting Jan. 20.
The CASP encompasses around 960 acres of land east of the East Lake industrial and Gateway industrial developments and south of Croxford Estates, with Yankee Valley Estates at its southern boundary. Currently, Gibeau said, the lands are predominantly agricultural, with homesteads located throughout the plan area.
The area also crosses the Foothills Erratic Train, Gibeau said – “one of the richest concentrations of large erratics” anywhere in the train, forming a separate arm off the main train. The formation has been designated as a provincial historic resource, regulated by the Government of Alberta.
“The East Points lands are specifically targeted for industrial growth, but also incorporate open park space, as well as institutional, commercial and residential developments,” she said, noting industrial uses make up 58 per cent of the plan area, with 26 per cent specifically designated to accommodate heavy industrial uses and 33 per cent allotted for medium to light industrial uses.
“The light industrial uses are located on the periphery of the plan area and function as a transition zone between more impactful land uses…. Heavy industrial uses provide for uses that – due to their appearance, noise, odour, risk to toxic emissions or fire and explosion hazards – are incompatible with other land uses.”
These, she noted, will be located within the interior of the plan area, adjacent to other heavy industrial uses in East Lake and as far away as possible from proposed and existing residential uses. Additional transitional spaces are included in the plan to provide a further buffer, including service commercial uses and institutional uses, which Gibeau said will “enhance the variety of amenities and employment opportunities” within the CASP.
“The plan recognizes a number of competing objectives: landowners’ need to maximize the value of their land, adjacent residents’ wishes for compatible development and council’s strategic priorities for achieving maximum non-residential development on these lands,” she said.
Unusually, CAO Paul Schulz offered a presentation to council following administration’s report, noting he felt it was his responsibility to provide higher-level input. While he said he felt the plan was solid from a planning perspective, questions remained regarding timing, financial impacts and sustainability issues. He suggested it might be worth tabling the item until this additional information could be provided.
Area residents also raised concerns at the public hearing, highlighting issues with density, truck routing and traffic controls, proposed land uses and environmental issues. According to Duane Ellingson, the proposed plan had also changed significantly from what was initially presented to residents, which he felt was disingenuous.
“We would submit, respectfully, that you cannot proceed with the bylaw as presented, and, quite frankly, shouldn’t have been presented with these material changes without public input,” he said.
Following a motion from Coun. Al Jones, council voted unanimously to table the item until these issues can be resolved. Coun. Tina Petrow was not present for the meeting. The public hearing will be adjourned to a later date, once administration has collected the additional information as requested by council, and residents can speak to any proposed changes.
“We need industrial businesses, we need job creation, we need employment in Airdrie,” said Coun. Candice Kolson. “The reason that we push for industrial and that we push for commercial is that it takes that tax burden off of the residents.”
