14.7 Employment Areas

Essential to the city’s economy

While businesses are located throughout St. Albert, Employment Areas are dedicated locations for a variety of businesses that are essential to the city’s economy and non-residential tax base. Employment Areas attract and accommodate a broad range of industrial and office uses. Complementary uses, such as institutions and commercial amenities and services, are also encouraged at appropriate locations. Although the design standards in Employment Areas need to be flexible, given the range of uses to be accommodated, properties with high public visibility should have attractive buildings and landscaping. In addition, streetscapes should reinforce St. Albert’s reputation as a green city and be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

Policies

14.7.1.

Enable a range of light- and medium industrial uses, office uses, and complementary commercial, service, and institutional uses.

14.7.2.

Support employment growth by restricting residential and other sensitive land uses within Employment Areas.

14.7.3.

Establish appropriate buffers between Employment Areas and residential uses to minimize conflict.

14.7.4.

Require Area Structure Plans to identify appropriate locations for complementary commercial amenities in Employment Areas. The clustering of such uses will be encouraged, although the Land Use Bylaw may restrict them as required to support the vitality of nearby Mixed-use Nodes.

14.7.5.

Ensure employment uses that front or flank neighbourhood, connector, crosstown, and boulevard streets contribute to an attractive streetscape with street-oriented buildings, high quality facades, limited visible parking, and appropriate landscaping.

14.7.6.

Limit visual and noise impacts associated with industrial and commercial activities.

14.7.7.

Support a safe and comfortable environment for pedestrians and cyclists through street design and development plans.

14.7.8.

Protect land for employment purposes. Conversion to another land use will only be considered if it does not adversely affect the viability of adjacent employment lands and the broader Employment Area, where required studies demonstrate:

There is adequate vacant land to meet the City’s forecasted need for employment land;
There is existing or planned infrastructure to accommodate the proposed land use; and
The conversion will result in a net positive fiscal impact.

14.7.9.

Facilitate and promote development of the Lakeview Business District. The district must be subject to an Area Structure Plan that:

Ensures development will not have an adverse effect on Big Lake or Carrot Creek;
Protects public access to and along Big Lake and Carrot Creek;
Permits a broad range of employment uses;
Includes high-quality standards regarding building facades and landscaping for sites fronting major streets and public open spaces; and
Includes urban design and sustainability guidelines that address public and private realms.

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Mixed-use Employment Areas