Development Concerns

The following questions address development concerns related to the project. 

Why was a downtown site chosen for this development and not another area of St. Albert?

The site is already owned by the City, is undeveloped, appropriately zoned, and is surplus to the City’s needs.  

The downtown site is also optimally located near parks, transit, schools, retail businesses and community amenities such as the library and museum.  Proximity to amenities and services provides more independence for residents that may be living with mobility challenges or do not have a vehicle. 
 
Several positive economic considerations come from choosing a downtown location for this proposed development such as the following:

• Catalyst for investment and reinvestment – this project achieves the objective around densifying the downtown core and revitalizing it.  
• Aligns with the long-term development objectives for downtown identified both in the MDP and DARP.  
• Additional residents living downtown will add to the consumer base supporting the downtown business community. 

Is Homeland Housing willing to meet with current downtown residents to discuss their plans and receive input? 

A development application for a permitted use that complies with the development standards in the Land Use Bylaw, entitles the applicant to the development permit as of right. There is no public hearing requirement, public notice requirement, or appeal mechanism for a permitted use. 

 Once the land transfer agreement is finalized (estimated to take place in early summer), Homeland Housing will arrange a meeting with local businesses and residents to discuss processes moving forward.

Is there a plan for commercial retail? Any conditions of the numbers or types of businesses?

The land use zoning (DT Land Use District) for 22 St. Thomas Street requires non-residential uses on the ground floor, with active retail uses preferred adjacent to the street. The purpose of this zoning is to provide for a vibrant downtown that includes a mixture of employment opportunities, commercial, institutional, government and medium to high-density residential land use. 

The City would not choose which businesses would opt to operate in that location; but would facilitate the process to ensure compliance with all regulations, no different than the rest of the downtown area.

Is there a way to address how the development will impact the property values? 

Market value is the valuation standard set by provincial legislation and is the basis for property valuation across Alberta. For the residential apartment condominiums neighboring 22 St. Thomas, a direct sales comparison approach is used to determine the value of each individual unit. 

Currently, the assessment department does not have a “negative adjustment” in the downtown for buildings meeting the (DT) zoning requirements. The current vacant site was neither considered a positive attribute or negative, as sales evidence did not suggest increased value to those units facing a north or south exposure. 

The proposed development on 22 St. Thomas Street may have an impact on supply and demand for residential units within the downtown. This will be monitored by the assessment department through the resulting sale/resale activity. Overall, densification does not suggest a drop to market value. Properties located in downtown throughout Canada have higher land and improvement values.

Will Homeland Housing be responsible to ensure that the property is aesthetically maintained?  
The care and quality of maintenance at Homeland’s current facilities can be expected to be equal to the management of the future downtown site. As a community organization responsible for the ownership and operation of the intended development, Homeland Housing has a vested interest in maintaining the curb appeal and reputation of their apartment communities. The maintenance of the site, including landscaping and snow removal, would be comparable to the condominium homes in the area. 

Municipal standards are enforced through municipal bylaws governing business licensing, noise, the protection of persons and property, animals, and community standards.

Will the height of the building be limited to fit with the downtown architecture?

The Downtown District (DT) specifies minimum and maximum building heights according to the site’s location downtown as shown on Figure 23(a) in the Downtown District (DT). Building heights of 12 to 24 metres are permitted on the 22 St. Thomas Street site, which is measured from the lowest level of finished grade to the highest point of the roof structure on the building. The number of floors would vary depending on the type of construction, floor support depth and desired interior space heights. 

As a part of the development permit application review, and based upon the design chosen, an external or internal design review will be conducted. The purpose of the review is to ensure thoughtful integration of development proposals into the local context, and consistency with standards articulated in the St. Albert Municipal Development Plan as well as the Downtown Redevelopment Plan Bylaw (DARP).

Has any green space been included in the development plan? 
The development will be required to conform to the Downtown District(DT) requirements. Within this District, buildings are required to be built to the front property line but may be adjusted to up to 3 metres back to accommodate a recessed entrance, rest area, courtyard, outdoor café, or communal amenity space. Common amenity areas must be provided within the development for the residents and could include an indoor/outdoor courtyard, a rooftop garden, an outdoor patio, a community room, a pool or any other common amenity deemed appropriate by the development officer. 

Green spaces that surround the downtown area such as Millennium Park, Grenadier Park, and the Red Willow Park trail system will not be impacted by this development. 

When and how will things like traffic flow, parking stressors and area access/congestion be considered? 

Traffic impacts and a review of existing and forecasted traffic demands are captured and reported within a supplemental engineering report called a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA). This document must be provided with applicable development applications, and will be reviewed by the City’s Engineering Transportation group to ensure it aligns to mandatory standards, which may identify or require necessary improvements. 

On-street construction permits are required for development impacts to existing road networks.

Transportation Impact Guidelines 

How is sufficient parking determined?

Residential and commercial developments must meet the parking requirements specified in the Land Use Bylaw (LUB), including visitor parking within individual property boundaries. The future 22 St. Thomas Street development will accommodate parking in compliance with the LUB, in the same manner as other residential and commercial developments located downtown.

The parking management plan will be reviewed by a City development officer before the development permit is approved. Visitability in downtown is also supported through public transit, walking, and bike trails, which reduce vehicle dependency.