Public concerns for a new development proposed on the King of Kings Lutheran Church lands led to a lively debate about housing density and road closures at an open house on Wednesday.
Landrex proposed a new area structure plan for its 10-hectare site surrounding the King of Kings Lutheran Church south of Costco.
The proposal considers the construction of commercial space along St. Albert Trail, as well as residential development and park space east of the church.
But it also requires an amendment to the existing area structure plan, which currently asks for more houses and people than Landrex proposes to build, said David Schoor with ISL Engineering and Land Services.
Landrex plans to reduce the number of homes from 1,600 to 1,500, which would allow for 3,100 residents instead of 3,400, he said.
Not all residents liked that idea.
"I am wondering what kind of logic Landrex will use to justify reducing the density in this neighbourhood?" asked one resident, adding that intermunicipal plans call for a need for higher density in the region.
Schoor said Landrex is only reducing the amount of development going on the site. But overall their housing density still meets the targets in the region, he said.
Jim Sheasgreen, vice president of operations with Landrex, later added that the developer is looking to meet market demand by having a mixed-used development that "really promotes an urban village feel and walkability."
The development would also match others in the east and south, he said.
Closure of Ebony Way
Landrex also asked the public for feedback on a proposal to close Ebony Way, a road running linear to St. Albert Trail, now connecting Erin Ridge Dr. with Coal Mine Rd. and Everitt Drive North.
Schoor said they are still in the process of conducting a traffic study and are open to a number of alternatives. One option is to leave Ebony Way open for buses.
Another consideration combines the closure of Ebony Way with a partial closure of Coalmine Rd., leaving part of the latter open for access to the proposed commercial development.
Other variations are to close both roads, leave one open and close the other, or leave both open, he said.
Residents Jackie Wenden and William Thomas were not in favour of potential road closures.
Thomas said that traffic on St. Albert Trail is already heavy. The more the neighbourhood develops, the more congested it will be, he said.
Wenden said the neighbourhood needs Coal Mine Rd. as another route for traffic to come and go.
"By closing it you will be diverting traffic onto other roads that are already heavy with cars," she said. "Because Erin Ridge Drive already has a high volume of traffic."
Development plans
Sheasgreen said servicing for the site could begin as early as 2015, with the potential for construction of the commercial area by 2016.
He added that the corridor commercial district they are proposing allows for the largest range of uses.
"Without being specific we can suggest that the same type of development that you see along St. Albert Trail today could go onto that site," he said.
Housing development would include both single family and some medium to high-density residential buildings.
The latter could include everything from townhouses to rowhouses and condominium buildings, he said. The church will remain on site.
"At this stage in the development process the site hasn't been sold," he said. "It would be speculation to say what could be developed."
