The work might be done for another year, but city council already has a long list of controversial issues to tackle in 2010.
The new year will begin with a host of hot topics on council's agenda for January and the six months following, including the Sturgeon River study, re-examining lot sizes for future residential development, smart growth principles, servicing the annexed lands and possibly the Heartland Transmission Line.
Smart growth
There's still a lot of uncertainty among council when it comes to adopting smart growth principles, said Mayor Nolan Crouse, in a year-end interview with the Gazette.
Smart growth refers to a package of design strategies meant to reduce urban sprawl. Most emphasize more walkable neighbourhoods designed for easy access to transit, shopping and businesses.
The principles have been in the works for about two years, but the only thing council has agreed upon so far is the need for a fiscal analysis.
Crouse said he is on board with some of the principles of smart growth. Other council members think the city should go the whole distance while others believe the process should be stopped to let St. Albert build the way it always has.
"There's definitely dispute on where we should head. I don't think it'll finish any time soon," said Crouse.
Next month, council will also be assessing its lot sizes to determine whether or not the city should continue to offer larger lots or bring in more smaller, affordable ones.
Developing the annexed lands
In the final months of 2009, council decided it isn't willing to let taxpayers pick up the costs of building costly new infrastructure for development in the annexed lands.
Council voted to amend the offsite levies bylaw so developers would pay 95 per cent of the costs for growth infrastructure and taxpayers would be on the hook for the remaining five per cent.
The decision set the stage for other municipalities to follow throughout the region, but didn't come without some concerns.
"I am concerned they are too high, but I think over a period of time development will occur because they will have to find a way to develop their lands," said Crouse. "We are hopeful we are going to lead the process in the region. Otherwise you just end up in a competition as to who can give the lowest levies and that's where we need to be."
There are other issues that continue to remain outstanding in the annexed lands as well.
Despite meeting four times in 2009 with about a dozen landowners, the city has yet to develop a joint-servicing strategy to resolve critical issues in northeast St. Albert.
At the moment landowners have been meeting individually with an engineer hired by the city. The hope is to eventually draft an agreement to extend water, sewer and roads into roughly one-third of St. Albert's annexed lands, which amounts to about 480 hectares.
The city estimates it would cost $75 million for arterial roads, water and sewer trunk extensions.
With the majority of landowners indicating they are ready to proceed, Crouse believes a firm agreement might be reached in late January or early March. The next lands to be serviced will likely be north and west of Wal-Mart.
Meanwhile, the proposed Erin Ridge North area structure plan (ASP) is expected to receive council approval next month, paving the way for more commercial development along St. Albert Trail, which could happen as early as 2011.
As far as industrial development is concerned, the city is working with Sturgeon County on zoning issues surrounding the future study areas. The current plan is to begin more development in the northwest lands, said Crouse.
Powerline feedback
Depending on what route is chosen, the Heartland Transmission Line could suddenly become a major issue for St. Albert, the mayor says.
Line builders Epcor and AltaLink have proposed building an above-ground double-circuit 500-kilovolt transmission line to hook upgraders near Fort Saskatchewan to power plants near Lake Wabamun. But many groups believe the lines should be buried underground.
Council has yet to take a position on the subject, but if it does become a city issue, Crouse expects it will cause an outcry among residents.
"If we have one that goes too close to a residential neighbourhood, this one could take a life of its own," said Crouse. "We are in a wait-and-see mode."
Another issue that's already on Crouse's radar is the Sturgeon River study, which should surface some time in the first quarter of the year.
The mayor said many residents believe the slow-flowing river is fine the way it is, while others would like to re-vitalize the river by constructing a weir or dam so it would be more aesthetically pleasing and could be used for skating or canoeing.
Crouse said he is on the fence with the issue.
"This has got to be very well thought out. I can see both sides of it," he said.
While council's 2010 agenda is full, some members will also be hitting the campaign trail as they head into an election year.
Crouse has already announced his intention to run for the mayor's seat again and said he is looking forward to the campaign.
