The City of St. Albert wants to actively pursue with landowners the development of designated industrial lands in the southwest and southeast corners of the city, to accommodate industrial growth for the next several years. But there is a hitch.
City council for the Edmonton suburb has directed its administration to conduct a review of commercial and industrial lands, and to work with landowners of the zoned lands to move forward with servicing and development. It also wants to explore changes to the city's land-use bylaw and an area structure plan that could allow for industrial use of lands west of Ray Gibbon Drive, which connects St. Albert to the Anthony Henday freeway around northwest Edmonton.
But St. Albert council also opted to postpone designating new areas for industrial zoning prior to April 30, 2012.
"Council believes that we need to get a better handle on the regional market for industrial lands before we can make a final decision," said Mayor Nolan Crouse. The mayor called the decision "prudent," and emphasized his city - whose growth has been slower than other Edmonton-area municipalities - is determined to see business growth.
"We absolutely remain committed to the priority of economic development," Crouse said.
from Western Investor February 2012
