Concerns Regarding Proposed Development South of Meadowview Drive
The City of St Albert are currently planning to start development in the Lakeview Business District as early as 2027. Last summer they posted a document labeled Neighbourhood Plan C on the City’s website. That document specifies that the first area to be developed south of the CN rail line will include the east side of two City-owned parcels that are in the NW quadrant of Lakeview. It also specifies that in order to service that first stage of development it will be necessary to install a major Stormwater Management (SWM) facility on the south side of Meadowview Drive. The following plan is an extract from Neighbourhood Plan C. It shows the locations of the City-owned parcels and the SWM lakes or dry ponds that will be needed as part of this first stage of development.
Image above: Map publicly available via the City of St. Albert: Neighbourhood Plan C, marked up to denote the areas being referred to.
Area A: First area of development south of CN Rail.
Area B: Storm water management lakes or dry ponds needed in order to service Area A.
Area C: Primary area of concern for BLESS.
In January 2025 BLESS made a presentation to City Council outlining our concerns regarding this proposed development. We did not object to this possibility. In fact, we stated that we would welcome it – but only if it is designed and carried out in an environmentally appropriate fashion. One of the prime purposes of SWM lakes is to remove pollutants that would otherwise be discharged into the downstream water bodies. In this case, if they are designed properly, they will significantly reduce the amount of pollution discharging into Big Lake.
Since making this presentation BLESS has had a series of productive conversations with the City planners, and also with Councillor Korotash. As well as making technical suggestions, we have pointed out that it is important that there be full public scrutiny regarding what is now being planned for this area. It is essential that planning for the entire area between Meadowview Drive and the north shore of Big Lake be carried out in a comprehensive fashion. It should be submitted to the same level of public review that would previously been given to a Neighbourhood Structure Plan (NSP). We have recently been assured that a more comprehensive plan for the entire neighbourhood is now being prepared. That will be a very important document. It should be given full public scrutiny prior to the preparation of the detailed plans or any of the development projects being tendered.
The City’s 2018 Red Willow Park West planning document proposed a well thought out system of trails and parks for this area. However, at that time, the inclusion of SWM lakes was not considered. We feel that a comprehensive approach, which now integrates the SWM lake(s) into the proposed trail and park system, will create one of the most important natural areas in the whole Edmonton municipal district.
Specifically, we are proposing the following:
There should be no trails or other development encroaching into the undisturbed southern half of the area.
There should be a SWM lake (or lakes) that will store stormwater runoff and allow pollutants to settle out prior to the stormwater discharging into Big lake.
Discharge from the SWM lakes should be directed into existing channels that have been discharging into the Lake for the last 50 years or more.
The does not need to be any new discharge into Carrot Creek on the west side of the area.
There can be a new park facility that will include the open space and treed areas located south of the central high point of Meadowview Drive.
Eventually, the undisturbed southern half of the area could be included into Lois Hole Provincial Park and then zoned to be a “Special Protection” area.
We will continue to post updates on this matter as they occur.
