Spruce Grove City Centre Updates
- Spruce Grove - City Center Parking Plan
- Spruce Grove City Centre Public Hearing #2 (January 2020n update).
- Thursday Nov. 28th Spruce Grove City Centre Open House
- September-October 2019 Update
City Centre ARP Proposal
What is the ARP?
The City Centre Area Redevelopment Plan is a proposed plan to provide a tangible vision, direction, and supportive principles to guide desired, expected new development and redevelopment in the City of Spruce Grove’s City Centre area over the next fifteen plus years, with the likely realization that the CCARP is a plan for the next 25+ years.Vision:
Spruce Grove’s City Centre will be a welcoming, family-friendly City Centre brimming with year-round activity, festivals, events, shopping, and dining. It will invite green, open, public spaces with revitalized buildings and enhanced storefronts in a walkable environment. The City Centre will be a place where people of all ages come to shop, dine, work, live socialize, interact, and participate in a variety of community, arts, and cultural experiences.
Objectives:
- Strengthen the City’s infrastructure, streetscape, and built environment to elevate its operation as a cohesive, unique, and desirable area for investment and living.
- Ensure the City Centre remains relevant in the ever-changing commercial marketplace by focusing its commercial function to provide the most advantageous variety of goods, offices, services, and access in a package attractive to all City residents.
- Attract mixed-use commercial and higher density residential above development investment to the City Centre to increase housing supply, and provide for diversity in housing mix and price.
- Emphasize the City Centre as a focal point for community celebrations by making it a vibrant year-round destination for shopping, obtaining services, and arts & culture activity that will attract a variety of visitors, businesses and residents.
- Promote mobility, and street activity within the City Centre by facilitating convenient and effective mobility, and parking that emphasizes a comfortable, effective, and safe pedestrian environment.
What are the proposed changes of the ARP?
The CCARP vision is premised on creating an urban metropolitan environment that is progressive, modern, and contemporary from its building form, through to a streetscape that respects vehicles and parking, but prioritizes the movement and mobility of pedestrians.
Major Redevelopment Initiatives:
- Mixed-Use Development Pattern
- Amending the existing zoning to create more diverse housing formats.
- Diverse & Dense Housing Options
- Build more high density housing, such as multi-unit housing formats.
- Main Street & McLeod Avenue ‘High Street’ Revitalization
- Change angle street parking to parallel parking.
- Narrowing the street, widening sidewalks, introducing curb extensions or traffic calming circles, mid-block pedestrian crossings, eliminating the number of curb cuts, slowing traffic and accommodating future multi-modal transport including transit and bicycles.
- Streetscape, Parking & Pedestrian Design Improvements
- Incorporating branded wayfinding and directories to key buildings, areas, public spaces, parking, and civic amenities.
- Prioritizing pedestrian mobility.
- Infrastructure Rehabilitation
- Make upgrades to area’s aging infrastructure (May include additional sidewalks, as well as road and utilities upgrades).
- West End Road and Connectivity Improvements
- Refers to area along McLeod Ave, and First Ave between Queen St, and Calahoo Rd allowing for better north south pedestrian mobility.
- Potential network of connections north to McPherson Ave, and Mohr Ave.
- Revitalize Columbus Park
- Add more culture cultural content in place anchored near or around a redesigned Columbus Park.
- Urban Design Guidelines to Improve Buildings
- Create urban form and design that is consistent with the vision for a modern urban city centre, in the business, and residential areas.
- Definition of Land Use Precincts
- Changing the land use precincts to shape the vision of the city centre. (Changing from Low-Density to High-Density)
- First Avenue Prominence
- Keeping with the urban city vision, while making everything visible from highway 16A.
- Reducing traffic and highway 16A access to First Ave, and improving pedestrian safety.
 |
| CCARP Land Use Redevelopment Concept Plan, Pg 13 |
 |
| CCARP Planning Districts & Land Use, Pg 15 |
Background Reports:
City Council Info:
ARP Considerations
How could the ARP affect current residences and businesses?
-
Rent increases for existing businesses.
-
Lose angle parking on streets.
-
Less business parking pushes vehicles into residential areas.
-
Harder to find parking, may have to walk further distances.
-
Lose the uniqueness of the buildings in the area.
-
The need for land to build new high density buildings, devalues the current homes in the
-
City Centre.
-
Lose the history and heritage of the older structures if they are to be torn down.
-
Lose natural lighting in place of large buildings.
-
Create 25+ years of construction in the area.
-
Creates an environmental impact, excessive noise and dust that could affect the surrounding area. Possibly lasting the next 25+ years.
How could the ARP affect current residences and businesses?
Rent increases for existing businesses.
Lose angle parking on streets.
Less business parking pushes vehicles into residential areas.
Harder to find parking, may have to walk further distances.
Lose the uniqueness of the buildings in the area.
The need for land to build new high density buildings, devalues the current homes in the
City Centre.
Lose the history and heritage of the older structures if they are to be torn down.
Lose natural lighting in place of large buildings.
Create 25+ years of construction in the area.
Creates an environmental impact, excessive noise and dust that could affect the surrounding area. Possibly lasting the next 25+ years.
Things to think about:
-
Transforming an entire neighbourhood from predominantly Single Family Homes to medium and high density, a proposed population increase from 1000 - 4000 residents.
-
Anticipated Impact on Property Values.
-
Anticipated Impact on Quality of Life.
-
Other anticipated impacts during transition due to construction, noise, dust, etc.. in an already established, quiet neighbourhood.
-
If such a plan is to go ahead for the betterment of the greater community, should those impacted in a negative way be compensated? Example: Offer to purchase properties at previous market value before devaluation as a result of this plan.
-
The cost and potential use of 2 city blocks to create the ‘metropolitan area’ image.
Transforming an entire neighbourhood from predominantly Single Family Homes to medium and high density, a proposed population increase from 1000 - 4000 residents.
Anticipated Impact on Property Values.
Anticipated Impact on Quality of Life.
Other anticipated impacts during transition due to construction, noise, dust, etc.. in an already established, quiet neighbourhood.
If such a plan is to go ahead for the betterment of the greater community, should those impacted in a negative way be compensated? Example: Offer to purchase properties at previous market value before devaluation as a result of this plan.
The cost and potential use of 2 city blocks to create the ‘metropolitan area’ image.
What are some of the alternatives of the ARP?
Alternatives to the proposed plan that have not been discussed by the residents of the impacted
area include:
- A strategic plan as to how the desired increased density needed to meet the Capital Region's target can be achieved without negatively impacting the existing neighbourhood.
- Preservation and reconstruction of heritage buildings/sites
- Consideration for the existing City Centre lifestyle and Social Sustainability.
- Where we put the density needed to meet the Capital Region's target.
ARP Alternatives
Background/Analysis | |||||
“City centre revitalization has been identified as an important initiative that supports Spruce Grove as a complete community. Cushing Terrell Architects Inc.” (From Submission to Council April 23rd in this document we will be quoting this and other documents in black and indicating additions and alternatives highlighted in yellow). City Centre revitalization has been address several times before and presentations made to council see Appendix A. The current plan has is an extension of the business redevelopment and alternatives for residential density and heritage preservation have marginally been considered. Therefore a Town Hall Meeting is scheduled for May 22nd (after this is submitted) to discuss these alternatives in preparation for the public hearing.
This submission proposes a “City in the Country” City Centre, with heritage buildings, natural heritage , and Pedway as Alternatives to what is being proposed in the by law (See Aerial View below and Appendixes A & B).
Consultation/Engagement
The process to develop the City Centre ARP has provided numerous opportunities for community and stakeholder engagement and input through various workshops, presentations, design charrettes, and one-on-one meetings. This ARP was managed by a steering committee drawn from various City departments and the City Centre Business Association.
Residential consultations has been limited as the inclusion of residential redevelopment has only been published recently by 2 flyers being sent out to residents (one being for the public hearing).
Implementation/Communication
If approved, the City Centre ARP will define the policies to be utilized in guiding the future land use and form within the city centre, and it also directs actions required to implement the plan which include making changes to the Land Use Bylaw .... Further consultation with residents and other stakeholders is needed before this important Bylaw is passed.
Impacts
The ARP is intended to establish a regulatory land use framework that creates the vision and plan necessary to guide and encourage the redevelopment and revitalization of the City Centre. Impact on heritage buildings and natural heritage and social sustainability need to be considered.
 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
