Maple Ridge’s long-debated Albion flats could have a new road cutting across it, a new spot for the Albion Fairgrounds and a shopping village-light-industrial-recreation area for the rest of the land along Lougheed Highway.
Those were some of the possibilities tossed out Tuesday as the new council re-opened the decades-old file for 133 hectares of low-lying land north of the highway that’s home to sports fields and Planet Ice.
But whatever the future holds, council wants to get on with it.
Mayor Mike Morden said later, that after two decades of work and considering decisions from the Agricultural Land Commission, it’s time “to get on with the task at hand of building mixed use of both commercial, along with recreation.”
Staff will bring back a new concept plan for the area, which lies within the Agricultural Land Reserve and which is divided by Jim Robson Way. The public then will give input with the final plan then going to council for approval, though timelines are uncertain.
“The direction given by council was clear, that we must move forward sooner than later, and that further high-level studies were off the table,” Morden said.
Council favoured varying mixes of recreational, commercial and light industry on the east side (or south side) of Jim Robson Way.
A block exclusion from the Agricultural Land Reserve is still needed for the land on the east side, which requires the city to improve drainage on the west or north side of Jim Robson Way.
Staff will contact property owners to see if their interested in developing. Morden added that recreational uses could be possible on the west side if approved as non-farm uses by the land commission.
“Bottom line, we sent clear signals to get on with the job at hand and develop the flats.”
Morden also pointed out that he also concerned about downtown’s future. “We really need that to be a centre piece.” Albion will provide services and stores, “but I’m not seeing big box there at all.”
Coun. Gordy Robson suggested a road, if technically feasible, could cut across the flats to 104th Avenue and allow bus routes to serve the area. The Albion fairgrounds could also relocate to the west side.
He also asked about a new West Coast Express station in Albion near 240th Street, but was told that TransLink cancelled that several years ago.
The long-term future of West Coast Express is uncertain given increasing freight on the CP tracks.
Robson also raised the idea of an overpass across the train tracks at some point to the connect the Albion Industrial Area to the Albion flats on the north side of Lougheed Highway.
“We are finally talking about a long-term point of view, as the base, and then build on it,” Robson said.
“It would be nice if council united on a plan.”
Coun. Kiersten Duncan cautioned about putting too much infrastructure on soil that could be unstable during an earthquake and about the need to protect fish-bearing streams that run through the flats.
She favoured a concept that focused on recreation for the east side of Jim Robson Way and said that agricultural uses on west side have a better chance of being supported by the ALC.
“We’ve come back to council multiple times so they’re not going to support anything else on that side.”
“Boy, deja vu, all over again,” said Coun. Judy Dueck referring to the resumption of discussions about Albion.
She questioned whether more public consultation is needed, given the consultation that took place in 2010. “The last thing I want to support is another public process. I’ve heard in every election … that people want some kind of retail village concept down there.”
But she acknowledged that land on the west side of Jim Robson Way will not be allowed out of the land reserve for development. The ideal situation to keep the west side for all the agricultural uses, she added. “It makes total sense.”
People tell her that that they just want the city to do something on the east side.
Dueck said she favoured jobs and commercial adding that council can’t promise what will be located there. “We zone property, we don’t build it.”
Coun. Chelsa Meadus, also favoured shopping and said people are interested in the future of Albion flats. “They can’t wait. So I’m hoping we can see something done in our term.”
Staff said though that the city has not yet talked to property owners on the south side of Jim Robson Way.
Robson favoured more of a focus on commercial and light industry. He added that development charges in the east portion could pay for the drainage improvements on the west side. But he added that, “Shopping centres are dead. they’re gone. It’s going to be different kinds of commercial in the future.”
