The municipality would like to expand the town鈥檚 industrial area by rezoning a parcel of land to create more outdoor storage and parking space for commercial vehicles, such as taxis, busses and heavy machinery.
The proposed area is located in what is commonly referred to as the S-Block and runs the length of Industrial Crescent, from the corner of Hazel Avenue to the CN building.
Municipal council unanimously approved putting forward an application to rezone nearly 7,500 square metres of land from natural open space to storage and services, during a council meeting on Jan. 3.
The application will now have to be approved by the Planning and Development Advisory Committee (PDAC).
According to Mark Fercho, the town鈥檚 chief administrative officer, the intent of rezoning the area is to create more parking and outdoor storage for commercial businesses, which means it鈥檚 unlikely to have an effect on the commercial cap.
鈥淲e are short of space and this is one way of helping resolve this issue,鈥� Fercho said during a council meeting on Dec. 20.
鈥淔ailing to find more space, what we were going to end up having is more pressure for on street parking from RVs, storage of vehicles and commercial equipment within the community, adding to the congestion issue that we currently have in Jasper.鈥�
During a council meeting on Jan. 3, councillors were presented two options. The first option included rezoning a smaller area approximately 4,000 square metres in size. The second option, which council ultimately approved, included rezoning the entire parcel of land, which is more than 7,500 square metres.
Approval of the rezoning doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean the entire area will be redeveloped. Any development plans will require further approval.
During the discussion several councillors said they would prefer to keep a natural buffer at the corner of Hazel Avenue and Industrial Crescent.
鈥淚 very much like the idea of there being a buffer from Hazel into the industrial development much like on the other side of the road,鈥� said Coun. Dwain Wacko, who was in favour of the project.
Coun. Rico Damota and Coun. Helen聽Kelleher-Empey聽also said they鈥檇 also prefer to see a natural buffer kept in place on the corner of the parcel of land.
Mayor Richard Ireland reminded councillors that the request before them was about an application to rezone the parcel of land not the development of the land.
鈥淚 think we are confusing separate issues,鈥� said Ireland. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 talk about a development plan unless the land is rezoned to permit some sort of development.鈥�
He said if and when that happens that鈥檚 when council can begin discussing development of the area.
鈥淗ow we develop that in the future will be a combination of what we choose to present and what gets approved through the development process,鈥� said Ireland, adding a buffer area could be incorporated into development plans at a later date.
During the discussion the mayor also pointed out that the rezoning application fits the goals of the Jasper Community Sustainability Plan, which states new commercial space developed in S-Block should accommodate the relocation of businesses from Walkerville.
Coun. Gilbert Wall described the Community Sustainability Plan as a 鈥減oor excuse鈥� for a community development plan.
鈥淚n any other community a rezoning this size would be married or matched against a master plan for the community of which we have none,鈥� said Wall.
The reason the municipality doesn鈥檛 have a detailed community development plan, like other communities across Canada, is because Parks Canada has control of land use and development.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a huge problem,鈥� said Wall. 鈥淧arks Canada is dropping the ball on producing a community plan that is meaningful that we can work with and this is just an example of that.鈥�
Mayor Ireland agreed with Wall describing the current sustainability plan as 鈥渋mperfect,鈥� but said he was still comfortable with moving forward with the rezoning request.
鈥淭here is a commitment to try and regularize much of what goes on in the community. As imperfect as the sustainability plan might be for that purpose at least it does give some direction.鈥�
Municipal council voted 6-0 in favour of the rezoning request. Coun. Vonna聽Arsenault was absent.
Paul Clarke
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