report for city council december 13, 2000...

Agenda Item No.: E.1.a.

ADOPTION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE EDMONTON CITY CENTRE AIRPORT CONCEPT PLAN.

Recommendations:That following a non-statutory public hearing the amendment to the Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan contained in Attachment 2 be adopted which will add “public education services” as a permitted use under the General Business Precinct.

AdvertisingThis Concept Plan Amendment has been advertised in the Edmonton Journal on Friday, November 24, 2000 and Sunday, December 3, 2000.

Report Summary The Edmonton Airport Authority is

satisfied that the proposed use is an appropriate use in the vacant terminal building and compatible with the operation of the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

The MA3 District was amended when the Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan was approved to include some general business uses based on the CB2 District. The MA3 District does not permit public education services but does permit Commercial Schools. According to the Edmonton Airport Authority, the authors of the Concept Plan would have added this use to the Plan and the MA3 District had this opportunity presented itself when the Concept Plan was being drafted.

The facility meets all of the criteria set out by the Public School Board in terms of building space, design and location for this high school. The location meets the criteria in terms of being centrally located, and particularly being close to NAIT.

There are no outstanding technical concerns regarding this application. In particular, the Emergency Response Department (ERD) has no issues with this application. ERD points out that the possibility of plane crashes is very low and the terminal building is not situated at the beginning or end of any runway. Buildings that are more at risk are the Royal Alexandra Hospital complex and the Kingsway Shopping Centre. The NAIT campus also adjoins the airport and shares a similar risk.

Justification of Recommendation1. The Edmonton Regional Airport

Authority is satisfied that the school and the nature of the yard and security presented under the project are compatible with the operation of the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

2. The site meets all of the criteria set out by the Public School Board in terms of building space, design and location for this particular type of school.

3. The Edmonton Public school is satisfied with this site with respect to environmental and safety concerns.

4. There were no outstanding technical concerns raised by the City Departments regarding this application.

Background Information Attached1. A copy of the Planning and

Development Department’s Report2. Amendment to the Edmonton City

Centre Airport Concept Plan

Routing: Public Hearing, City CouncilDelegation: Duncan Fraser Written By: K. Zahara November 6, 2000 Planning and Development DepartmentFile: 2000PDP482 ( of 1)

E1a

ATTACHMENT 1BYLAW 12470FILE: LUB/00-0096FILE: OP/00-0002EDMONTON MUNICIPALAIRPORT

DESCRIPTION: TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE LAND USE BYLAW to add Public Education Services to the MA3 (Municipal Airport General Business) District;

EDMONTON CITY CENTRE AIRPORT CONCEPT PLAN AMENDMENT to add public education services

LOCATION: Located at 101 Airport Road, former Terminal Building

LEGALDESCRIPTION: Lot 2, Block 6A, Plan 922 0135

APPLICANT: IBI Group10405 - Jasper AvenueEdmonton, AlbertaT5J 3N4

OWNER: The City of Edmonton

ACCEPTANCE OFAPPLICATION: October 3, 2000

EXISTINGDEVELOPMENT: Existing Vacant Building

_________________________________________________________

PLANNING ANDDEVELOPMENTDEPARTMENT’SRECOMMENDATION: That Bylaw 12470 to amend the text of the Land Use Bylaw be

APPROVED.

That the Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan be APPROVED.

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BYLAW 12470FILE: LUB/00-0096FILE: OP/00-0002EDMONTON MUNICIPALAIRPORT

DISCUSSION

1. The Application

This is an application to amend the Land Use Bylaw to make a text amendment to the MA3 District to add Public Education Services as a permitted use and to provide development regulations that will apply to this use.

The applicant’s intention is to develop an Aboriginal High School for 800 students within the former City Centre Airport terminal building. The site will be improved and sub-leased for a 25 year period to the Public School Board. The site is on the southwest portion of the Municipal Airport lands, located adjacent to Airport Road. While most of the improvements will be made to the interior of the terminal building, minor improvements will be made to the tarmac area immediately adjacent to the former terminal building to accommodate a student gathering and gallery area, and an elders courtyard area.

The proposed amendment to the Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan entail adding “public education services” as a permitted use under the General Business Precinct.

2. Site and Surrounding Area

The site is the former terminal building and the adjacent area surrounding the former terminal building located on Airport Road. To the northeast of the site is the airport tarmac area. To the northwest of the site are industrial uses and hangers located a good distance away from the site. To the southwest of the site are the parking garage and the Ramada Hotel parking lot. To the southeast of the site are a hanger and the fixed base operation (FBO); one of two sites on the airport where gas trucks refuel the planes.

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View of terminal building and parking garage from south parking lot.

Aerial view of Municipal Airport with terminal Building located to the right of the parking structure.

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ANALYSIS

1. Compliance with Approved Plans and Land Use Compatibility

The subject property falls within the Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan approved by City Council in September, 1997. The proposed development does not conform to the Plan in that the use class “public educational services” is not a use identified in the General Business Precinct.

The Planning and Development Department supports the proposed Land Use Bylaw amendment to add “public educational services” as a use class to the General Business Precinct. The reasons for the Department’s position are as follows:

a) The Edmonton Airport Authority is satisfied that the proposed use is an appropriate use in the vacant terminal building. They point out in their letter of October 25th:

“Our engineering staff has met with the Project Architect and Landscape Architect, engaged by Edmonton Public School Board to design the High School facility. On a preliminary review, and mindful of Transport Canada and NavCanada regulations, as well as airport operations generally, our engineers feel the school and the nature of the yard and security presented under the project are compatible with the operation of the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

At the appropriate time, the project will formally go through the Facility Alteration Permit (FAP) process. The project will, at that time, be rigorously examined, and will be reviewed by Transport Canada and NavCanada. A Facility Alteration Permit (FAP) is not granted if any unremedied objections persist. In the event the FAP is not granted, Edmonton Airports would not permit the Facility Alteration to proceed.”

b) The MA3 District was amended when the Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan was approved to include some general business uses based on the CB2 District. The MA3 District does not permit “public education services” but does permit Commercial Schools. According to the Edmonton Airport Authority, the authors of the Concept Plan would have added this use to the Plan and the MA3 District had this opportunity presented itself when the Concept Plan was being drafted.

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c) The facility meets all of the criteria set out by the Public School Board in terms of building space, design and location for this particular type of school. The location meets the criteria in terms of being centrally located, and particularly being close to NAIT. There are linkages between the high school and NAIT in terms of course delivery and preparation of students for post-secondary education at NAIT.The Public School Board also stated that NAIT recreational facilities will be made available to the high school students along with the facilities at Airway Park.

According to the Public School Board, there is also a tie in between the high school and the Municipal Airport. Courses related to aviation will be developed and business partnerships with City Centre Airport businesses will be pursued should the school receive approval. The native community also has strong historical ties to the airport, and numerous Aboriginal bodies are located in the Kingsway area.

d) The Emergency Response Department (ERD) has no issues with this application. ERD points out that the possibility of plane crashes is very low and the terminal building is not situated at the beginning or end of any runway. Buildings that are more at risk are the Royal Alexandra Hospital complex and the Kingsway Shopping Centre. The NAIT campus also adjoins the airport. The Edmonton Public School Board is satisfied with this site with respect to environmental and safety concerns. The school district insurers have not raised any unusual risk concerns in relation to this development.

e) ACI Acoustical Consultants Inc. at the request of Manasc Isaac Architects have conducted a Sound Level Survey and assessment for the proposed high school. The purpose of the study was to assess the suitability of both the former Terminal Building and its amenity spaces of the City Centre Airport for a proposed educational use. The survey contains results and a number of recommendations and conclusions. These recommendations dealing with doors, new windows and the ventilation system will be incorporated into the design of the new school. The site Plan to deal with sound reduction for exterior areas of the school will also reflect the recommendations of ACI with berms, art walls and solid fencing as sound barriers.

2. Transportation and Utilities

The Transportation and Streets Department and the affected City utility departments and private agencies advise that they have no concerns regarding this application.

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3. Surrounding Property Owners’ Concerns

The Planning and Development Department received two phone calls in response to its letter of pre-notification regarding this application. The first call was from the Kingsway Business Association who oppose the application based on their claim that the high school is not a suitable use on an airport site. The other call was from Air Mikisew Ltd. who expressed concerns for the students in terms of noise levels from planes in the vicinity of the student outdoor gathering and gallery area. The caller was also concerned with the lack of recreational and park facilities in areas near the high school or provided by the high school.

JUSTIFICATION

The Planning and Development Department recommends that Bylaw 12470 be APPROVED on the basis that the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority is satisfied that the school and the nature of the yard and security presented under the project are compatible with the operation of the Edmonton City Centre Airport. In addition, the site meets all of the criteria set out by the Public School Board in terms of building space, design and location for this particular type of school, and the Public School Board is satisfied with the site with respect to environmental and safety concerns.

Written by: Ken ZaharaApproved by: Larry BenowskiPlanning and Development DepartmentNovember 6, 2000

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ATTACHMENT 2

Edmonton City Centre Airport Concept Plan

Precinct: General Business

These lands are designated for aviation and aeronautics uses and related support, public education services and general business (CB2 type) airport compatible uses. The precinct comprises 16.04 ha. It will accommodate aviation uses and related support uses, as well as uses such as found along Kingsway Avenue. This precinct shares the same attributes of good transportation access, high visibility and traffic flow, suitable infrastructure and market demand as found along Kingsway Avenue. These lands will be designated MA3 in the Land Use Bylaw amendment.

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report for city council december 13, 2000...

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