Planning and design work is the dominant theme for the city's proposed capital projects next year.
City staff's draft 2024 budget, which was presented to council on Oct. 24, designates nearly $10 million towards 16 growth, or capital, projects. However, $3.7 million is earmarked for planning and design work on 10 of those projects, with construction — and more significant spending — scheduled for the years to come.
Among the planning work city administration has asked council to fund next year is the design of a 12-lane extension to Liggett Place — the St. Albert Transit facility in Campbell Business Park.
The proposed budget recommends $635,000 next year to design the extension, which the project charter says is becoming increasingly urgent, given the facility reached capacity in 2018.
“Storage and space to maintain and repair (buses) is challenging on a daily basis,” the project charter reads. “(A) steady upward trend in transit service hours over time has increased annual kilometres driven, and thus increased our maintenance component.”
Among the challenges is that staff have no choice but to park some buses outside overnight, which has proved detrimental to transit technology such as on-bus tablets and Arc Card tap pads.
The project charter says without the expansion, Liggett Place will be unable to manage any additions to the transit fleet. This summer, council approved the use of $19 million to purchase 19 new buses over the next three years, although just two of the new buses represent an expansion to the fleet.
“Once the project is complete, the increased garage capacity is expected to last 15 to 20 years.”
After design work is completed, the charter says $7.2 million will be needed in 2025-26 to expand the facility.
Mobility strategy
The most expensive planning project proposed to be on the city's books next year is the development of a $1 million “Mobility Choices Strategy,” which would include a long-term plan for St. Albert Transit.
The strategy's project charter says it would replace the city's existing Transportation Master Plan, which was completed in 2016 and is nearly 80 per cent implemented.
“This project (will) involve internal and consulting service resources to complete technical studies, forecasting, modelling, analysis, and stakeholder engagement to expand upon the details of how the city will respond to growth impacts, growth service delivery, capital investment and its role in regional transportation and transit planning,” the charter states.
Other reasons why the strategy needs to be developed, the charter says, is because the land St. Albert acquired as part of the Sturgeon County Annexation last year is not covered under any existing transportation strategy or plan, and because St. Albert Transit's current long-term plan is “out of date and not reflective of current and future needs of the community.”
If the funding remains in the 2024 budget, city staff expects the strategy to be completed by the end of 2025.
Planning for new RCMP headquarters
In response to a motion passed by council this past summer, city staff's proposed budget includes spending $150,000 to develop a conceptual plan for a new RCMP headquarters.
“Through previous external and internal reviews, it was determined that the current buildings occupied by policing services (Maloney Place and Beaudry Place) have several shortcomings including safety and security deficiencies, parking limitations, and total available square footage,” the project charter reads. “Through (a recent project) council directed administration to complete a limited scope renovation to address the urgent needs of today, aimed at meeting facility needs through 2027.”
“It is estimated that each facility will no longer be able to adequately accommodate policing operations beyond this time.”
The project charter says after the conceptual plan is complete, an estimated $3 million will be needed in 2026 to buy appropriate land if necessary and complete detailed design work, while an estimated $26.85 million will be needed in 2028 to actually build the facility.
“This new facility would also consolidate all policing services staff and operations under one roof, leading to improved operations and service delivery.”
Construction projects
One of the few construction projects included in the proposed 2024 budget is $2.6 million for 730 metres of trail along the northern bank of the Sturgeon River from Boudreau Road to the Oakmont Pedestrian Bridge.
Along with the trail, the project also involves constructing another pedestrian bridge, as well as a wooden staircase.
The project charter says the area is already being used by the public as a trail, “which has caused concern with private property, wildlife impacts, and lack of access for the public at large.”
The charter also says because of the existing right of way, or spacial, limitations, there are a few risks associated with constructing the trail, including land stability and soil condition, environmental impacts, and proximity to private property near Oakbay Point and Orchard Court.
“These constructability issues have been largely mitigated through (a) feasibility assessment; however, may necessitate adjustments during construction,” the project charter reads. “The construction cost estimates and associated contingencies consider these uncertainties but remain a project risk.”
About $685,000 of the $2.6 million budget is contingency funding that will only be spent if absolutely necessary.
During budget deliberations last year, council voted to reduce the scope of the Oakmont trail project by cancelling two additional phases. The city's estimated capital savings at the time was about $1.73 million.
