As a the town grows tidying up official zoning becomes an important part of opening up new possibilities for development.
On Aug. 13, council decided to look at removing a series of five designations from public roads that will never come into being, under current plans.
“In the original planning stages when these subdivisions were developed they were put in as a right of way that maybe we'd run a road through there and attach them to the next subdivision,” said Mayor Jim Romane. “After the area's been developed we're going back and saying, ‘This isn't going to be used for that.'
“We might as well clean it up and do something with it.”
One put up for removal include the pedestrian pathway between Highway 2A and 46A Street Crescent which is no longer considered necessary for long-term traffic circulation. If a road were built it would likely be used as a short cut through a residential neighbourhood, so the current situation is ideal, according to planning documents.
In the case of an segment of land between 50 Street and Upland Aspen currently being used as a Centennial Park trail lined with trees, play structures and lights the town would like to consolidate it into one or more of the municipal reserve parcels, said a report to council.
To the south, the town would like to close all of 37 Street southeast of the northwest boundary of 57th Avenue. This could become part of either the Public Works Yard or the future industrial business park. In either case, closing the road will extend design possibilities, the report stated.
Depending on factors including the need for a future water line, an area south of 36A may be big enough to use as a residential lot or could be sold to the two adjacent landowners, according to the proposal. The Woodlands Area Structure Plan indicates the road will not be extended south to a future residential area.
On the west side of 52 Avenue along Woodland Road there is the possibility of transferring the road for private use by the nearby church, the report stated.
But before any of this could happen, there will be a consultation where the town will have a chance to hear from the public. After this “council will have to make a decision whether to proceed,” according to Craig Teal, director of planning and development for Innisfail.
