After nearly three years of planning and consultation with business owners, town council passed the uptown area redevelopment plan (UARP) on Jan. 13.
The plan gives the town the ability to now continue with improvements such as extending new water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the remainder of the uptown area, plus allowing area businesses to go forward with streetscape improvements.
The plan eventually envisions 51 Avenue extending through what is now the Olds Agricultural Society property, with several different options considered for bisecting that land.
None of those options have yet been finalized, Matthew Pawlow, a planner with Parkland Community Planning Services, told councillors at the Jan. 13 meeting.
A key part of the plan involves the town collaborating with the provincial government and the uptown businesses through a community revitalization levy. The levy involves taking a portion of increased taxation revenues from area businesses and directing the taxes toward improvements in the uptown core.
ìHaving the plan approved is a crucial step toward the community revitalization levy,î said Norm McInnis, the town's chief administrative officer, noting that the land Chinook's Edge School Division owns north of Highway 27 will also be part of the uptown area redevelopment plan once the land is sold.
Pawlow said in an interview that the main priority for the plan is protecting and enhancing the commercial uses in the uptown while also allowing for some residential uses. He said the UARP is a guiding document that will aid in the development of other policies such as the rehabilitation of the uptown core. Allowing flexibility of parking in the uptown core was a key change that planners made since the last public session late in 2013.
ìRather than completely eliminate parking on 50 Avenue, (the UARP) would offer opportunities during the summer months (for) people to have a street cafÈ, so maybe 10 parking stalls would be taken up, but then come wintertime they will be removed and people can park again,î Pawlow said, adding that the plan also allows for development of more parking lots in the uptown in the future.
Mayor Judy Dahl said council is excited to have the plan in place to allow the business community to continue improving the look of the uptown, especially its historic character.
ìIt's a very positive and proactive move,î she said in an interview.
Brian Thompson, treasurer of the Uptowne Olds committee, said he was pleased that the plan is now going forward and is especially looking forward to flexible parking options. He is also looking forward to infrastructure improvements being completed in the uptown core.
ìIt's all moving in the right direction,î he said in an interview.
