Electrical infrastructure, rezoning issues top agenda for today’s council meeting

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on September 13, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber A public hearing is set for a land use bylaw amendment for the former Spudnut bakery building.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The summer break is over for Lethbridge city council and today it will have a lengthy agenda to deal with at the first meeting of September.

Among the items council will address is a recommendation from the Civic Works Standing Policy Committee that council approve one-time funding of $500,000 from the Electric Reserve to complete the Chinook Trail Functional Planning Study in 2023.

The request to the SPC was made at its last meeting by Jason Drenth, general manager of the City’s electric utility.

The Alberta Electric System Operator’s 2022 long-term plan identified a need to build a new 240/138kV substation in West Lethbridge along with a new 138kV transmission line connecting it to the existing 674S substation situated just south of Copperwood subdivision by 2028. Because of Alberta Utility Commission requirements two transmission paths must be proposed and evaluated.

The report from Drenth says there is already an approved transmission right of way along the Metis Trail. A second option being proposed would be within the future Chinook Trail corridor. To come up with an appropriate estimate of the costs and work involving in building within the Chinook Trail, a study has to be completed.

The report says the plan is outside of the current 10-year CIP and for the electric utility to meet timelines for construction, the study needs to start next year.

The meeting will also include a public hearing on a land use bylaw amendment that would allow the main floor commercial space at 1102 5 Ave. S., best known as the home of the Spudnut bakery, to be repurposed to provide two new residential apartments.

The existing building was designated in 2008 by city council as a Municipal Historic Resource known as The Spudnut Shoppe or Lethbridge Conservatory of Music.

The property is currently zoned R-37 for medium density residential. It has two apartments on the upper floor and commercial space on the main. The R-37 land use district doesn’t allow for commercial uses, says a report, “though the existing building is best known for its past commercial use as the Spudnuts bakery which became a non-conforming use when the R-37 district was created with the adoption of Land Use Bylaw 4100 in 1986.

Owners of the building want to convert the main floor commercial space but R-37 doesn’t allow for dwelling apartments.

According to the submission going before council, the owner has consulted with the City’s heritage advisor and learned that proposed rezoning wouldn’t affect the heritage value of the building nor any of its listed character-defining elements. The bylaw amendment aligns with “the relevant policy in the SSRP, MDP and London Road Area Development Plan,” says the submission. Approval would allow the owner a broader use of the building and contribute to the stock of housing here while maintaining flexibility for commercial use to be re-established on the main floor in the future.

City staff have reviewed the proposed amendment and found no significant transportation or servicing issues.

Council will also deal with a recommendation from the Civic Works SPC to rename the southeast section of Parkside Drive South to Exhibition Way South. This curved roadway configuration has resulted in an ad hoc approach way of addressing City assets in Henderson Park and on the Exhibition site over the years.

Council will also look at giving first readings to three bylaws including one to designate the Oliver Block downtown as a municipal historic resource. The owner of the block at 316 5 St. S. has applied for that designation and the Historic Places Advisory Committee has evaluated the property, subsequently passing a motion to recommend council proceed with the designation.

Council will also consider a submission to support amending Bylaw 5115 Special Offices Plan and give first reading to Bylaw 6367 which will remove land at several location on 17 St. S. from Bylaw 5115.

The recommendation is being made to facilitate uses complimentary to the nearby hospital that aren’t currently allowed.

The SOP allowed medical and surgical specialists to provide specialized medical care in the area, but not general practitioners. The City has since heard from GPs who would also benefit from close proximity to the hospital.

Council will also address a bylaw amendment that will change the designation of several properties on 17 St. S. from low density residential to direct control. Each of the dwellings at those sights have been demolished and are now vacant. The amendment will introduce a set of new permitted uses and rules to allow development of a two-storey mixed use building that includes both residential and commercial units.

Council will also consider giving second and third readings to five borrowing bylaws. One of them is for Walsh Drive arterial road and underground utilities expansion.

Follow @albeebHerald on Twitter

Comments are closed.