Amendments were approved to the North Area Structure Plan (NASP) to build a new fire station in the City of Lacombe on Woodland Drive.
Two sections of the NASP needed amendments, in order for the facility to be built there, as previously, the land did not allow for the building of an emergency service facility and was part of the cemetery master plan.
“These administrative changes help pave the way for our community’s new fire station,” Mayor Grant Creasey said.
“It is important for the City to go through these steps to ensure this critical infrastructure can serve our residents for years to come. Council looks forward to celebrating the opening of this facility with all of our stakeholders in the near future.”
The new fire station will be constructed at 4410 Woodland Drive, and it will not affect any of the existing cemetery plots in the area or the north and east baseball diamonds.
When it came to selecting the location for the fire station, around 20 properties were considered, with seven receiving detailed analysis, which included a stakeholder survey indicating that 87 per cent of respondents selected the Woodland Drive location as their first choice.
Other parameters used to select the location included:
- Response time performance
- Safety of the location
- Access to major roadways
- Residential impact
- Land availability
- Future development impacts
The selection process also included representatives from Lacombe City Council, City Administration, Lacombe County Council and Administration, fire personnel, and Provincial partners.
As well, a new Standard Operating Guideline for the Lacombe Fire Department is being drafted to ensure emergency equipment abides by the Traffic Safety Act and is only used when needed during nighttime hours to address residents' concerns about lights and sirens.
Construction of the new fire station will tentatively begin in the Fall.
