Bylaw 495 – Trimble Residence Designation
The owner of Lot 4, Plan 83HW (5228 53 Street) submitted an application to designate their building, known as the Trimble Residence (ca. 1901), as a Municipal Historic Resource. Initiation of the Municipal Historic Resource process is supported by Lacombe’s Heritage Resources Committee (HRC) and by Administration.
The Heritage resources committee (HRC) is in support of the application for municipal historic designation. They recently toured the building on Nov. 19, 2021 and, with the agreement of the building owners, has prepared an up-to-date statement of significance (SOS) as part of the materials to accompany bylaw 495.
On Feb. 9, 2022, the committee voted unanimously to recommend supporting the designation bylaw. This designation bylaw does not require a public hearing.
Bylaw 400.38 – LUB Amendment Autobody and Paint Shop
Council heard a request to amend the University Commercial (UC) District to add “autobody and paint shop in unit 11, plan 062 8084” as a permitted use on a permanent basis.
It was recommended that council give the first reading to bylaw 400.38. and that council schedule a public hearing for bylaw 400.38 at 5:30 p.m. on April 11.
The request to amend the land-use bylaw to allow a paint and autobody shop in a bay of a multi-bay building in the (UC) University Commercial District on a permanent basis has been submitted.
All neighbouring property owners within 60m will be sent written notification of the application and the public hearing date and time.
Broad public notice of the proposed amendment and public hearing will take the form of advertisement in the Lacombe Express and information posted on the City’s website.
REQUESTS FOR DECISION
Alberta’s Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) Eng. Tech Bevans
Council directed administration to bring forward, in the next strategic plan update, an item to develop a clean energy improvement program implementation plan (CEIP).
CEIP is a tool for private property owners in Alberta to finance energy-saving and renewable infrastructure renovations, taking advantage of the established municipal tax system.
Adopting a CEIP in Lacombe would provide property owners with a new service option from the municipality and could support local economic activity if the program is used by residents. Still, additional work is required to assess the cost, capacity, and priority of implementing CEIP in Lacombe.
Administration recommended the council defer additional work on CEIP research until at least 2024 to allow the City to observe CEIP uptake and implementation in other municipalities.
If council eventually passes a clean energy improvement tax bylaw, the MGA requires Council to host a public hearing before the second reading, per 390.3(5).
Speed zone modification, 50 Avenue
It was proposed that council modify the western limit of the 30 km/h speed zone limit in Lacombe’s downtown from 54th Street (near the former Lacombe Outreach School) to 53rd Street. Recommended motions included, council direct administration to move the western limit of the 30km/h downtown speed zone to 53 Street as shown.
In September 2013, council directed administration to enact a 30 km/h speed zone from 53rd Street to Highway 2A from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Outside of these times, the speed limit remained 50 km/h. Council requested that the modified speed limit be reviewed after one year to determine if it was an effective measure.
The Lacombe Outreach School has relocated. The demographics of the block between 53rd and 54th Street now closely resembles the 50km/h speed zone to the west.
City crews will install temporary “new” signs underneath the speed limit signs for six months to alert the public of the change. An article will be posted to social media to inform the public.
Administration said it does not anticipate receiving much public feedback regarding this change but in the past, a few residents along 50th Avenue complained about vibrations caused by truck traffic in past. They are concerned that returning the speed limit to 50km/h west of 53rd Street may rekindle the complaints about this vibration nuisance.
The next regular council meeting is on Monday, March 28 at City Hall council chambers at 5:30 p.m.