Rossdale redevelopment decision delayed until after Canada Day
Council postponed the vote Tuesday to allow more consultation with Indigenous groups about the sacred burial grounds on the site.
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Edmonton council has delayed a decision on the River Crossing development plan for Rossdale Flats until July 6, following a heated public hearing Tuesday.
The postponement gives time to highlight consultation efforts with Indigenous groups connected to the area and the North Saskatchewan River Valley. A report on Indigenous engagement within the redevelopment plan will be presented to the Urban Planning Committee on July 2. Mayor Andrew Knack invited all concerned stakeholders to attend.
Groups like the Confederacy of Treaty 6 and Enoch Cree Nation have expressed that any development on Rossdale would require heavy Indigenous involvement due to burial grounds and the sacredness of the land. "People were using the public hearing to address what is actually a separate issue around governance about who should be allowed to build on Rossdale — if anyone," Knack said.
Administration had proposed two special zoning classifications for River Crossing: one for medium-scale residential and one for large-scale residential. These would protect views of the Legislature Grounds, Rossdale Power Plant, Walterdale Bridge, and the River Valley. Developers would face maximum building heights, tower orientation limits to prevent shadow impacts, a maximum tower floor plate of 850 square metres, and a minimum 25 metres between towers. Fire suppression capacity upgrades would also be required.
No development is currently planned. Phase 1 would involve constructing a new road at 102 Street between 96 and 97 Avenues with traffic signals.
An archaeological assessment found a strong chance human remains could be uncovered by excavation and recommended both site-specific development plans and further Indigenous consultation for each project.