Edmonton seeks to take 20 slivers of land for Valley Line West LRT

Edmonton's LRT team willask city council to give them legal approval to take over more parcels of land needed for the Valley Line West LRT from downtown to Lewis Farms.

The city has acquired nearly 50 per cent of the land it needs, Bruce Ferguson, branch manager of LRT expansion and renewal, told CBC News on Tuesday.

Fergusonsaid the city has secured 118 of the 245 parcels of land it requires.

It has expropriated 10 parcels so far; the rest were negotiated.

On Wednesday, Ferguson's team will ask council to approve another 20 parcels for expropriation.

Most of them are slivers of land around156th Street and Stony Plain Road, he said.

"We take as little land as absolutely possible," Ferguson said. "A lot of times we're only taking a metre or two along the edge of someone's property."

The small pieces along the route are required for things like utilities, sidewalks and landscaping, he said, adding that it's not common for the city to take a full lot.

Moving out

Several businesses along the route have moved or are being asked to move to make room for the 14-kilometre low-floor train LRT the second stage of the Valley Line. The southeast leg is currently under construction between Mill Woods and downtown.

Empty shops and signs show businesses moving out of the neighbourhood, such as the plaza on Stony Plain and 142nd Street.

Coun. Andrew Knack said he has heard from two businesses that have asked for more time before they have to relocate.

"I know the city works to try to accommodate as best as possible," Knack said. "At some point, of course, the construction will need to start but they've been doing what they can to work with groups, find different ways."

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Ferguson's team will also ask council for permission to start the expropriation process on another seven properties.

"We go into the expropriation process knowing that we've got a year to negotiate an agreement with the landowners, and if not then we have that hard stop on the back end," he said.

"If we absolutely need to even though we never want to if we absolutely need to then we would expropriate the property."

Ferguson said of the project's $2.6-billion budget, the city has set aside $180 million for acquiring land for the Valley Line West LRT.

"It's a fair chunk but we hope we don't use it all," Ferguson said.

Objections

Property owners opposing a takeover have the chance to challenge the city through the provincial Land Compensation Board.

The province appoints an officer to conduct an inquiry to determine whether the acquisition of land is "fair, sound and reasonably necessary" for the city.

Ferguson said the city is facing four objections so far since expropriation for the Valley Line West LRT started last year.

He said the city is still negotiating with propertyowners to try to reach an agreement before following through with expropriatingthe land.

@natashariebe