The plans are in place and the land has been prepped — now all ATB Financial needs to begin work on its new north Red Deer branch is a nod from the city’s municipal planning commission.
The commission considered on Monday an application for site development approval for a 13,000-square-foot ATB branch proposed for 6794 50th Ave.
Despite favourable comments about the design of the one-storey building, members voted to table the application for one week. That followed questions from Development Services director Paul Goranson about whether the city’s engineering department had considered the fact that the bank’s drive-through would connect to a public lane to the west.
Specifically, Goranson wondered if issues like traffic volumes and snow removal had been taken into account.
Fred Collins of Stantec Architecture told the commission that the building’s exterior will include a mix of glass, stone and pre-finished metal. It will not be built to full LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, he added, but will incorporate a number of LEED features.
These will include the use of indigenous plants when landscaping to minimize maintenance requirements, and the development of a cistern system that will collect rainwater from the building’s roof for irrigation use.
ATB announced plans for the full-service branch last June. At that time, the outlet was described as a “centre of excellence,” where business and agricultural banking services will be provided to clients across the province.
The former RSC Equipment Rentals building on the property has since been demolished.
The new branch is slated to replace ATB Financial’s existing outlet in Riverside Office Plaza.