Town of Blackfalds/Lacombe County Intermunicipal Development Plan September 2013 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Purpose of the Plan ................................................................................. 5 1.2 Legislative Authority ................................................................................ 5 1.3 Time Horizon ............................................................................................. 6 1.4 Plan Boundary ......................................................................................... 6 1.4.1 Long Term Growth Area ...................................................................... 6 1.4.2 Joint Economic Area ........................................................................... 6 1.4.3 Notification Area .................................................................................. 8 1.5 Urban Residential Growth ...................................................................... 8 1.5.1 Population ............................................................................................. 8 1.5.2 Urban Residential Land Requirements .............................................. 9 1.5.3 Other Land Use Requirements ........................................................... 9 1.6 County Growth Pressures ....................................................................... 9 1.7 Policy Context ....................................................................................... 10 2 PLANNING PROCESS................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee ................................ 10 2.2 Public Involvement ............................................................................... 11 3 PLAN OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Basic Principle ........................................................................................ 11 3.2 Plan Objectives ..................................................................................... 11 4 UTILITY SERVICING POLICIES ....................................................................................... 11 4.1 Storm Drainage ..................................................................................... 12 4.2 Water Supply .......................................................................................... 12 4.2.1 Extension of Municipal Water Service ............................................. 12 1 | P a g e 4.3 Sanitary Sewer ....................................................................................... 12 4.3.1 Intermunicipal Sanitary Sewer Line .................................................. 12 4.4 Joint Economic Area Servicing Arrangements ................................. 13 4.5 Roads ...................................................................................................... 13 4.5.1 Road Upgrading ................................................................................ 13 5 LAND USE POLICIES ..................................................................................................... 14 5.1 Existing Land Use ................................................................................... 14 5.2 Special Study Area................................................................................ 14 5.3 Agriculture .............................................................................................. 15 5.3.1 Extensive Agriculture .......................................................................... 15 5.3.2 Confined Feeding Operations ......................................................... 15 5.3.3 Right to Farm ....................................................................................... 15 5.4 Residential .............................................................................................. 15 5.4.1 Country Residential ............................................................................ 16 5.4.2 Residential Conservation Cluster ..................................................... 16 5.4.3 Future Urban Residential ................................................................... 16 5.5 Industrial/Commercial .......................................................................... 16 5.5.1 Highway 2/Highway 597 ................................................................... 16 5.5.2 Buffers/Transitional Uses ..................................................................... 17 5.5.3 Development Standards ................................................................... 17 5.6 Recreation and Open Space ............................................................. 17 5.6.1 Municipal Reserve .............................................................................. 17 5.6.2 Trail System .......................................................................................... 17 5.6.3 Regional Park ...................................................................................... 17 2 | P a g e 6 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES ........................................................................................ 19 6.1.1 Environmental Assessment ................................................................ 19 6.1.2 Hazard Lands ...................................................................................... 19 7 ROAD AND TRANSPORTATION POLICIES .................................................................. 19 7.1.1 Major Road Pattern ........................................................................... 19 7.1.2 Highway 2A ......................................................................................... 19 7.1.3 Dangerous Goods Routes ................................................................. 21 7.1.4 Railways ............................................................................................... 21 8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................... 21 8.1.1 Intermunicipal Cooperation ............................................................. 21 8.1.2 Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee ............................. 21 8.1.3 Cost/Revenue Sharing ...................................................................... 21 9 FUTURE ANNEXATION .................................................................................................. 21 9.1.1 Municipal Services Required ............................................................ 22 9.1.2 Growth Requirements........................................................................ 22 9.1.3 Initiation of Annexation ..................................................................... 22 9.1.4 Cost/Revenue Sharing ...................................................................... 22 9.1.5 Review of Plan .................................................................................... 22 10 PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................... 23 10.1.1 Intermunicipal Development Plan Provisions ............................... 23 10.1.2 Outline Plans/Area Structure Plans ................................................ 23 10.1.3 Existing Statutory Plans and Bylaws................................................ 23 11 PLAN ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................................ 23 11.1 Administrative Body ............................................................................ 23 11.2 Referrals ................................................................................................ 23 3 | P a g e 11.3 Dispute Resolution Mechanism ......................................................... 24 11.4 Plan Amendments .............................................................................. 26 11.5 Plan Review .......................................................................................... 26 11.6 Plan Termination .................................................................................. 26 Figure 1 - Future Land Use Concept Map ................................................................................. 7 Figure 2 - Existing Land Use Map .............................................................................................. 18 Figure 3 - Natural Features Map ............................................................................................... 20 4 | P a g e 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of the Plan The purpose of this Intermunicipal Development Plan is to outline a cooperative framework for the resolution of planning, economic development, utility servicing, and transportation issues that are of joint interest to the Town of Blackfalds and Lacombe County. The two municipalities adopted a Joint General Municipal Plan in 1988. Since that time, provincial planning legislation has changed, defining new requirements for intermunicipal planning, particularly related to the establishment of dispute resolution mechanisms. The Town of Blackfalds Municipal Sustainability Plan and Lacombe County Strategic Plan also emphasize the need for intermunicipal initiatives for coordinated land use planning and mutually beneficial economic development. A new Intermunicipal Development Plan was adopted by both Councils to respond to the substantial growth that occurred in the Town, and the continuing development