What We Heard: REPORT ON PUBLIC CONSULTATION REGARDING GROWTH IN THE MD OF FOOTHILLS 2012 BUILDING ON OUR PAST… TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction – Why a Growth Management Strategy? ................................................................ 1 The Growth We Have Seen ...................................................................................................................... 1 The Costs of Uncontrolled Growth ............................................................................................................ 4 The Benefits of a Growth Management Strategy ...................................................................................... 4 Project Goals - What Do We Hope to Accomplish? .................................................................................. 5 Phasing - How is the project set up? ........................................................................................................ 5 2. The Consultation Process - How did we gather information? ..................................................... 6 The Growing Smarter Survey ................................................................................................................... 6 MDP2010 .................................................................................................................................................. 6 GMS Survey 2011-2012 ........................................................................................................................... 6 3. Our Foothills ............................................................................................................................... 7 The East District ........................................................................................................................................ 9 The South Central District ....................................................................................................................... 10 The South West District .......................................................................................................................... 11 The North West District ........................................................................................................................... 12 The Central District ................................................................................................................................. 13 4. Building On Our Past - A Vision Forward ................................................................................. 14 5. Our Future ................................................................................................................................ 16 Where Should the Majority of Growth Occur? ........................................................................................ 16 Which Districts are Able to Support Growth, and How Much Growth? ................................................... 18 6. Summary – What Did We Learn? ............................................................................................. 22 What Do Our Residents Value? .............................................................................................................. 22 ................................................................................................................................................................ 23 ................................................................................................................................................................ 23 What Are Residents of the MD Concerned About? ................................................................................ 23 7. Next Steps - What will we do now? .......................................................................................... 25 1. Introduction – Why a Growth Management Strategy? From 1999 to 2009, the MD of Foothills was subject to significant development pressures due to a booming local economy and a common desire among city residents to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and achieve a more desirable lifestyle. Now that development has slowed somewhat we have the opportunity to take stock of where growth has occurred, what impacts it has had and what the best path forward might be that will enable us to preserve those qualities of the MD that are most important to our residents. The Growth We Have Seen Looking at total population numbers for the MD as TABLE 1 –POPULATION OF THE MD provided by Alberta Municipal Affairs, it is evident that growth in the MD has been significant: MD of Foothills MD total population 1996: 14331 Total Population by year 2001: 16602 25000 2006: 19736 20000 2011: 21258 15000 These numbers indicate that the MD saw 16% growth from 1996-2001, 19% growth from 2001- 10000 2006 and 7.7% growth from 2006-2011. 5000 Total population numbers provide only part of the picture though. To get a real understanding of 0 growth it is important to look at how that population 1996 2001 2006 2011 growth is dispersed. Thanks to data from the Mistakis Institute we have been able to produce a series of maps that track the history of development in the MD. The maps show us the number of structures built on each quarter section through the last hundred and eleven years. The data starts at 1900, so structures built prior to then are not shown on the maps. Highwood River Sheep River MD of Foothills Growth Management Strategy: What We Heard Page 1 FIGURE 1 - NUMBER OF STRUCTURES PER QUARTER 1900 -1910 This first map shows us how much development occurred between 1900 and 1910. The grey areas are the current foot- print of the Towns located within the MD. The two blank spaces in the south western portion of the MD are the Eden Valley Indian Reservation lands. FIGURE 2 - NUMBER OF STRUCTURES PER QUARTER 1960 This map shows structures built from 1900 through 1959. By the end of 1959 we see a scattering of single structures throughout most of the MD, a number of clusters of 2-5 structures and a handful of quarters with 6-10 structures. The red dots in the east and south are the Hamlets of Blackie and Cayley. MD of Foothills Growth Management Strategy: What We Heard Page 2 FIGURE 3 - NUMBER OF STRUCTURES PER QUARTER 2002 By 2002 there are areas of the MD where there are no bare quarters for significant distances. There are also starting to be a significant number of quarter sections with 11-20, 21-30 and even up to 50 structures. Areas adjacent to the City of Calgary and around Okotoks are showing significant densification. We can also pick out some of the local Hutterite Colonies on the map. FIGURE 4 - NUMBER OF STRUCTURES PER QUARTER 2010 According to our own tax assessment data for 2010, the number of dwellings per quarter now looks something like this… So the question becomes: Where do we go from here? We could choose to approve subdivision and development on and ad-hoc basis which would most likely result in the fragmentation of the majority of the MD, increased costs for roads and servicing and significant detriment to the agricultural industry.… Or we could choose to direct development towards certain areas of the MD and away from others. MD of Foothills Growth Management Strategy: What We Heard Page 3 The Costs of Uncontrolled Growth When growth is allowed to proceed unchecked there can be significant negative impacts, these include: Fragmentation of agricultural lands; Increased costs for roads and utilities; Impacts on land, air and water; Increased costs for soft services such as fire protection and policing; Noise and light pollution; Increase in crime rates. These impacts can be mitigated by focusing and managing growth. By promoting a balanced mix of growth in Hamlets, infill areas and cluster developments we will be able to support the preservation of agricultural lands, environmentally significant areas and wildlife habitat as well as the quality of life that our residents value. The Benefits of a Growth Management Strategy The Growth Management Strategy (GMS) will build on the work done in the preparation of the MDP2010 and will provide Council with a resource to assist them in making decisions regarding development. In addition, it will assist with: Addressing Provincial planning requirements; Negotiating with adjacent municipalities; Addressing cumulative effects, sustainability and environmental issues; Planning for efficient and effective infrastructure; Providing direction for developers; Creating economic opportunities; Limiting fragmentation of our agricultural lands; and Creating vibrant communities. Dunbow Area, 2011 Hamlet of Blackie, 2011 MD of Foothills Growth Management Strategy: What We Heard Page 4 Project Goals - What Do We Hope to Accomplish? There are several goals that we hope to accomplish through undertaking a growth management strategy including: Educating the public on the importance of planning for growth; Incorporating public values into municipal policy; Determining what qualities of the MD are most valued by our residents; Beginning to describe, in qualitative terms, some strategies that will enable the MD to grow in such a way as to preserve those qualities; Capitalizing on existing opportunities and overcoming potential challenges; Supporting conservation of the natural environment; Supporting conservation of agricultural lands; Building trust with residents. Phasing - How is the project set up? The GMS project will be undertaken in two distinct phases: Phase 1 Phase 1 has been focused on both informing the public about the project and