Industrial Land Backgrounder | 2 of 8
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INDUSTRIAL LAND BACKGROUNDER | 2 OF 8 A portion of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland exists within Strathcona County. There are approximately 36 sections of land (23,000 acres) within the County’s portion of the Industrial Heartland area. Some of this land is home to large petrochemical complexes but much of the land, while owned by industrial companies, is currently used for agriculture. INTRODUCTION Heavy industrial uses are also situated within the Urban Service Area of Sherwood Park (Refinery Row). Medium Strathcona County is home to Canada’s largest oil refining and light industrial uses are also found throughout the complex and North America’s third largest petrochemical Urban and Rural Service Areas. complex. This area is a source of significant employment and tax revenue for Strathcona County. Industries include Moilu nrefiningicipal D eandvel opupgrading,ment Plan transportation (rail, trucking), Strathcona County recognizes the importance of the chemicalAgri-I nanddustr ipetrochemicalal Transition Policy A manufacturingrea and other industry and38 energy sector38 in economic development, mediumAgric uandlture lightLarge Hindustrialoldings Polic uses.y Area but also acknowledges the need to ensure industrial Agriculture Small Holdings Policy Area and energy activities occur in a manner that reduces the Municipal Development Plan Industrial Heavy Policy Area potential for negative impacts on adjoining and nearby Agri-Industrial Transition Policy Area 38 38 Agriculture Large Holdings Policy Area land uses. AgricultIunre dSmuasll Htorlidaingls LPoiligcy hArte/aMedium Policy Area Industrial Heavy Policy Area IndustriCal Loighut/Mnetdriuym PRolicey sArieda ential Policy Area 830 Country Residential Policy Area 830 In Canada the Major Industrial Accidents Council of BeaverB Hilels aMovraeiner P Holiciyl Alsrea Moraine Policy Area 45 45 Other Policy Areas Canada (MIACC) land use criteria are considered to be Other Policy Areas 45 Canada’s best practice for measuring industrial risk and 15 the benchmark for land use planning decisions. MIACC 45 15 r ive R n a w 830 e tch a sk recommends minimum separation distances from a S h rt o N industrial uses for other types15 of land use. These distances 15 are based on estimated risks associated with various types of industry and internationally-recognized acceptable 15 r ive R n a w 830 e tch a sk a S 21 levels of risk. The Capital Region Board recognizes this h rt o N best practice and incorporated these requirements as a Trappers Lake policy of the Capital Region Growth Plan. 15 16 16 Strathcona County has prepared cumulative risk assessments based on the MIACC criteria. These are 830 Sherwood Park implemented through the Land Use Bylaw, which all 824 Boag Lake 630 development is required to follow. Antler Lake Big Island Lake 21 Twin Island Lake 216 Wanisan Lake Half Moon Lake Halfmoon Lake 630 824 14 Cooking Lake Hastings Lake Trappers Lake 14 21 This map represents a broad and conceptual illustration of the desired land development structure and is not intended to provide site 16 specific direction to land use regulation. 16 www.strathcona.ca/MDP 830 Sherwood Park 824 Boag Lake 630 Antler Lake Big Island Lake Twin Island Lake 216 Wanisan Lake Half Moon Lake Halfmoon Lake 630 824 14 Cooking Lake Hastings Lake 14 21 This map represents a broad and conceptual illustration of the desired land development structure and is not intended to provide site specific direction to land use regulation. INDUSTRIAL LAND | BACKGROUNDER 2 OF 8 WHAT DOES THE 2007 MDP SAY? CURRENT INITIATIVES Section 7 of the MDP includes clear objectives to continue • Updating Industrial Risk Assessments for both of its to encourage and facilitate industrial development and Heavy Industrial Policy Areas. ensure that Strathcona County remains competitive in a • Updating Industrial Heartland Transportation Study. global market. The MDP’s policies focus on ensuring the supply of adequate land and infrastructure, diversifying • Updating Industrial Heartland Area Structure Plan in industrial development and encouraging more parallel with the MDP update. This will provide detailed environmentally friendly forms of development. guidance on future land uses and development patterns in the area and will be used to inform MDP policies. Some of the key objectives and policies are to: • Require that industry minimize risks through setbacks, buffering and following risk assessment and mitigation CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES procedures. • The Agri-industrial Transition Area is generally not being used as planned for uses that are synergistic with • Promote compatibility and synergy between industrial agriculture and industry. There is some pressure to locate development and other land uses through the heavy industrial uses within this area but this may pose implementation of design and location criteria analysis. risks to existing uses within the transition area as well as • Encourage existing and future industries to introduce lands immediately to the south and east of it. green initiatives including applying the principles of • Industrial risks within Strathcona County may impact eco-industrial networking. lands outside of Strathcona County (e.g., City of 3 DISTRICT POLICY AREAS Edmonton, Town of Bruderheim). Therefore, a co- operative approach to land use management is required. Strathcona County’s MDP has defined 3 ‘Policy Areas’ • Two specialized sectors of the oil and gas industry related to industrial uses: that have potential to expand are industries involved 1. Industrial Heavy Policy Area: This policy area includes in by-product synergies (petrochemical by-product/ lands in the Urban Service Area (Sherwood Park) and secondary industries) and eco-industrial businesses. the rural area (Alberta Industrial Heartland) and allows The question remains how best to encourage them to for extensive/large scale, high risk industrial uses. develop in Strathcona County. 2. Industrial Light/Medium Policy Area: This area allows for lower impact industrial uses and is considered a FOR MORE INFORMATION good transition use between heavy industry and other • Industrial Heartland Transportation Study more sensitive land uses. • Strathcona County MDP (2007) 3. Agri-Industrial Transition Area: This area, located to • Strathcona County Land Use Bylaw the southern portion of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, is • Strathcona County Industrial Lands Strategy intended to act as a transition between heavy industrial uses and agriculture. Policies encourage the use of by- products from heavy industries and synergies between uses in this area and neighbouring heavy industry. MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATE | SHAPING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER..