Development in Rural Areas

1
Development in Rural Areas
2
Why Plan?

• BECAUSE WE CANT AFFORD NOT TO!

3
What is a Plan?

• Planning is all about
• MAKING PLACES BETTER
• It accomplishes this by
• The orderly, economical and beneficial
  development of land and resources
• Establishing a rational means by which the
  communitys goals can be met through land use
  management

• A method for achieving an end
• A scheme of action or procedure
• A project or definite purpose
• A detailed formulation of a program of action
• An orderly arrangement of parts of an overall
  design or objective

4
Why Plan?

• Every municipality must adopt a land use bylaw
  which prohibits, regulates, and controls land use
  within corporate limits as mandated by the
  Municipal Government Act
• Every municipality with a population of 3,500 or
  more must adopt a municipal development plan to
  serve as a framework for future development
  within the municipality

• To Comply with Provincial Regulations

5
Why Plan?

• Deciding on the communitys desired direction and
  figuring out how to get there
• This means
• Building on strengths
• Acknowledging limitations
• Considering cumulative impacts
• Minimizing negative externalities

• Proactive Planning

6
Reasons to Engage in Land Use Planning
7
Reasons to Engage in Land Use Planning- continued
8
Land Use Planning in Alberta

• Land use planning in Alberta is governed by a
  number of instruments and authorities including
• Municipal Government Act
• Subdivision and Development Regulation
• Provincial Land Use Policies
• Other Provincial documents
• e.g. Airport Vicinity Protection Area, the Water
  Act

9
Planning Authorities
10
Planning Authorities
11
Planning Policies Regulations
12
Statutory Planning Instruments
13
Provincial Land Use Policies

• Governed by the MGA (s. 622)
• Policies replaced the Regional Plan
• A guide to more specific municipal policy
• Public policy rather than law
• Seek to provide a blueprint for land use planning
• Current policies adopted in November 1996
• Upcoming Land Use Framework will replace

14
Municipal Planning Documents
15
Municipal Planning Documents

• For the consideration of development and
  subdivision applications, the hierarchy of
  documents are as follows
• Inter-Municipal Development Plans (IMDP)
• Municipal Development Plan (MDP)
• Area Structure Plan (ASP)
• Area Redevelopment Plans (ARP)
• Land Use Bylaw (LUB)
• Each is required to be adopted by Bylaw. These
  bylaws provide policy and regulate the uses of
  land and the standards that will be applied for
  development
• Each requires three readings and a public hearing
• Each requires public involvement

Municipal Development Plan
Land Use Bylaw
16
Influences on Recommendations?

• Provincial Federal Legislation
• Local municipal plans and policies
• Planning/land considerations - suitability
• Development services/utilities required
• Meets professional planning goals
• Environmental (i.e water, soil), protect
  agricultural land, community goals, health
  objectives, compatible uses/development,
  sustainable growth

17
RURAL Considerations

• Protect good quality agricultural land
• Prevent premature urban growth/sprawl
• Development not conflict with irrigation/AG
  operations
• Prevent land use conflicts direct
  non-agricultural
• (Confined feeding operations, oil gas, noxious
  industry, etc.)
• Prevent fragmentation of land
• Protect water sources/resources
• Contribute to efficient use of non-renewable
  resources
• Direct development to not constrain natural
  resources

18
Planners Responsibilities

• Who does a Land Use Planner work for?
• The Community

19
The Municipal Government Act Municipal
Responsibilities
20
Municipal Government Act Part 17
Planning and Development

• The MGA is the document that sets out the
  legislative framework for planning in Alberta
• Places the authority for land use decision-making
  at the local level
• Empowers council with the authority to establish
• Statutory plans ASP, MDP,s, IMDPs
• Various planning approval committees
• Enforcement mechanisms
• Public participation process

21
Municipal Government Act Part 17
Planning and Development

• Concerned with planning for and regulating the
  development of land in Alberta
• Provides framework for the public authorities,
  the instruments, and the tasks necessary for
  effective planning for municipalities
• Does not prescribe rules for when, where or how
  development may occur local bylaws prescribe

22
Municipal Government Act Part 17
Carpenters
Tools Parameters
Development

• Part 17 gives the local planning authority
  (carpenter) the tools (plans, bylaws) and sets
  the parameters that it can use to build a
  community (development)

23
Municipal Responsibilities

• Must operate within the legislative authority of
  Part 17 of the Municipal Government Act
• Required to establish a process for approvals -
  land use bylaw
• Must create decision-making authorities
  Council, Dev Officer
• Must create appeal authorities - SDAB
• Must adopt a land use bylaw (land regulations)
• Municipalities over 3,500 must adopt a municipal
  development plan (long range growth development
  plan)
• Must ensure all land use bylaws and statutory
  plans are consistent with Provincial Land Use
  Policies

24
Municipal Authorities Council
Councils Role in Planning MGA Part 17

• Establish Planning Authorities through bylaw
• Adopt Municipal Development Plan (MDP)
• Adopt Land Use Bylaw (LUB)
• Adopt other Statutory Plans
• Amend and update plans and bylaws
• Enter into Development Agreements
• Create Intermunicipal Agreements

25
Subdivision Process
26
Subdivision Process
Councils Role

• Council creates and adopts land use policies and
  guides development and growth
• Establishes criteria in Land Use Bylaw
• Zoning
• Parcel Size
• Density/Maximum of Parcels
• Etc.
• Often acts as the Subdivision Authority (makes
  decision)
• May negotiate Service (development) Agreements

27
Criteria for Subdivision Approval

• Use and zoning MUST conform

28
Development Process
29
Councils Role

• Council adopts policies in MDP and land use bylaw
  to guide development
• Council may negotiate provision of services with
  developers (roads, utilities)
• May act as the development approval authority
  (discretionary permit uses)
• Council may act/promote local/regional economic
  development

30
Important Issues for Council in making
Development decisions

• The proposal meets overall Council objectives
  and goals (conformity to plans, the MDP, etc.)
• Viability of project/proposal? How likely to
  succeed?
• Fair and level playing field
• consideration of affected or adjacent Landowners
• The proposal meets/adheres to municipal and
  provincial regulations
• Suitability of the land for the proposal

31
Powers to Assist Development

• Create a level playing field (policies and
  standards)
• Coordinate development/provide design framework
• Provide infrastructure (water, roads, drainage,
  etc.)
• Embrace/encourage partnerships -
  Inter-municipal, provincial, economic
• Provide resources/people/information
• Join Regional economic initiatives (i.e.
  southGrow)
• create- Overall, attractive, healthy local
  economy and quality of life (taxes, services,
  recreation, etc)

32
Promote Development???

• Planned, efficient and economically viable
  growth
• - services and infrastructure available/affordable
  
• Development that meets municipal goals
• - i.e. agri-business, value added processing,
  sustainable, protect agricultural
  land/operations, green energy developments
• Development that meets environmental standards/
  objectives
• Development that fits with Council mandate
• - protection, of high quality agricultural land

33

• Questions?