February 23, 2006
(Red Deer, Alberta) – City Council will consider initiating further dispute resolution processes with County planning documents at its upcoming Council meeting on February 27, 2006.
The City is concerned that statutory plans recently given first reading by Red Deer County are inconsistent with the goals, objectives and policies of the Intermunicipal Development Plan and may be detrimental to The City of Red Deer. Specific plans of concern are the Red Deer County Municipal Development Plan, the Red Deer County Land Use Bylaw, and the Springbrook and Gasoline Alley Major Area Structure Plan.
“This is about protecting the City’s future growth interests and patterns,” said Norbert Van Wyk, City Manager. “We are using a defined, mutually agreed upon process to ensure that The City’s concerns with the plans being proposed are addressed. Because these plans were not circulated for our review prior to first reading, we must ensure we have ample time to work through the issues before they are approved as statutory documents. Starting this process gives us the time we need to do this work.”
The City’s main concerns are with a lack of clarity within the plans and that the planning documents:
· limit The City’s ability to effectively plan for and achieve future balanced growth;
· create the potential for conflicting permitted land uses within the urban fringe area that will result in fragmented future growth;
· propose population and density numbers that do not appear to warrant the large amount of land being sterilized from future city development;
· do not address the impact that major development will have on city infrastructure and community services;
· do not address the impact that major development will have on traffic and regional transportation infrastructure; and
· do not address the ability to service potential development to urban standards for water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage.
“Our first accountability is to our community. We must protect the vitality and health of our city, a responsibility that extends to ensuring that development on our boundaries will not negatively impact the economic, social and environmental well being of our citizens and businesses,” said Van Wyk.
“We are trying to ensure logical, sound, cooperative development on our urban fringe, not only to facilitate the planned expansion of the city of Red Deer, but to protect our residents and businesses from being adversely impacted. We are not trying to constrain County growth, and we don’t want County growth to constrain us,” added Van Wyk. “This is The City’s last opportunity to ensure that planning documents that will have a major impact on development at our boundaries do not jeopardize the future growth of our community.”
Council’s consideration of further dispute resolution processes follows the recent initiation of dispute with the Piper Creek Business Park Ltd. Outline Plan. Until these dispute resolution processes are complete, Red Deer County will not be able to proceed with approval of the Piper Creek Business Park Ltd. Outline Plan, the Red Deer County Municipal Development Plan, the Red Deer County Land Use Bylaw, and the Springbrook and Gasoline Alley Major Area Structure Plan.
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For more information, please contact:
Norbert Van Wyk Morris Flewwelling
City Manager Mayor
The City of Red Deer The City of Red Deer
403-342-8154 403-342-8154
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