March 1, 2005
(Red Deer, Alberta) –The City of Red Deer will begin the process to annex lands west of Highway 2 from county jurisdiction into city jurisdiction in order to accommodate future urban industrial growth. After reviewing findings from The City's 2004 Growth Study, Council gave their go-ahead for The City to proceed with drafting an initial annexation proposal.
"Exceptionally strong growth in recent years means that our inventory of available land for future development has quickly depleted," said Bryon Jeffers, Director of Development Services, The City of Red Deer. "Red Deer's supply of residential, commercial and industrial lands has been absorbed by the market much faster than previous growth studies predicted. Most pressing is our shortage of industrial land."
Strong land sales and Central Alberta's booming economy have caused The City's current industrial land supply to come close to depletion. Projections indicate that there is less than a one year land supply remaining. The City will look to bring its industrial reserve closer to a 20 to 30 year supply as mandated by its Intermunicipal Development Plan.
"The 2004 Growth Study, which was conducted in cooperation with Red Deer County, provides us with a clear picture of where we are currently at as well as what we can anticipate for the future," said Jeffers. "With this up-to-date information and with an in-depth evaluation of each prospective growth area, we can be confident that we are proceeding in the right direction and in a manner that will benefit our region as a whole."
With Council's consent to proceed, The City will work on drafting an annexation proposal to share with the Intermunicipal Affairs Committee and Red Deer County. The proposal, which will follow annexation requirements listed in the City-County Intermunicipal Development Plan and the Municipal Government Act, will outline a number of details. These include a description of the land to be annexed, proposed phasing, provision of services and rationale for annexation. The document will also set out the proposed process for annexation and public consultation.
"We have already been in conversation with the County regarding the potential annexation of these lands for industrial purposes," said Jeffers. "Continued communication with the County, along with extensive communication with affected landowners and other key stakeholders, will take place throughout the process as we work to ensure that this is a positive process for all."
The City recently completed a residential annexation process, and in July 2004, incorporated four new areas from county jurisdiction to city jurisdiction for residential purposes. As annexation does not involve a change in land ownership, only a change in boundary, any lands annexed by The City remain under the ownership of private land owners.
Consideration of the 2004 Growth Study was tabled until March 14, 2005 to allow Council additional time to review the study.
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For more information, please contact:
Bryon Jeffers
Director of Development Services
The City of Red Deer
(403) 342-8158
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