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1. Why is the Joint Planning Initiative (JPI) being undertaken?
The City and the County are pioneering a new type of Intermunicipal planning that involves identifying long-range land uses, servicing, and transportation corridors for the Red Deer region, which includes lands identified as future City growth areas and lands that will remain in the County.
The Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) calls for the preparation of a major area structure plan covering the entire IDP area. The Joint Planning Initiative (JPI) will result in a document that is incorporated into an appropriate plan or series of plans as required by the IDP.
The JPI will continue to refine and implement the IDP’s establishment of a broad growth framework and set of policies. It will provide land-use planning direction between The City and the County for three sub-areas:
- The City growth area (future annexation area)
- The collaborative area
- The County lands beyond the IDP boundary
2. How does the Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) boundary fit with the JPI?
The IDP between the County and The City covers the City growth area and the collaborative planning area. There is a large area of county land beyond the collaborative planning area that is also included in the JPI.
3. The IDP called for a major area structure plan; is the JPI an area structure plan? Does it make a difference?
The JPI is the process that will be undertaken to plan the area. The results of the JPI will be incorporated into an appropriate plan or series of plans. These may be amendments to the IDP and/or new area structure plans. The finalized plan(s) will be put forward for formal adoption as a statutory document.
4. How will the study be organized?
The JPI is studying, at a high level, all the principal influences on land uses identified in the IDP. The consultant team is working with a steering committee made up of City and County staff. They are assessing areas of common land-use planning interest, long-range planning principles, infrastructure and services provision (including opportunities for cooperation), the sequence of development, and possible interim or transitional uses.
The consultant team has already solicited public and stakeholder input through a series of open houses, visioning sessions, and meetings with stakeholder groups. This will assist in forming the content of a draft document, which will then be reviewed and refined with City and County staff before submission to City and County Councils for review.
5. Why are there three different areas?
The three areas encompass the city growth area, County rural lands, and a transitional area that is between them.
The growth area is slated for future urban expansion of the city through annexation. The policies developed for this area will reflect the urban development expected to take place as the city expands. The county lands are considered more typical of a rural agricultural environment, with policies developed accordingly. The collaborative area is comprised of land influenced by both the growth area and the county area.
6. What major issues does the JPI have to address in each area?
The growth area
Planning within the growth area will address the need for orderly development as the city of Red Deer expands. The JPI will work to limit fragmentation of lands in the growth area and preserve them in an undeveloped state until urban development can occur.
The collaborative area
Planning within the collaborative area will be challenging due to the transitional nature of the zone between the urban and rural land uses. The JPI will examine interim and long-term proposals for use of lands within these areas.
The county area
Planning within the county area will result in policies that address the best use of land within the rural setting. It will address preservation of a high quality agricultural land-base, in conjunction with the possible introduction of other land uses where appropriate, such as country residential development that is based on a conservation design approach. Sustainability, land stewardship, and provision of adequate services will also be considered as part of planning for the county area.
7. How will approved area structure plans be treated?
Existing area structure plans are still statutory documents and will continue to be enforced until an appropriate joint plan or series of plans based on the Joint Planning Initiative is adopted, as per the IDP. Existing area structure plans within the identified areas can be implemented.
Once the appropriate plan or series of plans is adopted, each municipality can prepare, adopt, and administer neighbourhood area structure plans; local or industrial area structure plans; concept plans; outline plan proposals; amendments or land-use redesignations; and subdivision or development permit applications that are consistent with the result of the JPI. At that time, each municipality must amend or repeal any existing area structure plan, concept plan, or outline plan that is not in compliance with the results of the JPI.
8. Will residents be able to develop their land?
The IDP states that “until the adoption of a major area structure plan (Joint Planning Initiative) for an area, existing area structure plans shall be implemented and existing concept plans and outline plans shall be considered. Unless otherwise agreed to by the County and The City, consideration of the following types of applications shall be deferred until the adoption of a major area structure plan for an area:
- additional area structure plans, concept plans or outline plans, except those outline plans that are required to implement existing area structure plans;
- redesignation applications that are inconsistent with existing area structure plans; and
- amendments to existing area structure plans, concept plans or outline plans.
Specifically excluded from these prohibitions are redesignation applications to allow for first parcel out subdivisions within the Collaborative Planning Areas and Agriculture or Open Space Area.
Simply stated, this means that any development prior to the completion of the JPI must conform to an approved existing area structure plan. However, there is the ability under the policy to consider variations to the policy framework if felt desirable by both The City and the County.
9. Is Gasoline Alley part of the JPI?
No. Gasoline Alley, which will remain part of the County, was planned separately under the draft Springbrook and Gasoline Alley Major Area Structure Plan. However, certain aspects of the JPI, such as the ring road may, impact the Gasoline Alley area, but the actual plans and designs for this area are contained in their own reports.
10. What about the high speed rail concept? Will it be addressed in the JPI?
There will be consideration for a possible high speed rail link running through the plan area and potentially servicing the Red Deer region; however, approval of this service is a Provincial matter. The decision-making process regarding this transportation system will be carefully monitored, but the plan will not advocate the development of this service, only proactively provide for the potential of such a service if it becomes a reality.
11. How can the public get involved in the JPI?
Public and stakeholder participation is a key part of the JPI. The consultant team has solicited public and stakeholder input through a series of open houses, visioning sessions, and meetings with stakeholder groups and will seek additional comments when the draft IDP is prepared.
The input received from these previous public consultations has been summarized and made available through the County’s and City’s web sites.
In mid-October, two more public meetings were expected to be held. Based on that process and the scope of this planning exercise, the draft plan is taking longer than expected to complete. The public consultation on the draft plan is now expected to be held in 2009.
This meeting, for which specific dates and locations have yet to be finalized, will provide opportunities for the public to review and comment on the land-use policies the consultant team will have drafted at this point. The input received from the public will be used to revise the draft policies and develop final ones for review by the County and City Councils.
Similar to the previous meetings, the input received from these two latter meetings will be summarized in a report that will be posted on the County’s and City’s web sites.
12. When will the JPI be complete and presented to Council?
The JPI is now expected to wrap up in 2009. The resulting plan(s) will be reviewed by the administrations of both municipalities and, after any required revisions, forwarded to both Councils for review and subsequent adoption.
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