New MDP given the go ahead

Times Reporter      

 

The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) came back to town council at the April 16 meeting to gain final approval. Senior planner Pat Maloney spoke about the MDP and highlighted some of the major changes happening in the new document. 

The MDP had last been adopted in 1998, and at that time the population was just over 6,000 people. Since then the town has annexed 18.5-quarter sections of land, and now has a population of approximately 13,000 and is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP). Maloney said the town has invested heavily for infrastructure for the future, and she thinks the Strathmore is poised for growth.

“The major changes from the 1998 document include the inclusion of non-industrial lands on the south side of the highway. Previously councils felt that the inclusion of residential and non-industrial lands on the south side of the Trans Canada Highway might not be compatible with a major primary highway,” said Maloney.

She said Airdrie is an example where the highway divides the community but with Alberta Transportation’s plan to re-route the highway that will allow Highway 1 to be possibly turned into Highway 1A and become a major arterial road. Because of that, the land south of the highway has now become suitable for a non-industrial infrastructure so the planners are proposing a combination of residential, commercial, public institutional and a little bit of industrial land. Maloney said this greatly increases the opportunities for the town, but admits there will be challenges. 

“Another change from the 1998 plan is we are proposing secondary suites in this Municipal Development Plan and as well that will be reflected in the future amendments to the Land Use Bylaw,” said Maloney.

“What we are proposing is very controlled, very legalized secondary suites, but secondary suites have been found in other urban centre’s to provide an alternative housing form.”

She said secondary suites provide, generally, affordable housing options and can help people pay their own mortgage, or to keep aging parents close, or possibly keep a handicapped child close to home but with a level of independence. A secondary suite can also be both a suite inside the house, or it can be a detached unit outside over the garage. 

The CRP has also provided direction to increase density. 

“Increased density are good for a number of reasons in they make better use of the infrastructure, they make better use of the land. It has the opportunity of providing more affordable housing, more variety in housing. The Calgary Metropolitan Plan asks for a density of between eight to 10 units per gross acre and that’s what we’re trying to achieve,” said Maloney.

“Wetland protection is another thing that has become paramount in provincial minds in the last few years. The provincial regulations require, first of all any wetlands that are actually in title to the Crown to be protected, they also require any significant wetlands to be protected.

“If it is a lesser significant wetland it can be modified and in some cases it can be filled in and compensation paid. Provincial preference is to maintain wetlands wherever possible.”

The town did a wetland study a few years ago, and had to update for the MDP because the wetland site didn’t include all of the annexed lands. Wetlands can be worked into stormwater management plans, they can’t be the first fore bay but they can be worked into the plan. The identification of wetlands and how they will be treated is new. 

Council was asked to make one amendment before giving third reading to the bylaw, and that was to make sure a strip of land, which is identified as open space in the current plan, be designated for highway commercial. 

Council gave the MDP all three readings, along with approval of the proposed amendment.