CARSTAIRS - Carstairs and Mountain View County councils have each given first reading to the proposed Carstairs Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) and set Feb. 10 as the date for a joint public hearing.
The proposed new IDP would replace the existing 2007.
The purpose of the plan is to document the policies and processes that the county and the town have agreed upon to coordinate planning matters such as future land uses, changes in municipal boundaries, environmental matters, transportation and infrastructure planning.
It also provides for ongoing dialogue, decision making and, if necessary, resolution of any points of disagreement.
Work on the updated plan started in 2019 and takes into account changes to the provincial Municipal Government Act and changes to the long-range planning of the county and the town.
“The update was prepared jointly by the county and town staff and assisted by Urban Systems under the direction of county and town council members appointed to the intermunicipal collaboration committee,” county administration said in a briefing note to council.
The proposed updated plan includes a number of key changes, including the following:
• The areas included in the IDP, and subject to its policies, has been updated. It excludes lands in the town and includes only those lands in the county necessary to coordinate land use, infrastructure and future urban expansion.
• The intermunicipal planning commission and the intermunicipal subdivision and development appeal board for the IDP area have been eliminated in favour of focused discussion on planning policy decision and land use bylaw amendment decisions.
• Specific long-term uses are not assigned in the IDP and are to be determined through the county’s municipal development plan.
• More direction has been added to assist in the evaluation of future annexations.
The complete proposed IDP is available for viewing the county and Town of Carstairs websites.
