DIDSBURY — Town and Mountain View County councils have both given first reading to an updated inter-municipal development plan (IDP), which is an overarching document that deals with matters such as land use and infrastructure planning.
The first readings were given during the Didsbury council meeting on June 22 and during the county meeting on June 23.
Last updated in 2007, the plan outlines the policies and processes the two municipalities have agreed upon to coordinate planning matters such as future land uses, change in municipal boundaries, environmental matters, transportation and infrastructure planning.
It also provides for ongoing dialogue, decision making and resolution of any points of disagreement.
Work on the updated plan started in 2019 to bring it into compliance with the updated provincial Municipal Government Act.
County and town councillors make up the inter-municipal collaboration committee, which has overseen the work on the updated plan. Proposed changes include the following:
• The inter-municipal planning commission and the inter-municipal subdivision and development appeal board for the IDP area have been eliminated in favour of focused discussion on planning policy decisions and land use bylaw amendment decisions.
• Specific long-term land uses are not assigned in the IDP and are to be determined through the county’s municipal development plan.
• The area 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 uses, infrastructure and future urban expansion.
• More direction has been added to assist in the evaluation of future annexations.
• Consideration of the appearance along entrance corridors in the IDP economic node within the referral area has been added.
• Use of municipal water and/or wastewater services for development of lands in the county is no longer mandatory and the option to extend these services remains.
The joint public hearing for the updated plan will be held at 1 p.m. on July 14 at the county office and via Zoom.
