MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Mountain View County and the Town of Olds councils have approved a new intermunicipal development plan (IDP) between the municipalities.
The approval came by way of motions from both councils following a joint public hearing held by teleconference on Nov. 25.
The plan allows the town to move forward with the planned annexation of three quarter sections of land to the northeast of the town, at 4-33-1-W5M, along with a one mile portion of Rge. Rd. 13 and a quarter mile portion of Rge. Rd 14.
The annexation application will now be formally submitted to the provincial Municipal Government Board for consideration, said Town of Olds chief administrative officer Michael Merritt.
The plan replaces the 2007 IDP between the county and town.
The overall purpose of the plan is to document policies and processes the municipalities have agreed 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 the resolution of any points of disagreement.
Work on the updated plan was started in 2018, and was overseen by county and town councillors appointed to the intermunicipal collaboration committee.
Areas specially covered by the plan are broken into five policy areas: short-term annexation, urban fringe, agriculture growth area, college area, and referral area.
Key changes that have been made include the following:
• The area included in the IDP, and subject to its policies, has been updated. It excludes most of the lands in the town and includes only those lands in the county necessary to coordinate land uses, 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 decisions such as area structure plan and land use bylaw amendment decisions;
• More direction has been added regarding coordination between the county, town and Olds College with respect to the college owned lands;
• Two agricultural growth areas, which will remain in the county, have been added at the existing rail sidings north and south of Olds to ensure these lands are available for agriculture-related shipping facilities and supporting industries;
• Specific long-term land uses are not assigned in the IDP and are to be determined through the town’s and county’s respective municipal development plans and area structure plans;
• Consideration of the appearance along entrance corridors in the IDP area by both municipalities has been added;
• The referrals process no longer includes a requirement for circulation of development permit applications;
• 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.
