Municipal Development Plan

Framework for Strategic Growth

As a thriving community in the heart of central Alberta, strategic growth is a priority. Mountain View County's Planning and Development Department is resourced to guide development in the County to ensure a balance between quality rural living and urban sophistication in terms of infrastructure and convenience. The County's Municipal Development Plan (MDP) was revised in 2007, and serves as the framework for planning and development decisions in the County, addressing important issues to guide key land use priorities for the County. These include:

• The needs within the County relative to industrial, residential and recreational use
• The importance of agriculture as a key economic and cultural engine
• Maintaining a rural quality of life
• Stimulating business and residential growth
• The vital need for diversity in land use
• Environmental stewardship as a means of sustainability
• Infrastructure to support continued growth and development
• The enormous diversity within the County boundaries in terms of land use and infrastructure

Municipal Development Plan

Mountain View County Council passed revisions to the Municipal Development Plan (MDP)during the October 3, 2007 Special Regular Council Meeting, giving third reading to MDP Bylaw 17/07. On June 3, 2009, further amendments were made to the MDP under Bylaw 06/09. The consolidated Schedule A of Bylaw 17/07 as below includes all current information.

Municipal Development Plan Bylaw 17/07

• A bylaw of Mountain View County to adopt the Municipal Development Plan
• Bylaw 06/09 amending MDP Bylaw 17/07
• NEW - Bylaw 21/09 amended MDP Bylaw 17/07
• NEW - Bylaw 17/07 Schedule A - Consolidated November 25, 2009
• Design Guidelines & General Construction Specification (Please note- Very Large File - 22.82 MB)

Background

The establishment of a new MDP- the framework for planning and development decisions in Mountain View County- was identified as a major priority by Council in September of 2005. With the review process beginning in January, 2006; a new draft MDP bylaw was brought forward by the County and consultant EBA Planning Services for review by County residents, neighbouring rural and urban municipalities, Government agencies and stakeholders.

As a part of the public consultation process for the MDP, Council held a series of four open houses each in the fall off 2006 and spring, 2007. An additional four workshops on the MDP were held in June 2007 to gather public feedback on the proposed MDP. After a number of alterations incorporating input from all the public sessions, the draft MDP was taken to Council and given first reading in August 2007. Two public hearings were held in September, 2007 to solicit additional public input on the proposed MDP bylaw. Following the closure of the public hearing Council met two consecutive weeks to discuss final changes to the document and incorporated suggested public and staff changes where appropriate. Council approved the new Municipal Development Plan bylaw on Oct. 3.

Documents from the MDP revision process:

• UPDATE- Letters submitted to Council- September 11
• Staff edits to MDP Draft- Given to Council on Sept. 19
• Letters submitted to September 11 & 19, 2007 MDP Public Hearings
• Revised Municipal Development Plan Draft - August, 2007
• Mountain View County Strategic Directions Plan Draft Version - August, 2007 - The intent of this document is to provide the context for the development of a number of the concepts within the MDP in order to understand how the MDP and other plans and policies will work together.
• MDP Exit Survey Summary- Workshop June, 2007
• MDP Exit Survey Summary- May, 2007
• 2007 Open House Presentation - Click here for a copy.
• Previous Municipal Development Plan- Aug. 2004 to Oct. 2007

"We took it to the people many times with three rounds of public discussion, a public hearing that took two days of public input, and two days of Council deliberation," says Reeve Al Kemmere.
"I believe we now have a forward-thinking, living document that will guide a development in Mountain View County for a few years."

What does this mean for developers?

The new MDP document will come into effect as of October 3, 2007. This means all subdivision and re-designation applications received on or after October 3, 2007 which have not been processed, will be evaluated using the goals, objectives and policies of the new MDP Bylaw No. 17/07. In addition, all applications received prior to October 3, 2007 which have not been processed shall be evaluated using the goals, objectives and policies of the old MDP Bylaw No. 26/04.

Key Points from the newly approved Municipal Development Plan regarding Agricultural and Residential Development:

Agricultural Land Use Policies

• The base density of the Agricultural Land Use District is one (1) titled lot per quarter section.
• The minimum parcel size for a new agricultural parcel shall be 8.09 hectares (20 acres).
• A farmstead separation, considered may be subdivided from a previously un-subdivided quarter section, where the farmstead has been in existence for 10 years or more.
• The maximum parcel size for farmstead separations shall be 4.05 hectares (10 acres); with a minimum parcel size of 0.8 hectares (2 acres).
• A Country Residential parcel may be permitted from an un-subdivided quarter subject to re-designation and subdivision in lieu of an agricultural parcel or farmstead separation. The maximum size shall be 3 acres. Larger lots may be considered where setbacks, topography and easements prevent the creation of a reasonable building envelope.

Residential Land Use Policies

• Low density residential subdivision/development clusters of up to four (4) titled lots, retaining the balance of the quarter as the fifth (5) title, may be supported adjacent to roads identified on the County Collector Network (CCN). Individual water and septic systems approved by Alberta Environment will be permitted. Paving of internal and roads leading to the CCN should be paved.
• High density rural residential development, with a density between six (6) and 80 lots per quarter section may be supported within an identified growth centre. A communal water and sewer system shall be provided by the developer, and all internal and roads leading to the development shall be paved.
• High Density Residential development proposals not located in a growth centre, may be considered and assessed on the individual merits of the application, and only if supported by an Area Structure Plan.
• The establishment of secondary suites may be considered within all residential and agricultural areas of MVC.