Wessex Area Structure Plan

Please be advised that on December 1, 2010 Mountain View County Council made the following motion:

"That Council request that the SE Sundre Area Structure Plan, Wessex Area Structure Plan and Water Valley/Winchell Lake Area Structure Plan be placed on hold until the completion of the Municipal Development Plan Review; and further, that an update on the process and timelines initiating the Area Structure Plans be brought back to Council to the first Council Meeting in September, 2011."

Accordingly, the Wessex Area Structure Plan project is on hold until the review of the Municipal Development Plan has been completed.

Should you have questions or concerns, please contact Tracey Connatty at 403-335-3311 or MVC Division 1 Councillor Kevin Good.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background
As part of the 2010 budget, Council approved the development of the Carstairs Growth Centre Area Structure Plan (to be renamed Wessex Area Structure Plan). Cam Lang, a planning consultant with McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd., has been hired to assist with the Wessex Area Structure Plan project. Mr. Lang was also the consultant for the South McDougal Flats ASP and as such has a strong understanding and knowledge of the County's bylaws and policies. The County is pleased to be working with Mr. Lang again on the Wessex ASP project.

The Carstairs Growth Centre was identified in the County's Municipal Development Plan (adopted in 2007). The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) identified several growth centres in the County so that agricultural lands would be protected from development pressures and uncontrolled sprawl. It is the County's intent that future growth and development will be concentrated and accommodated in these identified growth centers. In order to accommodate this growth and development, an Area Structure Plan is needed for this area. The ASP will provide land owners and developers with information regarding the amount and type of development that may be considered appropriate within the plan area. Additional information on ASP's (including what an ASP is, what is to be included in an ASP, and what is the purpose of an ASP) can be found on the County's website at: http://www.mountainviewcounty.com/asp

There is a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) in place between the Town of Carstairs and Mountain View County. Together, these documents form the basis for intermunicipal cooperation dealing with capital financing and operating costs as well as future growth and development considerations. These documents will be an important consideration when preparing the Wessex Area Structure Plan. To view these documents click on the following: MOA / IDP.

Wessex Area Structure Plan Steering Committee
To begin the Wessex ASP project a Steering Committee has been formed and the initial meeting was held on June 24, 2010. The Steering Committee is comprised of five (5) Public Members at Large, three (3) Mountain View County Councillors, one (1) Councillor from the town of Carstairs. The Steering Committee is supported by the consultant and staff members from Mountain View County.

A full list of the Steering Committee Members is found below:
Robin Fair Public Member - Chair
Lynn Clark Public Member - Vice Chair
Wayne Poffenroth - Public Member
Ben Thorlakson - Public Member
Al Fox - Public Member
Rick Blair - Town of Carstairs Councillor
Kevin Good - MVC Councillor
Duncan Milne - MVC Councillor
Paddy Munro - MVC Reeve

List of Staff Resources:
Diana Hawryluk, MVC - Director of Planning & Development
Tracey Connatty, MVC - Planner
Sara McCartney, MVC - Planner Intern
Ken Bellamy, MVC - Manager of Infrastructure Support Services
Steve McInnis, MVC - Director of Operations
Cam Lang, McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. - Consultant

The Project Dates and Timelines:
The Wessex Area Structure Plan is scheduled to be completed in four phases:
Phase 1 - Generate Ideas and Background Research
Phase 2 - Plan Preparation
Phase 3 - Plan Review
Phase 4 - Final Plan Approval

Public input is welcome and needed during all phases of the ASP development in order to create a community document. During key stages of the ASP development, public meetings will be held to obtain public input. The first public meeting was held on August 31, 2010 at the Carstairs Community Hall. It was the intent of this public meeting to provide initial input to Wessex ASP Steering Committee and assist with issue identification, boundary identification and contribute to the initial analysis of this region. If you were unable to attend this meeting, please see the meeting materials below. A survey was part of the meeting materials distributed at that meeting and was also subsequently mailed to all landowners. To view survey results click the following: SWOT Opportunities / SWOT Threats / SWOT Strengths / SWOT Weaknesses

The second public meeting ("Community Visioning Session") for the Wessex Area Structure Plan was held on November 9, 2010 at the Carstairs Community Hall.

Approximately 35 members of the public attended to share their ideas and thoughts for the Wessex Area Structure Plan.

Click here for more details regarding the meeting.

Click here to view presentation from pubic meeting.

The following is a list of all meeting dates for Phase 1 of the Wessex ASP project (subject to change).
June 24, 2010 - Steering Committee Meeting - Mountain View County Office - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Agenda / Minutes

August 31, 2010 - Public Meeting - Carstairs Community Hall - 6:00 p.m.

• Presentation
• Survey/Comment Sheet

September 17, 2010 - Steering Committee Meeting - Mountain View County Office - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Agenda/Minutes

November 9, 2010 - Public Meeting - Carstairs Community Hall - 6:00 p.m.

• Presentation

November 26, 2010- Steering Committee Meeting - Mountain View County Office - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Agenda/Minutes

All members of the public are welcome to attend both the Steering Committee Meetings as well as the Public Meetings. Meeting minutes and project updates will be posted on the County website.