ASP and Land Use

[cakadu]

Emrald, you are probably the one to initiate a response to this question.

What relationship does an area structure plan have with land use?

What sorts of things do you have to be aware of when it comes to an ASP? How do decisions get made on them?

Thanks

[Muttley]

Municipalities usually develop ASP's for Hamlets within their boundaries. The ASP is basically a road map on how development will occur in a certain area. Private developers are usually required to provide ASP's for any multi-lot development or country residential development etc.
The planning commission will see the ASP as will council if the land is being rezoned. Council or the planning commission can adopt the ASP as it is or make suggested or required changes. In some instances the Development Officer or Director of Planning as the case may be can approve the ASP depending on how much discretion they have in approval of development.
ASP's can change over time, as development pressures arise. In one case that I am familiar with, two developers jointly presented an ASP to council for two areas of a hamlet. Council required some changes and approved one portion of the ASP but the other was sent back to the developer to make some adjustments regarding the provision of services etc.
The developer chose to abort his development plans until a couple of years ago. The county at that time decided that they would take responsibility for the ASP, which now has a much wider scope than the original. The County has included lands in a wide buffer around the hamlet which will be sterilized from any livestock operations etc. I contacted the Development officer and advised him that there was already a feedlot within his buffer zone, so he might want to rethink the boundaries of the ASP. I called three members of council to explain my concerns with it and the ASP was thrown out at second reading, but an amended version is currently being proposed.
Long winded answer but hopefully some of it was valuable.

[Muttley]

Geez Linda, I forgot the important info. ASP's will include roadways, parks, utility lines and water line corridors, fire hydrants and access onto main streets, roadways etc.
If the development requires highway access the ASP must be referred to AB Transportation for approval by their engineering department.
The local Fire Chief or Director of Emergency Services will have input into an ASP as well, to ensure that emergency vehicle access is in order.
Utility companies such as the local gas co-op may have input as well.
ASP's will usually require a public hearing, so once the public has made their comments or suggestions for amendments, that may have to be incorporated into the ASP.

[cakadu]

We had an interesting discussion at a meeting that I was at regarding some of the land use issues, sterilizing areas and calling dam reservoirs lakes, which puts a whole new slant to them in terms of use etc.

I keep hearing more and more about what happened at the Land Use Conference a couple of weeks back and the more I hear, the more I am sorry that I didn't get to it.

I keep wondering how municipalities can justify the subdivision growth etc., when in reality it can cost far more to maintain the infrastrucutre like sewer, water than the municipality can collect in taxes and such. If it costs you a dollar to put the services in and $1.50 to maintain them, is that money well spent?

What about the fact that by putting in buffers and sterilized areas, they in effect take away some of my development rights? Now, I may not have any intention of developing my land, but should I arbitrarily have that right taken away from me? I also have to consider that if I can get far more to develop the land than it will ever give me growing sheep, grain, cattle, apples or saskatoons, then what will the incentives be to "convince" me that I should keep the land in it's natural state.

I see this as becoming such a huge social problem and not just something that a landowner in a specific area must deal with.

With an ASP, what social or human aspects are taken into consideration i.e. the values in a community that are negotiable and the values that are also non-negotiable.

To me this is an issue that many in rural areas should or even need to become informed about. What would you recommend, or what have you seen happen, in terms of getting people involved?

[cakadu]

Linda, Municipal Development Plans must take into consideration future growth, recreational areas, institutional land requirements etc. ( schools, hospitals etc.) as well as future growth patterns the municipality wants to achieve.
Land Use By-Laws is the rule book on the way the above development can occur. Area Structure Plans are smaller versions of the road map for specific areas.
I will cite one case that happened when I was on council. A developer came to council requesting rezoning of a parcel to expand a country residential sub-division.
The superintendent of Public Works and the Fire Chief felt there was need for exit route through one area of the development so that in the event of an emergency, vehicles could enter or exit by more than one route.
The developer didn't want to add another roadway to his ASP, but after realizing that the majority of council would not approve it without the additional roadway he agreed and worked with public works to address design etc.

Most ASP's require the developer to build roads, curb and gutters if required etc., and install municipal services. In areas that are not adjacent to hamlets or uban centres, the municipality may require holding tanks for sewage vs traditional sewage fields etc.
In some areas the municipality may require the developer to install a special hydrant which enables the fire department to have access to water in the event of a fire.
Many municipalities require an ASP for more than three parcels out of a quarter of land. This provides adjacent landowners an opportuniy for input.

In all cases municipalities have the option of taking municipal reserve lands or cash in lieu of same at the time of subdivision, so ASP's usually must include a potential use for Municpal Reserve Lands. Usually a park is included in an ASP if there is to be multilot development.

[cakadu]

Linda, another issue you mentioned is buffer areas. Buffers are usually included as a means to separate two differing land uses within an ASP. For instance, if an ASP includes both country residential parcels and conventional sized lots, a buffer may be included, which could take the form of a treed walkway or some such division between the two uses.
Sterilization of lands for development may be caused by environmental reserve lands which are in close proximity to a creek, river or ravine. Any area that is considered unstable for development etc. may be what you would refer to as sterlized. Land in a certain set back from developments such as land fills is also sterilized for development. Airport vicinity lands have development restrictions etc., but these are not necessarily within an ASP.

[cakadu]

What, if any difference, is there between an ASP and an ARP (what does it stand for?)

I had an interesting discussion today about the value of recreational land. I'll pose the same question/statement here: If the only value we see for a recreational area is to develop it, then what sort of footprint are we going to leave?

The proposed development around Sylvan Lake and the recommendations/permits allowed by the County of Lacombe are going to set the precedent for what happens in the future around recreational areas.

[cakadu]

Linda ASP's are for the purpose of indicating what the development of an area will include. ARP's are for the purpose of preserving buildings in an area, or rehabilitating buildings in an area or removing buildings in an area etc. so an ARP refers to already developed areas.