Edmonton Metropolitan Region Planning Toolkit Re-imagine. Plan. Build. Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan 1.0 INTRODUCTION On October 26, 2017, the Government of Alberta approved the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan (the Growth Plan) pursuant to Section 708.1 of the Municipal Government Act. The Growth Plan provides a compelling vision, guiding principles and six interrelated regional policy areas to guide growth and development of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region over the next 30 years. The Growth Plan places an emphasis on responsible growth through minimizing the expansion of the urban footprint, integrating land use and infrastructure decisions, building resilient, adaptable and complete communities, ensuring the Region s transportation systems are interconnected and support economic prosperity, while protecting the environment and encouraging the growth of the agriculture sector. The Regional Evaluation Framework (REF) is the principal means through which the Growth Plan is implemented by Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB) member municipalities. The following is a section by section guide of the REF document and it is intended that this guide be read in conjunction with the REF. 2.0 PURPOSE The REF is a review and approval process that is designed to ensure that the new statutory plans and statutory plan amendments of EMRB member municipalities are consistent with the principles and policies of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. The REF was established concurrently with Provincial approval of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan pursuant to Ministerial Order (M.O.) MSL: 111/17 on October 26, 2017. The M.O. requires member municipalities of the EMRB to submit statutory planning documents that meet the submission criteria for EMRB approval. Statutory plans in the Municipal Government Act are defined as Intermunicipal Development Plans (IDPs), Municipal Development Plans (MDPs), Area Structure Plans (ASPs) and Area Redevelopment Plans (ARPs). Statutory plans are the framework for the future growth and development of a municipality. By assessing the statutory plans of member municipalities the EMRB can be confident that the principles and policies of the Growth Plan are being implemented across the Region in a consistent manner. The REF process can also be used by the Board to approve proposals that are not consistent with the Growth Plan. While the primary purpose of the process is to assess plans for conformance with the Growth Plan, municipalities may use the process to present (or bring forward) proposals that are not consistent with the Growth Plan due to unique or extenuating circumstances, or to promote innovative planning and design that will benefit the Region. 3.0 DEFINITIONS The Definitions section clarifies that the definitions contained in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board Regulation (the Regulation) and words defined in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan shall be given the same meaning for the purposes of the Regional Evaluation Framework. Page 1 of 9
4.0 STATUTORY PLAN REFERRAL BY MUNICIPALITY Whenever a municipality is considering a new statutory plan or statutory plan amendment it must review the submission criteria in the REF to determine if the proposed plan or amendment must be submitted to the EMRB for approval. Only those statutory plans and statutory plan amendments that meet the submission criteria in the REF must be referred to the EMRB. Submission Criteria The submission criteria are outlined in three sections of the REF: 4.1 New Statutory Plans; 4.2 Amendments to Statutory Plans; and 4.3 Statutory Plan Consolidations and Housekeeping Bylaws. 4.1 New Statutory Plans The New Statutory Plans section has submission criteria for any proposed new statutory plan. A new statutory plan is a proposed statutory plan for lands that are currently not subject to that type of statutory plan, and any proposed statutory plan bylaw whose purpose and intent is to repeal and/or replace an existing statutory plan through the adoption of a new or updated statutory plan. For example: A new Municipal Development Plan for a municipality that has never had an MDP. A proposed Municipal Development Plan that replaces the current MDP in a municipality. A proposed Area Structure Plan for a new neighbourhood in a Greenfield Area. A proposed new Area Structure Plan that replaces an old ASP that was never developed or was started but is being substantially changed and/or updated to accommodate an evolving development environment and the old ASP is being repealed rather than amended. Note that a bylaw to consolidate statutory plan amendments is not considered a proposed new statutory plan and is addressed under section 4.3 of the REF. Statutory plans are the primary planning documents of municipalities. Having a regional view on the plans is an important means of ensuring alignment of local level policies with the regional policies in the Growth Plan. In this regard, section 4.1 of the REF states that all new statutory plans must be referred to the EMRB for approval except for three specific Area Structure Plans: a) a new Sub-Area Structure Plan that is subordinate to and consistent with its higher order Area Structure Plan or Area Redevelopment Plan; Sub-Area Structure Plan means an Area Structure Plan that is subordinate to a higher order Area Structure Plan. See REF Interpretive Guide 1 Sub-Area Structure Plans b) a new Area Structure Plan for country residential development within the zoned and/or designated country residential areas as depicted on Schedule 2: Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Structure to 2044 in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan; or, The Growth Plan identifies areas for country residential development based on current plans within member municipalities. Requiring additional oversight on areas already planned for what is essentially a single land use type is redundant. See REF Interpretive Guide 2 Country Residential Page 2 of 9
c) a new Area Structure Plan in a town or village with a population of less than 5000 that is consistent with the town or village Municipal Development Plan. The Growth Plan supports the use of an MDP for establishing the minimum greenfield density for a plan area for municipalities with a population of less than 5,000 and to satisfy the provisions and requirements of Policy 4.3.1. 4.2 Amendments to Statutory Plans The Amendments to Statutory Plans subsection outlines the submission criteria for any proposed amendments. Statutory plans are rarely static and unchanging. Communities evolve over time and so must the plans that chart their future growth and development. Further, the reasons for amending a statutory plan can be wide ranging. However, not all amendments will have regional implications or be related to regional policies. In this regard, the criteria have been carefully selected to identify only those amendments of regional substance for EMRB review and approval. The following table lists the criteria and includes a commentary describing the rationale for regional review of amendments that fall within the criteria: A municipality must refer to the Board any proposed amendment to a statutory plan that meets one or more of the following conditions: a) The proposed amendment to a Municipal Development Plan is pursuant to Chapter 5, section 5.1.3 of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan for the purpose of updating the Municipal Development Plan to conform to the Growth Plan. b) The proposed amendment to a Municipal Development Plan would result in the development of new country residential outside of zoned and/or designated country residential areas as depicted on Schedule 2: Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Structure to 2044 in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. c) The proposed statutory plan amendment would result in a change to the boundaries of an Area Structure Plan, Area Redevelopment Plan, Intermunicipal Development Plan, Urban Service Area, Growth Hamlet or Hamlet that is not designated a Growth Hamlet in a Municipal Development Plan where the boundary change includes a population gain of more than 200 and/or an increase in area of 32 ha or more in the Hamlet. d) The proposed statutory plan amendment is outside Downtown Edmonton, as depicted on Schedule 3A: Major Employment Areas in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan, and would result in the conversion of lands within a major employment area from major employment uses to non-employment uses and/or would result in a change to the boundaries of a major employment area. e) The effect of the proposed statutory plan amendment requires the extension and/or increase in the capacity of the Regional Water and Wastewater Lines, as identified on Schedule 8A: Infrastructure Corridors in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan, or to Regional Water or Wastewater treatment facilities. Commentary The Growth Plan requires that all MDP s be updated to comply with the new Growth Plan. There are two ways to go about complying with this requirement. Prepare a new MDP, which will require submission pursuant to Subsection 4.1, or amend a current MDP. This condition captures those proposals to amend a current MDP to comply with the Growth Plan. Policy 4.4.4 i) of the Growth Plan requires new CR development (in areas outside those already designated or zoned) to be submitted for REF. While the policy requires a new ASP for new CR development, which is covered under proposed section 4.1 of the REF, this condition covers instances where an MDP would have to be amended to support the new ASP or future intent to allow CR development. Revising the boundaries of a statutory plan, Urban Service Area or Hamlet is a signal of future growth. Ensuring the growth is undertaken in a responsible manner and is supported by infrastructure and amenities consistent with the Growth Plan requires a regional review. The Growth Plan designates vast areas for major employment activities. Projections indicate that the amount of land far exceeds the timeframe of the Growth Plan. Therefore, any proposal to expand the area or change the land use to non-employment must be understood within this context. Further, major employment areas have specific infrastructure needs. Therefore, if there is a proposal to expand an area, there is likely going to be significant investment in infrastructure and servicing. Reviewing the proposal at the regional level ensures the development aligns with the long term interests of the Region identified in the Growth Plan. One of the objectives of the Growth Plan, as stated in the Regulation, is to consider key future infrastructure investments that would best complement existing infrastructure, services and land uses in the Region. Therefore any proposal to extend or increase the capacity of regional servicing is likely going to require significant investment. Reviewing at the regional level ensures the development aligns with the long term planning of the Region identified in the Growth Plan and maximizes benefits to the Region as a whole. Page 3 of 9
f) The boundaries of the proposed amendment to the statutory plan are within 0.8 km of a pipeline corridor as depicted on Schedule 8B: Energy Corridors in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. g) The proposed statutory plan amendment results in a decrease of the planned density of the statutory plan area. h) The effect of the proposed statutory plan amendment requires improvements to a road identified on Schedule 10A: Transportation Systems Regional Roads to 2044 in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. i) The boundaries of the proposed amendment to the statutory plan intersect with a Recreation Trail Corridor as depicted on Schedule 10B: Transportation Systems Regional Transit and Trails to 2044 in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. j) The plan area of the proposed amendment to the statutory plan includes a Park and Ride or Planned LRT line or the boundaries of the proposed amendment to the statutory plan are within 0.8 km of a Park and Ride or Planned LRT line as identified on Schedule 10B: Transportation Systems Regional Transit and Trails to 2044 in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. k) The boundaries of the proposed statutory plan amendment are within 1.6 km of the boundaries of the Edmonton International Airport or the Alberta s Industrial Heartland Area Structure Plans in Sturgeon County, Lamont County, Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, and the Edmonton Energy and Technology Park in Edmonton. Critical to the Region s economic competitiveness is the planning and coordination of future pipeline corridors. These corridors are needed to provide efficient and cost-effective access into and out of the Region from petroleum producing sources. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the corridors are protected from incompatible development and that growth areas be reviewed and planned in conjunction with new alignments or changes to alignments and/or location of major regional infrastructure. See REF Interpretive Guide 3 Pipeline Corridors The Growth Plan sets minimum densities for urban communities throughout the Region. Increasing density supports the achievement of compact growth that optimizes infrastructure investment. It also reduces the consumption of prime agricultural land. While there may be a valid reason for a decrease in the planned density, understanding the context of a proposal requires a regional review to ensure the principles and policies of the Growth Plan are being maintained. One of the objectives of the Growth Plan is to consider key future infrastructure investments that would best complement existing infrastructure, services and land uses in the Region. Therefore, any proposal that requires improvements to the regional road network is going to have significant costs that are likely to be funded in whole or part through provincial dollars. A regional review ensures the investment aligns with the long term planning of the Region identified in the Growth Plan and maximizes benefits to the Region as a whole. See REF Interpretive Guide 4 Improvements to a Road The Growth Plan identifies a number of future studies and initiatives, one of which is the Integrated Regional Open Space Master Plan. The purpose of the plan is to identify a regional strategy to connect parks, open spaces, greenways and trails in the Region. Until the master plan is developed, the alignment of the TransCanada trail shown on Schedule 10B will be used to ensure that recreation corridors are incorporated into future plans. Park and Ride facilities and the LRT are integral components of the future intermunicipal regional transit system. They also provide opportunities for Transit Oriented Development and higher density mixed use initiatives, which are important in optimizing investment in infrastructure and creating complete, compact communities. A regional review ensures that development proposals maximize those opportunities in accordance with the Growth Plan. See REF Interpretive Guide 5 Park & Rides/LRT Corridors Alberta s Industrial Heartland and the Edmonton International Airport are recognized as two of the most important economic drivers of the Region. A regional review ensures that proposals in proximity to these developments are compatible and align with the long term planning of the Region identified in the Growth Plan and maximizes benefits to the Region as a whole. 4.3 Statutory Plan Consolidations and Housekeeping Bylaws The purpose of section 4.3 of the REF is to clarify that consolidation bylaws and housekeeping bylaws do not need to be submitted for REF review. Page 4 of 9
5.0 REFERRAL OF STATUTORY PLANS Submission Process Statutory plans or statutory plan amendments that meet one of the criteria above must be submitted to the EMRB for review and approval. Section 5.1 of the REF requires that it be submitted after receiving 1st reading but before receiving 3rd reading of the bylaw(s). The decision to submit the statutory plan before or after holding a public hearing on the bylaw(s) is solely at the discretion of the municipality. Section 5.2 outlines the information and documentation that must be included in the referral to the EMRB. a) the proposed statutory plan or statutory plan amendment bylaw; b) sufficient documentation to explain the statutory plan or statutory plan amendment; c) sufficient information to ensure that the statutory plan or statutory plan amendment can be evaluated pursuant to the evaluation criteria in Section 8.1; and d) a copy of the most recent amended plan without the proposed amendment. A more detailed list and explanation of the information and documentation to be submitted is provided in Appendix A REF Application Package Checklist. 6.0 BOARD ADMINISTRATION REVIEW Section 6.1 of the REF requires Board Administration to present a report and recommendation, to either approve or reject the statutory plan or statutory plan amendment, to the Board within 25 working days of the date on which the statutory plan or statutory plan amendment referral is deemed complete by the Board. See Appendix B EMRB Administrative Procedures for the Regional Evaluation Framework 7.0 BOARD REVIEW AND DECISION This section outlines the decision making process for the Board to follow on REF applications including voting procedures and who the Board must hear from prior to making a decision. See Appendix B EMRB Administrative Procedures for the Regional Evaluation Framework 8.0 EVALUATION OF A STATUTORY PLAN OR STATUTORY PLAN AMENDMENT Section 8.1 of the REF briefly describes the purpose and objective of evaluating a statutory plan or statutory plan amendment. In this regard, the approval and full implementation of the plan must be consistent with the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. To assist municipalities in preparing their statutory plans and/or statutory plan amendments the following table lists the policy areas and their objectives with an accompanying guiding statement which is intended to provide additional clarification of the objective and its policies. Page 5 of 9
Principles and Objectives Guiding Statement for each Objective Alignment and consistency with the objective and its policies means... Promote global economic competitiveness and regional prosperity. 1.1: Promote global economic competitiveness and diversification of the regional economy 1.2: Promote job growth and the competitiveness of the Region s employment base 1.3: Enhance competitiveness through the efficient movement of people, goods and services to, from and within the Region 1.4: Promote the livability and prosperity of the Region and plan for the needs of a changing population and workforce Protect natural living systems and environmental assets. 2.1: Conserve and restore natural living systems through an ecological network approach 2.2: Protect regional watershed health, water quality and quantity 2.3: Plan development to promote clean air, land and water and address climate change impacts 2.4: Minimize and mitigate the impacts of regional growth on natural living systems We will foster a diverse and innovative economy that builds upon our existing infrastructure and employment areas to achieve sustained economic growth and prosperity. supporting diversification through policy, ensuring a supply of land for employment growth and facilitating the development of infrastructure that accommodates a variety of land uses. ensuring a supply of land for employment growth, directing employment growth to lands designated for employment growth, intensification of employment growth at multi-modal nodes, and directing investment to support diversification ie. Telecommunications, etc. establishing policies that support uninhibited movement of goods services and people throughout the region and beyond; coordinating links between municipalities and other jurisdictions when planning infrastructure; protecting corridors to support future infrastructure; and minimizing impacts to airport operations. designing communities that take into consideration proximity to employment areas, provides amenities to residents, access to multi-modal transportation, etc. We will practice wise environmental stewardship and promote the health of the regional ecosystem, watersheds, airsheds, and environmentally sensitive areas. conserving, restoring, and connecting natural living systems through local policies. recognizing and adhering to federal and provincial legislation to ensure a healthy water system. establishing policies that support the development of low impact, green practices that reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, and respect climate change impacts. requiring environmental studies that address and minimize adverse impacts of development on natural living systems. Page 6 of 9
Recognize and celebrate the diversity of communities and promote an excellent quality of life across the Region. 3.1: Plan and develop complete communities within each policy tier to accommodate people s daily needs for living at all ages In planning for growth, we will recognize and respond to the different contexts and scales of communities and provide a variety of housing choices with easy access to transportation, employment, parks and open spaces, and community and cultural amenities. including policies that support the concept of complete communities. 3.2: Plan for and promote a range of housing options supporting through policy the development of a range of housing types, forms and levels of affordability. 3.3: Plan for and promote market affordable and nonmarket housing to address core housing need identifying strategies through policy that support increasing the supply of market affordable and non-market housing in local plans. Achieve compact growth that optimizes infrastructure investment. 4.1: Establish a compact and contiguous development pattern to accommodate employment and population growth 4.2: Enable growth within built-up urban areas to optimize existing infrastructure and minimize the expansion of the development footprint 4.3: Plan and develop greenfield areas in an orderly and phased manner to contribute to complete communities 4.4: Plan for and accommodate rural growth in appropriate locations with sustainable levels of local servicing 4.5: Plan and develop mixed use and higher density centres as areas to concentrate growth of both people and jobs 4.6: Prioritize investment and funding of regional infrastructure to support planned growth 4.7: Ensure compatible land use patterns to minimize risks to public safety and health We will make the most efficient use of our infrastructure investments by prioritizing growth around existing infrastructure and optimizing use of new and planned infrastructure. that no new stand-alone communities are created and policies support minimizing the impact to prime agricultural lands through compact and dense development. intensification and infill of existing and mature areas will be supported in order to maximize use of existing infrastructure. all new plans for greenfield areas shall include policies that ensure densities are met, mixed land uses are supported, the various modes of transportation are accessible, a variety of housing forms are planned for, and prime agricultural lands have been addressed through an agricultural impact assessment. the various types of rural growth will be support to take advantage of and maximize the use of existing infrastructure. growth policies will support mixed use development and higher densities per Schedule 6 in the Growth Plan. the development of new regional infrastructure or impacts to existing infrastructure by new development will be evaluated for consistency with regional infrastructure priorities. including policies that address the separation of incompatible uses and the mitigation of risks to ensure public health and safety. Page 7 of 9
Ensure effective regional mobility. Recognizing the link between efficient movement of people and goods and regional prosperity, we will work towards a multimodal and integrated regional transportation system. 5.1: Develop a regional transportation system to support the growth of the Region and enhance its regional and global connectivity 5.2: Encourage a mode shift to transit, high occupancy vehicles and active transportation modes as viable alternatives to private automobile travel, appropriate to the scale of the community 5.3: Coordinate and integrate land use and transportation facilities and services to support the efficient and safe movement of people, goods and services in both urban and rural areas 5.4: Support the Edmonton International Airport as northern Alberta s primary air gateway to the world 5.5: Ensure effective coordination and alignment of regional transportation policies and initiatives between all jurisdictions Ensure the wise management of prime agricultural resources. local policies must support and not inhibit the regional transportation system. statutory plan policies are encouraged to include support for transportation choices within communities other than the private automobile. the planning of new land uses and transportation facilities shall be coordinated to ensure the optimization of the infrastructure. the planning around the airport should not interfere with the operation or expansion of the airport. Plan for future higher order access to the airport (LRT). planning for coordination and alignment of transportation infrastructure between municipalities and with the province. In the context of metropolitan growth, we will ensure the wise management of prime agricultural resources to continue a thriving agricultural sector. 6.1: Identify and conserve an adequate supply of prime agricultural lands to provide a secure local source of food security for future generations 6.2: Minimize the fragmentation and conversion of prime agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses 6.3: Promote diversification and value-added agriculture production and plan infrastructure to support the agricultural sector and regional food system that local policies will support the protection and conservation of prime agricultural lands as defined by the policy tiers in the Growth Plan. local policies will support the minimization of fragmentation and conversion of prime agricultural lands as defined by the policy tiers in the Growth Plan. local policies will support and promote the growth of the agricultural sector. Page 8 of 9
Grandfathered Plans Section 8.2 of the REF supports the continued development of plans that were based on the density targets of the previous Growth Plan - Capital Region Growth Plan: Growing Forward. Servicing and infrastructure would have been designed to a certain size to accommodate the density targets in Growing Forward. Requiring any proposed amendments to those plans to comply with the new higher density targets in the Growth Plan may have unanticipated infrastructure costs, ie. increasing the capacity of water and sewer lines, road widening, etc., that may make the plans undevelopable. In this regard, the following table and map are applicable to amendments to statutory plans approved by the Board under Growing Forward: DISCLAIMER: The Planning Toolkit is a series of guides to aid in the implementation of Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. This guide is to aid in the understanding of the Regional Evaluation Framework (REF). The Planning Toolkit and this guide are not substitutes for reading and understanding the Growth Plan and the REF. For certainty, the reader is advised to refer to the Growth Plan, the REF and related legislation available through the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board at www.emrb.ca. Page 9 of 9