Buffalo Lake, AB


The five municipalities participating in the Buffalo Lake Intermunicipal Development Plan (BLIDP) have initiated a comprehensive review and updating process which will essentially see a new plan Intermunicipal Development Plan prepared by early 2009. The present Plan was first adopted in 1997 to ensure responsible future management of Buffalo Lake and the surrounding shoreline for an area comprising the Summer Villages of Rochon Sands and White Sands and portions of the County of Stettler, Lacombe County, Camrose County.

With the strong demand for lakeside residential property in Central Alberta and the significant interest in developing further around Buffalo Lake and with the heightened environmental awareness and understanding of the Lake area arising from the completion of a number of recent studies including the just completed Buffalo Lake Integrated Shoreland Management Plan, the municipalities felt it important and timely to undertake a major revision and re-write of the current Plan to "define a long term vision for the Lake and provide a framework that will allow for the use and development of lands within the plan area, while ensuring that the ecological health, recreation capacity and scenic qualities of the lake and surrounding environments are respected and enhanced."


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WHAT IS AN IDP?


An Intermunicipal Development Plan is a broad policy document endorsed by two or more
municipalities that addresses . . .

  • Future land use in a defined area.
  • Physical, social or economic development
  • Administration and review of the plan
An Intermunicipal Development Plan is NOT . . .

  • An annexation application (separate process with own regulations under the MGA)
  • A mass rezoning of land (separate process with own municipal regulations)


THE ORIGINAL IDP


The original Buffalo Lake IDP was created in 1997, since then several factors affecting the Plan Area have changed:


  • There has been an increased awareness and understanding of the natural environment of the Lake and surrounding area which resulted in the created of a Plan by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and Alberta Environment. This Plan was entitled the Buffalo Lake Integrated Shoreland Management Plan (BLISMP) which dealt with the Crown lands located within the Provincially owned Lake ROW that surrounds the Lake. The BLISMP was approved in 2009.
  • Since 1997 there has also been a strong demand for lakeside residential property which has necessitated amendments to the current Plan in order to address land development pressures, particularly within the County of Stettler No. 6.
  • Because of these changes, and the time that has passes since the original Plan was developed, the Municipalities agreed that a major review was warranted and decided that the 1997 Plan should be replaced by an entirely new IDP.


THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN


There are several reasons that a new Plan was preferred over simply updating the old Plan:


  • Shoreland Coordination – Prepare policies that are consistent with the goals and objectives as described in the Buffalo Lake Integrated Shoreland Management Plan (BLISMP).
  • Protect Natural Character – It was identified that additional development opportunities should respect the aesthetic character and preserve the quality of the Lake. To do this, it was thought to concentrate more intensive development in defined development nodes, Growth Nodes, thereby leaving large areas where development is limited, the Limited Development Area.
  • Address Public Lake Access – Identify existing and potential public access points to the Lake.
  • Protect the Environment – The BLISMP was used as a guide for locating future development in an effort to safeguard the water quality of Buffalo Lake and where possible, retain, protect, and enhance riparian and environmentally sensitive areas and wildlife habitat.
  • Facilitate Municipal Cooperation and Coordination – Provide for effective and mutually beneficial coordination of land uses, economic development, environmental protection, and growth management around Buffalo Lake.
  • Ease Communication – Establish and maintain open communication approaches between Municipalities to resolve problems and seize opportunities of mutual benefit. One way that this will be done is by creating a Buffalo Lake Committee that will meet semi-annually.



AREAS OF CONCERN AS IDENTIFIED BY THE PUBLIC


1. Protection of the Lake

Throughout the process the number one concern for both the public and the Steering Committee has been the protection of the Lake from any outside influence that would have the potential to negatively impact it’s health. The IDP has been crafted in an effort to manage growth around the Lake in a manner that will maintain the area’s ecological integrity while still allowing for appropriate development opportunities. Specific sections and individual policies within the IDP have been included in the Plan to assist in the protection of the Lake.
A major effort to support the protection of the Lake within the Plan is limiting multi-lot development to within identified Growth Nodes. The selection of the Growth Node locations were done in consultation with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development in an attempt to locate this future multi-lot development in locations that not only would give equal development opportunities to each Member Municipality, but also to locate them where the development would have less impact on wetlands, habitat, and biodiversity. All lands outside of the Growth Nodes are subject to restrictive development policies as outlined in Section 3.2 – Limited Development Area Policies.
  • The series 3 figures within the Plan show environmentally sensitive areas as identified by Alberta SRD in the Buffalo Lake Integrated Shoreland Management Plan (BLISMP). This Plan has been referenced throughout the planning process for the IDP and can be used as a tool for each Municipality when reviewing potential developments.
  • Identified development thresholds for the Lake area have been calculated using both lifestyle and lake capacity for boating as outlined in the appendices of the Plan in order maintain control over the amount of development around
    the Lake.
  • Sections 3.1.7/3.2.7 - Environmentally Sensitive Lands, 3.1.8/3.2.8 – Reserves, 3.1.9/3.2.9 - Historic and Archaeological Resources, and 3.1.10/3.2.10 – Development Standards have been developed in an effort to protect environmental land. These sections contain several policy statements that set forth protection expectations.
  • Servicing within the Growth Nodes is required to be collective in nature to protect the Lake from any potential negative aspects related to the servicing of lands surrounding the lake.
  • In consultation with Alberta SRD, potential public access locations have been identified which will minimize the overall negative impacts that may occur as a result of this use.

2. Adequate public access to the Lake

Residents and visitors to Buffalo Lake have identified a need for increased public access to the lake for boating, swimming, and the use of Lake shorelands for passive and active recreation activities. In response to this request by the public, the IDP contains specific policies that relate to public access. Five new public access locations have been identified within Section 3.3.2. The Plan outlines expectations regarding where access will be located as well as sets out development policies related to public access. Section 3.3 – Public Access and Shoreland Development Policies contains most of the policies as they relate to public access and Section 4.3.2 (a) (vii) – Content of Growth Node Area Structure Plans identifies that specifics to public access will be determined upon the development of Growth Node ASPs.

3. Densities

Another major concern by the public was the size of lots and how much more development would be allowed around the Lake. By keeping intensive development confined to within the Growth Nodes, the amount of development around the
Lake is limited.

The IDP sets a development threshold of 7,270 total units within the Growth Nodes. The density within the Growth Nodes has been set as a maximum of 0.9 du/acre. Within Growth Nodes there may be places of higher or lower density, but as a whole, the density is to be 0.9 du/acre.

4. Land Use

There was some concern over where development would be allowed around the Lake. The general consensus by the public was to limit development and where development was allowed, to have it clustered. The identification and development of Growth Nodes was adopted as the preferred approach for allowing future development in the Plan Area as outlined in Section 2.2 – Growth Nodes. Also within Section 2.2 is an explanation of how the Growth Node boundaries were chosen.

5. Servicing Expectations

While not a major concern of the public, the servicing of the land was a major topic of discussion at the Steering Committee level. It was determined early on that collective servicing should be required of all new development to not only create infrastructure efficiencies for the Municipalities, but also for environmental protection of the Lake. Specific policies in regards to servicing expectations are outlined in sections 3.1.11/3.2.11 – Water Servicing, 3.1.12/3.2.12 – Wastewater Servicing, 3.1.13/3.2.13 – Drainage and Storm Water Management, 3.1.14/3.2.14 – Solid Waste Management and 3.1.15/3.2.15 – Other Municipal Services

6. Not enough detail / My concern is not referenced within the BLIDP

Early in the process we identified that this IDP was a high level planning document and was going to focus on subject matter that was appropriate and necessary for Intermunicipal cooperation around the project area. However, though the IDP process, various items have been identified for discussion by both the public and members of the Steering Committee that would require topic exploration and development of policies that are more site and municipal specific than would be appropriate for this IDP. Early in the process we identified that this IDP was a high level planning document and was going to focus on subject matter that was appropriate and necessary for Intermunicipal cooperation around the project area. However, though the IDP process, various items have been identified for discussion by both the public and members of the Steering Committee that would require topic exploration and development of policies that are more site and municipal specific than would be appropriate for this IDP.

However, to better respond to the various topic requests that are not appropriate for an IDP - the Steering Committee has developed Section 4.3 – Future Planning within the BLIDP to assist in reviewing all topics of discussion. The timing of the Growth Node Area Structure Plans (ASPs) are outlined in Section 4.3.3 – Timing of Growth Node Area Structure Plans. This group of policies set forth a requirement for the ASPs to be developed for each of the Growth Nodes prior to any further plans, rezoning bylaw or subdivision application being considered. What this means is that while the IDP was not able to consider all detailed requests, the IDP has been developed with a mechanism in it that requires a more detailed level of planning (ASPs) to occur prior to development. These ASPs will be a more appropriate forum for most of the subject matter not caught by the IDP to be discussed.


In essence, it is required that an ASP shall be completed prior to any development occurring in the Growth Nodes with little exception as outlined in Section 4.3.