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Project Overview

The Town of Strathmore and Wheatland County are working collaboratively to develop an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP).

The IDP will:

  • guide future growth and development in the area, and
  • address land use planning issues and opportunities.

The IDP is required through the Municipal Government Act (MGA) between municipalities that share a common boundary. Currently, the Town and County do not have an IDP in place, therefore, to meet MGA requirements these projects have been initiated.

Project Timeline

The Community Engagement for Phase 5 is complete, thank you to those who provided comments and questions! The project team have made minor adjustments to the draft in preparation for Phase 6. This is the final phase of the project, with the intent to adopt the IDP for the benefit of both municipalities. Adoption of the IDP will be considered at public hearings, notice of which will be circulated to residents within the plan area, and advertised in the Strathmore Times.

Public Hearings

Each municipality will be holding a Public Hearing to consider adoption of the IDP. If you wish to provide comments or attend in person, see the information regarding your municipality’s hearing below.

Town of Strathmore Wheatland County
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
Town of Strathmore Municipal Building 1 Parklane Drive, Strathmore, AB
Wheatland County Administration Office 242006 Range Road 243, Wheatland County, AB
Bylaw: 24-15
Bylaw: 2024-22

Comments may be forwarded in writing to your respective municipality, or in person at the above meetings. The application files may be reviewed in the municipal offices during regular office hours – Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Any comments provided will become part of the public record in accordance with Section 40 (1) of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act. Any personal information on submissions made regarding applications is collected under the authority of the FOIP Act Section 33 (c) and subsequent versions of the Act.

Draft IDP

The Town and County have prepared a Draft IDP and are excited to share this with you!

The Town of Strathmore and Wheatland County are pleased to share the draft Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). The purpose of the draft IDP is to facilitate and sustain long term strategic growth, and to identify joint development opportunities in the IDP plan area (Figure 1: Draft Plan Area). To support this purpose, the draft IDP has been divided into three focus areas:

  • Plan Area: Introduces the reader to the IDP and the current state of the plan area.
  • Plan Policies: Outlines the future growth scenario and policies and development within the plan area.
  • Implementation: Outlines the framework for enacting the IDP policies and administering the plan.

Previous Engagement

The Town and County have hosted two public information sessions regarding the IDP, both held at the Strathmore Civic Centre.

June 18, 2024, to provide landowners, interested and affected parties, businesses, and the greater community the opportunity to review the draft IDP, ask questions to the project team, and provide feedback for refining and finalizing the plan. Display Boards from the event are available below, and a summary of responses will be available in the coming weeks.

December 13, 2023, to introduce the project and answer any questions the public and interested parties may have. 

Display Boards from the event and a summary of responses are available below:

Next Steps

The project is currently in Phase 6, with the draft IDP and ICF documents ready for Council consideration.  Each municipality will be holding a public hearing regarding adoption of the IDP in early October, see above under Project Timeline for details.

For more information, contact:  

Vicki Dodge, Project Manager, Town of Strathmore, vicki.dodge@strathmore.ca, 403-814-0702     

Stefan Kunz, Manager of Planning and Development, Wheatland County, stefan.kunz@wheatlandcounty.ca, 403-361-2162 

FAQs

ICF

Introduced in 2016 under the Modernized Municipal Government Act (MGA), an Intermunicipal Collaborative Framework (ICF) is a legislated requirement between municipalities who share a common boundary. An intermunicipal Collaboration Framework is a tool to facilitate cooperation between neighbouring municipalities, and to ensure municipal services are provided to residents efficiently and cost-effectively.

Under the MGA, an ICF must:

  • Provide integrated and strategic planning, delivery, and funding of inter-municipal services;
  • Steward important resources efficiently to provide local services; and
  • Ensure municipalities contribute funding to services that benefit their residents.

 

IDP

An IDP is a long-term strategic growth plan between two or more municipalities. Municipalities who share a common boundary are required to have an IDP in accordance with the Municipal Government Act (MGA). The purpose of an IDP is to provide a coordinated and collaborative land use, servicing and transportation framework for areas where the municipalities share a joint interest.

Under the MGA, an IDP must address:

  • future land uses,
  • future development proposals,
  • provision of transportation systems,
  • environmental matters,
  • coordination of intermunicipal physical, social, and economic programs,
  • other matters related to physical, social or economic development,
  • conflict resolution procedures,
  • plan amendment procedures, and
  • overall plan administration.

The ICF provides a framework for cost-sharing of services amongst municipalities. The IDP is the plan that fosters a collaborative planning approach for lands along the common border between two municipalities.

The IDP will help to ensure the Town and County maintain the characteristics, vision, and goals unique to each community, while coordinating future growth development patterns. 

IDPs allow municipalities to:

  • promote consultation, coordination and cooperation regarding planning matters of joint interest within a defined planning area;
  • provide a framework for addressing land use concerns with regard to joint planning matters;
  • establish a procedure for dealing with development proposals within a defined planning area; and
  • address any other matters relating to development considered necessary within a joint planning area.

An IDP is a long-term land use and servicing plan that addresses how the Town and County are to manage their respective future growth needs. As these plans address long-term future land use and development opportunities for these areas, landowners must be involved in the process and provide input on the future use of these lands.

The future approval of the new IDP will not affect current land use activities or development rights and will not affect your taxes. It only addresses future development over the long term.

An IDP should not be viewed as an impediment to development. Rather, it reinforces and protects both municipalities’ development philosophies and goals, while mitigating the potential for future conflict. IDPs anticipate that development may occur within the plan area and provide a framework for ensuring that it proceeds in an orderly, economic, efficient, harmonious, and sustainable manner.

The project team has gathered and reviewed feedback from the public, the Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee, and staff from both municipalities, and have completed the draft ICF.

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