appendix 6: airdrie comprehensive growth study (part 1)

Airdrie Comprehensive Growth Strategy April 2011 FINAL DRAFT

Submitted by:

City of Airdrie - Comprehensive Growth Strategy April 2011

Dillon Consulting Limited for the City of Airdrie Page i

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION 3

1.1 PURPOSE 3 1.2 BACKGROUND 3 1.3 PROCESS 4 1.4 INTENT & OBJECTIVES 6

2.0 STUDY AREA: THE CITY OF AIRDRIE 7

2.1 REGIONAL CONTEXT & BRIEF HISTORY OF AIRDRIE 7 2.2 REGIONAL GROWTH TRENDS 11 2.3 PREVIOUS GROWTH STUDIES 11

3.0 GROWTH PRINCIPLES 14

3.1 WELL MANAGED GROWTH 14 3.2 BUILDING WHOLE COMMUNITIES 15 3.3 FISCAL BALANCE 16 3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 16 3.5 COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATION 17

4.0 THE REALITY OF GROWTH 19

4.1 2008 EMPLOYMENT & POPULATION PROJECTIONS 19 4.2 2008 LAND DEMAND 20 4.3 2011 LAND SUPPLY 24 4.4 LAND SUMMARY 25

5.0 LAND EVALUATION 28

5.1 CONSTRAINTS 28 5.2 OPPORTUNITIES 43 5.3 2008 EVALUATION RESULTS – GROWTH DIRECTIONS 54 5.4 2010 LAND EVALUATION UPDATE 56 5.5 DYNAMIC LAND EVALUATION TOOL 56

6.0 ACCOMMODATING GROWTH 58

6.1 INTERNAL GROWTH 58 6.2 2008 ANNEXATION RECOMMENDATIONS 58 6.3 2010 ANNEXATION RECOMMENDATIONS 59 6.4 2011 ANNEXATION RECOMMENDATIONS 60


Dillon Consulting Limited for the City of Airdrie Page ii

6.5 RATIONALE FOR ANNEXATION 61

7.0 IMPLEMENTATION 62

7.1 WHEN TO ANNEX – THE TRIGGERS, PHASING & REVIEWING THE STRATEGY 62 7.2 NEXT STEPS 63 7.3 ISSUES TO CLARIFY 63 7.4 THE ANNEXATION AGREEMENT 65

8.0 REFERENCES 66

MAPS

Map 1: Regional Context............................................................................................................ 8 Map 2: Study Area ..................................................................................................................... 9 Map 3: Historical Urban Form ...................................................................................................10 Map 4: 2011 Land Supply .........................................................................................................27 Map 5: Physical Landscape ......................................................................................................30 Map 6: Agricultural Land Capability...........................................................................................32 Map 7: Natural Areas & Open Spaces ......................................................................................34 Map 8: Confined Feeding Operations........................................................................................36 Map 9: Sour Gas Wells & Pipelines...........................................................................................38 Map 10: Airport Noise Contours ................................................................................................40 Map 11: Existing Land Use .......................................................................................................42 Map 12: Land Use Policy (Future Land Use).............................................................................43 Map 13: Development Pressure................................................................................................43 Map 14: Transportation & Road Network ..................................................................................45 Map 15: Potable Water Servicing ..............................................................................................47 Map 16: Sanitary Sewer Servicing ............................................................................................49 Map 17: Stormwater Servicing ..................................................................................................51 Map 18: EMS Servicing.............................................................................................................53 Map 19: Development Potential ................................................................................................57

TABLES

Table 1: Urban Holdings Land...................................................................................................24 Table 2: 2011 Land Analysis Summary.....................................................................................25 Table 3: Land Provided by 2008 CGS Annexation Scenario .....................................................59 Table 4: Land Provided by the 2010 Growth Scenario, Minus Ecological Hotspots ...................60 Table 5: Land Provided by the 2011 Growth Scenario, Minus Ecological Hotspots ...................60


Dillon Consulting Limited for the City of Airdrie Page iii

Project Team

Dillon Consulting Ltd.

Alex Taylor Jagdev Shahi Jamal Ramjohn Natalie Seniuk Byron Lloyd Sarah Galloway Guillermo Guglietti Valdine Walker

Applications Management Consulting Ltd.

Darryl Howery Ellen Taylor Gurpreet Sidhu

Acknowledgements The Project Team would like to thank the following City officials, individuals and organizations for their assistance in preparing the initial 2008 Comprehensive Growth Strategy and the 2010 and 2011 updates.

The City of Airdrie

Paul Schulz Jeff Greene Naren Garg Shelly McIntosh Lorne Stevens Bob Neale Tanis Houck Kent Rupert Leona Esau Sheldon Leavitt Jessica Letizia Geoff Rice Megan Lockhart

BSEI Municipal Consulting Engineers

Troy McNeill Vern Sentis Jim Cullen Sheri Hill Danielle Ferguson

ISL Engineering &

Land Services Ltd. Chris Delanoy


Dillon Consulting Limited for the City of Airdrie Page 1

Executive Summary In 2007, Dillon Consulting Limited (Dillon) was retained by the City of Airdrie to develop a Comprehensive Growth Strategy (CGS) to look at future growth in Airdrie. The CGS identified the amount and location of land required for long-term growth and included a strategy for future annexation. The CGS was completed and accepted by Council in 2008. In 2010, Dillon provided a supplement to the 2008 CGS, using new data from a recent ecological inventory and a new proposed annexation boundary that had been agreed to by the City and Rocky View County in 2009. The new ecological inventory data allowed for a re-evaluation of land surrounding the City, and the new boundary permitted a new Growth Scenario to be developed to form the basis of the City’s new MDP: Airdrie One. The 2011 CGS report has been prepared using data from the previous two documents, and has also been updated using the revised Annexation Boundary agreed to by the City of Airdrie and Rocky View County in 2010. The CGS remains based on the detailed population projections created for the 2008 CGS; however, land supply has been re-calculated and the annexation rational revised. The CGS is organized in the following manner: Section 1 provides the purpose, background and methodology used to develop the Comprehensive Growth Strategy. It explains the consultation with the advisory committee and stakeholders that took place, and outlines the intent and objectives of the Strategy. Section 2 provides the regional context and a brief history of the City of Airdrie, an introduction to regional growth trends, and a summary of previous growth studies that have been completed for the City over the past decade. Section 3 summarizes the guiding principles the City of Airdrie strives to fulfill, highlighting the directions for growth management provided by a number of previously approved policy documents. The five guiding principles include: well managed growth, building whole communities, fiscal balance, environmental stewardship and cooperation and communication. Section 4 provides information pertaining to the reality of growth in Airdrie. Employment and population trends and projections help to determine the land demand that will result. It also outlines the existing land supply available within the City. The outcome is a picture of how much growth the City of Airdrie can expect in the future, and how much can be accommodated within current boundaries. Section 5 evaluates the suitability for urban growth of the land surrounding Airdrie. A number of criteria were identified as constraints and opportunities to urban development. The criteria were applied to each quarter section of the Study Area and a summary of the four quadrants outside of City boundaries is provided. Section 6 includes the Strategy to accommodate growth, both inside current City of Airdrie boundaries, and outside land that must be annexed. It also presents four alternative scenarios that may be considered by Council and Administration, during annexation negotiations.



Section 7 contains recommendations for implementing the Growth Strategy, including the timing and phasing of annexation, completing annexation applications, challenges that may be encountered in negotiations with the County, and solutions for providing a framework for regional discussions. In addition, it serves as a summary of the growth information and the basis for a phased annexation process.

Key Findings

The key findings resulting from the 2011 CGS report are threefold:

1. Faced with significant future growth, the City will run out of land within the next 30 years. The difference between the land required for 30 and 50-year growth and the existing inventory of land in Airdrie represents the land required for annexation. The following table summarizes this:

2011 Difference (GDA) Demand (2008) (NA) 30-yr* 50-yr*

Land Use 30-yr* 50-yr*

2011 Supply

(NA) Acres Quarters Acres Quarters

Residential 3,320.7 4,695.7 1,081.4 -3,029.7 -18.9 -4,890.1 -30.6

Industrial 1,578.5 2,666.7 406.6 -1,585.6 -9.9 -3,057.9 -19.1

Commercial 379.1 839.2 21.3 -484.1 -3.0 -1,106.6 -6.9

Total 5,278.2 8,201.7 1,509.3 -5,099.5 -31.9 -9,054.7 -56.6

Sources: City of Airdrie, and the Land Demand and Vacant Land Analyses * Note: 30-yr refers to the ‘mid-term’ while 50-yr refers to the ‘long-term.’

2. Due to a shortage of land to accommodate the urban growth that Airdrie will face over

the next 50-years, the Land Evaluation identifies the most appropriate areas for Airdrie to grow. These are presented in Map 19: Development Potential, and while many areas adjacent to current City boundaries are ideal, some are not. These areas are highlighted and discussed.

3. The majority of the City’s existing inventory of both residential and industrial land use is

located in south Airdrie. While these areas are available for development currently, servicing constraints have prevented their development to date. Significant investments in roadways, highway interchanges and servicing infrastructure in south Airdrie are required before these lands can be developed.



1.0 Introduction After coming out of an unprecedented economic boom which saw record population growth over the past decade, The City of Airdrie continues to feel the effects of the rising population growth. As it grows physically, issues such as road congestion, expansion of public services, demand on emergency services and the need to provide a range of housing types need to be addressed. A long-term growth strategy is required in order to manage the shifts in demographics, social needs, cultural composition, City character, and infrastructure requirements brought about by this period of high growth. In 2007, Dillon Consulting Limited (Dillon) was retained by the City of Airdrie to develop a Comprehensive Growth Strategy (CGS) to look at future growth in Airdrie. The CGS identified the amount and location of land required for long-term growth and included a strategy for future annexation. This CGS was completed and accepted by Council in 2008. In 2010, Dillon provided a supplement to the 2008 CGS, using new data from a recent ecological inventory and a new proposed annexation boundary that had been agreed to by the City and Rocky View County in 2009. The new ecological inventory data allowed for a re-evaluation of land surrounding the City, and the new boundary permitted a new Growth Scenario to be developed to form the basis of the City’s new Municipal Development Plan.

1.1 Purpose

The 2011 CGS report has been prepared using data from the previous two documents and is based on the revised Annexation Boundary agreed to by the City of Airdrie and Rocky View County Inter-municipal Annexation Negotiation Committee. The purpose is to update the current land requirements and preferred growth and annexation direction to accommodate a 50-year horizon. Growth details outlined in this Strategy will assist in the development of future Intermunicipal Development Plans (IDPs) that will be negotiated with Rocky View County, and can be used as supporting documentation for annexation initiatives. The purpose of the CGS is to guide the future development in the region in a manner that reflects the vision and aspirations of existing landowners and other stakeholders, while at the same time promoting the unique natural and physical qualities of the area. The City of Airdrie currently anticipates continued rapid population growth and high demand for developable lands both inside and outside of current municipal boundaries. As a result, City Council has directed Administration to update the comprehensive growth and annexation study to gain a more complete understanding of the implications of growth, particularly in terms of potential impacts on infrastructure and the financial requirements for upgrading and extending those services.

1.2 Background

The City of Airdrie has developed a number of growth studies over the years to support and guide future growth, including:

� 2000 Growth Study; � 2004 Growth Area Management Plan; � 2005 Principled Approach to Growth; � Master Plans to address: Storm Management, Transportation and Parks; and � Civic Census.



Traditionally, municipalities in the province have adopted policies that maintain developable land within their boundaries for a 30-year growth horizon; however, faced with rapid growth, many (The Town of Chestermere and City of Red Deer) have begun to use a longer term growth horizon of 50 years. This Strategy similarly uses a 50-year growth horizon, and also includes a substantial section on population forecasting for the next 50 years, which will greatly improve its accuracy and comprehensiveness.

The City of Airdrie and Rocky View County are also currently in the process of developing an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) that will identify growth corridors for both municipalities. Both Municipal Councils have stressed their desire to cooperate on planning issues. This Strategy will be an important tool as the IDP unfolds and will parallel and support that work.

1.3 Process

To ensure it is fully comprehensive, the CGS involved a multi-disciplinary team of planners, engineers, environmental specialists, City Councilors and other professionals working collaboratively. A review of Best Practices was completed early in the study to identify new and innovative strategies currently being used by other municipalities. Best Practices were used to help develop the best format for this strategy, and components that were integral, and others that were not required.

Advisory Committee

Consultation in 2007 and 2008 with key members within City of Airdrie Administration was an important element of the project. An Advisory Committee (AC) was created that included members of the 2008 project team and The City of Airdrie including: Paul Schulz Airdrie – Director of Planning & Protective Services Jeff Greene Airdrie – Manager of Parks & Planning Shelly McIntosh Airdrie – Intermunicipal Planner Lorne Stevens Airdrie – Manager of Engineering Services & Public Works Tanis Houck Airdrie – Sustainability Coordinator Kent Rupert Airdrie – Team Leader of Planning & Economic Development Sheldon Leavitt Airdrie – Emergency Services Chief Jessica Letizia Airdrie – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Alex Taylor Dillon Consulting – Project Manager Jamal Ramjohn Dillon Consulting – Senior Planner The Committee’s role was to provide comment on data, background material and proposed documentation prepared by consultant/planning staff prior to submission to Council. The AC met on a monthly basis and Dillon provided project reports at the end of each work phase, for the committee to review and provide comments to the consultant.

Stakeholder Consultation

It was clear from background research and discussions with City Staff that there was a diverse group of stakeholders interested in the development of this Strategy. As a result, an abridged – yet innovative – consultation process was used in 2008 to ensure the vision and aspirations of stakeholders were taken into account. While consultation is not generally done when developing non-statutory policy documents such as a growth study, this project included a Stakeholder Consultation process that was participatory, inclusive, transparent, and meaningful to the participants involved. The stakeholder participation process included:



� Working with City Staff to identify the major stakeholders; � Identifying the level of involvement that is required for each of these stakeholders (i.e.,

inform, consult, listen and learn, involve, collaborate, empower); and � Apply a tried and tested range of techniques to ensure that all identified stakeholders are

effectively involved in the process. � Incorporating stakeholders’ input to the extent possible, and advising them on how or

why their input was or was not incorporated; and � Creating a Growth and Annexation Study that is directly traceable in part to the visions of

stakeholders.

A diverse group of stakeholders has varied interests regarding the future of the Study Area. During initial identification of these stakeholders and design of the consultation strategy, the project team looked at the level of participation that would be required. Using the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), “Public Participation Spectrum”, there are five levels of public involvement:

�� INCREASING LEVEL OF PUBLIC IMPACT �� INFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

Public Participation Goal: To provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solutions.

To obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions.

To work directly with the public throughout the process to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.

To partner with the public in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and the identification of the preferred solution.

To place final decision-making in the hands of the public.

Promise to the Public: We will keep you informed.

We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.

We will work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.

We will look to you for direct advice and innovation in formulating solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

We will implement what you decide.

Example Techniques to Consider: • Fact

sheets • Web

sites • Open

houses

• Public comment

• Focus groups • Surveys • Public

meetings

• Workshops • Deliberate

polling

• Citizen Advisory Committees

• Consensus-building

• Participatory decision-making

• Citizen juries

• Ballots • Delegate

decisions

Source: International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)



The following chart shows the list of stakeholders that were included, and the levels of consultation that were required for the project. Stakeholder Inform Consult Involve Collaborate Empower

1. City of Airdrie Council � � � � �

2. City of Airdrie Planning Staff � � � �

3. City of Airdrie Steering Committee � � � �

4. Rocky View County � �

5. Major Agricultural Operators � �

6. Provincial Departments and Agencies � �

7. Developers and Builders � �

8. Deep and Shallow Utility Services � �

9. Oil and Gas Operators � �

The stakeholder consultation helped reveal the group of land development firms that own land around Airdrie. Most purchased the land in the hopes that it will soon be annexed by the City of Airdrie and will be permitted to develop to urban standards and density. Most are not in the business of developing what would be called Country Residential ‘product’ (single family detached homes on large lots – 1 to 5 acres in size) that are currently permitted within Rocky View County (average densities of 3 to 5 upa). Development of these parcels within the City would allow proper servicing from the municipality, and be more accommodating of development that uses sound planning principles (i.e. densities of 8 to 9 upa and urban form). In 2008, many developers were ready to move forward with their parcels, while others were developing their holdings within the City and would move on to these parcels in a year or two. Most wanted to see annexation take place sooner rather than later. Further information on the 2008 assessment of development pressure can be found in Section 5.

1.4 Intent & Objectives

The guidelines for growth included in this CGS have been developed to balance fiscal, economic, environmental, and social concerns. The five major objectives of the CGS are to:

1. Provide an overview of the growth trends, challenges, opportunities and the current policy framework facing the City of Airdrie;

2. Assess the ability of the City to respond to anticipated growth demands, both in the medium (30 years) and long-term (50 years) in the context of the supply of residential, commercial, industrial and other land uses, municipal services and transportation requirements;

3. Provide a comprehensive Growth Strategy, including a Land Use Concept Plan, that will allow the City to accomplish its community goals in a cost-effective and defensible manner;

4. Provide recommendations on implementation techniques and the policies and tools necessary to undertake the preferred growth strategy.

5. Evaluate all lands outside of the current City of Airdrie Boundary to develop a strategy for the next round of annexation negotiations with Rocky View County. Evaluation will include the servicing potential and costs, as well as accommodation of current demand and trends.



2.0 Study Area: The City of Airdrie

2.1 Regional Context & Brief History of Airdrie

The study area consists of all undeveloped land within Airdrie’s current corporate limits and all land within a perimeter of 2 sections (4 quarter sections) of the current City boundary. The regional context of the City of Airdrie and the Study Area can be seen in Map 1: Regional Context and Map 2: Study Area.

As recently as the 1960’s, the City of Airdrie was a relatively small rural service centre. During the 1970’s, Airdrie was selected as a preferred “decentralized” location for the Alberta Transportation and Alberta Infrastructure government service offices. Several other industries, such as Propak Industries and Westinghouse, also relocated to Airdrie during the 1970s due to its proximity to the Calgary region. During the past 30 years, Airdrie has grown to a medium-sized City of around 32,000 residents. According to population projections, strong growth is expected to continue for at least the next 10 to 15 years, due to many factors:

� The economic and population growth that has faced the region (especially in Airdrie) is expected to continue in the short to mid-term;

� Airdrie’s attractiveness as a location for urban industrial opportunities in proximity to the Calgary International Airport and Airdrie Airport / Airpark, and it’s location on highway #2, the Canada Mexico Trade Corridor; and

� Growth of the Calgary region to a population of 1.8 million by 2035, and 2.8 million by 2075 (Calgary Regional Economic Forecast - CREF),1 and Airdrie’s projected greater share of the regional population.

Airdrie has been a community for over 100 years, and its form has evolved from a small, compact settlement to a moderately-sized city in that time. It has grown relatively symmetrical in a somewhat ‘concentric ring’ pattern, mainly with consideration of higher ground, away from wetlands and watercourses. Airdrie was established along the C&E railway and growth was initially on higher ground to the east of the railway line. The early settlement consisted of a commercial main street and a grid pattern of residential blocks. By 1947, Airdrie was a small village focused along the railway and Highway 2 (now 2A), and by 1974, the new Highway 2 had been built just to the east of the town site. By 1980, Airdrie had grown significantly in response to an economic boom. Development jumped east of Highway 2 and by 1998, had also jumped the railway to the west. While growth over the past decade has been significant and very rapid, the main commercial core of the city has focused on Main Street, residential growth has been to the north, west, south and southwest, and industrial growth has been to the northeast. The historical growth of Airdrie can be seen on Map 3: Historical Urban Form.

1 Calgary Regional Partnership, 2007b.



Map 1: Regional Context



Map 2: Study Area



Map 3: Historical Urban Form



2.2 Regional Growth Trends

Airdrie falls within the economic region of Calgary and is in a position to benefit from the growth of Calgary as a large economic centre. With Calgary as a strong economic driver, a direct transportation corridor running into the city centre (Highway 2), and relatively lower housing costs there is opportunity for Airdrie to continue to grow. Opportunities for development in the city are driven not only by proximity to Calgary, but also accessibility of services and the policies that control land development. The City of Airdrie has consistently shown strong population growth over the last two decades. During this period Airdrie’s population has grown from around 12,000 to 39,822 (2010 Census), making Airdrie one of the fastest growing municipalities in Alberta. Planning for strong growth requires adequate infrastructure and resources to support development. For this purpose, Population and Employment Forecasts were prepared in 2007 by Applications Management Consulting, to provide the City with a 50-year population forecast. This study is summarized in Section 4.0, and includes a detailed forecast for the period 2007 to 2037, and an extrapolation of these projections for an additional 20 year period from 2038 to 2057.

2.3 Previous Growth Studies

Over the past decade there have been two major growth studies completed for the City of Airdrie. A growth study was completed in 2000 for the City by Brown and Associates Planning Group and a subsequent study was prepared in 2004 by IBI Group. While these studies were both well written and accurate at that time, since substantial growth has occurred, many factors that future growth relies upon have changed dramatically. The information and analysis from these studies form a solid foundation for the CGS; new information such as current population projections and growth trends will ensure it is up to date for 2011.

City of Airdrie Growth Study – 2000

The City of Airdrie completed a Growth Study in 2000 to identify the amount and suitable location of land required for long-term growth at that time.2 The recommendations from that study were intended to help finalize a new Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) that was being prepared between the City and Rocky View County at that time, and to facilitate annexation of lands in the following years. Prior to 2000, long-term growth requirements had not been the subject of a comprehensive review since 1984. In those sixteen years, Airdrie had grown from a town of around 10,500 residents, to a city of just under 20,000. Many conditions had changed and new issues needed to be addressed to effectively accommodate the high growth rates that were expected to continue in the future. The report provided:

� An analysis of growth trends and the land use policies of the day that would directly influence the future growth in Airdrie;

� A 30-year forecast of household and population growth; � A calculation of future urban land requirements based on these population forecasts;

2 City of Airdrie, 2000.



� An evaluation of land surrounding Airdrie to determine its suitability for future urban development, based on a variety of criteria; and

� Two alternative growth strategies for Airdrie that provide the additional land required for 30-year growth in locations most suitable for urban development. The first was based on existing policies for lands in south Airdrie; the second required amendments to existing policies to accommodate additional industrial development in south Airdrie.

The report further examined three key strategic growth issues:

1. Whether it was cost-effective to expand on the east side of Highway 2, where current and approved rural subdivisions limit urban expansion;

2. The challenge of providing immediately serviceable land, when most land that is currently available is the most expensive to service; and

3. The need to maximize investments in transportation that are at Airdrie’s boundaries (such as upgrades to interchanges and ‘boundary roads’), by locating most development in these areas.

The land inventory found that 1,850 acres of residential and 476 acres of industrial land were available, but due to a projected population of 65,800 by 2031, 2,291 acres of additional land (approximately 15 quarter sections) were required in order to meet the 30-year land supply. Approximately equal proportions for future residential and industrial lands were identified. The study concluded that lands to the north, southwest and southeast were found to best meet the criteria for urban development, since they created a more contiguous boundary compared to an extended north/south or east/west linear growth pattern. The preferred growth strategy furthermore identified residential lands in the northwest, southwest and southeast and industrial lands along Highway 2 to the north and south. Long-term growth for Airdrie was identified to the east, south and west.

Airdrie Growth Area Management Plan (GAMP) – 2004

Three years after the 2000 Growth Study, the City of Airdrie finalized annexation negotiations with Rocky View County, and with the annexation order issued in August of 2003, it was necessary for the City to update their Municipal Development Plan (the Airdrie City Plan) to include the new areas that were now within City boundaries. The Municipal Government Board Order identified a total of 2,873 acres of land for incorporation into the City of Airdrie. This land was located in each quadrant of the City and gave Airdrie a more concentric layout, in comparison with the previous linear configuration. To guide the MDP amendment, the City of Airdrie selected IBI Group to complete a Growth Area Management Plan.3 While it relied significantly on information collected for the 2000 study to provide background and general direction, the level of detail for growth areas was increased to include transitioning, timing and planning cells. The GAMP included a set of guiding principles that included:

� Downtown being the focus for commercial development; � Increased densities; � Providing appropriate interfacing and buffering; � Creating a comprehensive community; � Encouraging non-residential development; � Effective management of infrastructure; and




� Development of a comprehensive parks and open space system. The GAMP recommended the following growth plan for the annexed areas:

� Residential land use to the northwest, east and west; � Commercial to the north; � Two commercial nodes (20 to 30 acres of mixed use development) adjacent to the east

and west residential areas; and � Industrial to the north and immediately east of Highway 2 and west of the residential

area. The GAMP also recommended several initiatives for the City including:

� City should maintain a 5-year supply of readily developable residential, commercial and industrial land. The City is encouraged to reference this objective when making decisions on infrastructure investment and devote available resources to helping satisfy infrastructure requirements for lands in short supply;

� Comprehensive Area Structure Plans should be developed for each of the four recommended planning cells. The Area Structure Plans should promote efficient, well planned and sustainable development and identify a comprehensive infrastructure strategy that details servicing requirements, timing and cost allocation;

� Additional engineering analysis should be completed to ensure infrastructure requirements are in place to support future growth;

� Undertake a study to identify incentives for increasing industrial development in Airdrie; and

� Identifying a 440 acre short fall of industrial land based on the projected need in 2031. It is anticipated the industrial land supply will be gone in 2020. The City is encouraged to begin addressing the anticipated shortfall.

The GAMP was completed during the same period as the 2004 annexation. Although it was very accurate and comprehensive at the time, many factors have changed, which creates the necessity for an updated and more comprehensive Growth Strategy.



3.0 Growth Principles This section is intended to give a summary of some of the main principles that the City of Airdrie uses when land use planning. Policy documents reviewed range from the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Transportation Master Plan (TMP), to the many Area Structure Plans (ASPs) and Area Redevelopment Plans (ARPs) that have been created for growth areas within Airdrie. This section highlights the directions for growth management provided by these documents and City Council. There are five Growth Principles which are briefly outlined here and discussed in the following sections:

1. Well Managed Growth � Working with the development industry � Balancing short- and long-term growth objectives � Linking transportation and land use � Using density to improve efficiency

2. Building Whole Communities � Neighbourhoods & local services � Local employment

3. Fiscal Balance � Fiscal Impact Analysis � Balancing Residential and Non-Residential Development

4. Environmental Stewardship � Sustainable development policies � Pursuing sustainable transportation � EIAs, ESAs & BMPs � Watershed management

5. Cooperation and Communication � Intermunicipal cooperation � Public Consultation

3.1 Well Managed Growth

The need to maintain an adequate supply of land to accommodate growth is of particular concern to the City of Airdrie’s growth management philosophy. Appropriate planning is essential to the well being of a community and it is critical that sufficient market variety and competition be introduced and maintained in the market place.

Working with the Development Industry

According to the City there are a declining number of developers active in the community as a result of growth. As the number of players in the community diminishes the reliance on select companies to provide a variety of products at a variety of prices is reduced. Since most development companies tend to plan many years in advance of development it is important to ensure that an adequate supply of land is kept within the City’s jurisdiction. As the economic and planning cycles play out, these lands are brought on stream in an effective and planned, rather than an ad hoc, fashion.

Balancing Short- and Long-term Growth Objectives

It is imperative to recognize that this Growth Strategy guides Airdrie’s growth toward a population of approximately 80,000 people. Although this is a long-term objective, this Strategy



must ensure short term growth requirements are also satisfied. Similarly, as was done for previous Growth Strategies, satisfying the projected demand for land must be achieved, but not without considering the impacts on current residents and development. While satisfying the projected demand is a key objective, this Strategy must identify a land use pattern that allows for proper community design and sustains the community.

Linking Transportation and Land Use

Transportation and land use are firmly intertwined and decisions for each must factor in other considerations. For example, compatibility of future development with the highway system is a critical issue, as traffic issues currently exist, and Alberta Transportation (AT) has plans for significant improvements to the highway system. Like growth studies before it, this Strategy avoids potential issues by properly locating developments with larger traffic implications. Commercial developments will be recommended in areas where existing and future transportation infrastructure can accommodate larger volumes of traffic and industrial development in areas where the impact of the associated truck traffic is minimal.

Density

Increasing densities within all forms of development and in particular residential land uses, will improve the efficiency of services, transportation, public transit and public facilities. In addition, increased densities will reduce the land required to accommodate the projected growth, extending the projected supply of Airdrie’s land base. To this extent the City has seen an increase in the required density at which development must be built out at within the City limits. Historically the city maintained a density of about 4 units per acre. In 2008, the requirement was that development be built out at 5.5 to 9 units per acre, and this has continued to increase. Certainly this enhances the ability of our limited land base to accommodate growth without diminishing limited land supply and natural features prematurely. This is additionally in keeping with the average density targets established in the Calgary Metropolitan Plan.

3.2 Building Whole Communities

Reflected in all the planning, engineering and fiscal documents prepared by the City is the position that “whole communities” are essential to achieving a balanced City and maintaining its “sense of community”. The City of Airdrie is a defined urban community that attracts an increasing number of people due to its sense of community, excellent services and other quality of life attributes. In order to preserve this sense of community it is essential that neighbourhoods be designed at an appropriate size such that they can accommodate schools, institutions (e.g., religious assembly), recreation facilities and parks.

Neighbourhoods and Local Services

In practice, the City defines a whole community as being at least 160 acres and contiguous to existing development. A whole community of this size can support more than one local school, local convenience goods, and a variety of housing forms. A whole community is also large enough to support the provision of transit and infrastructure services efficiently while limiting the number of access points and potential traffic conflicts from local roads to higher order roads.

Local Employment

Over the past decade, the main employment centre for Airdrie has continued to be the City of Calgary. A major focus of current planning is to increase the proportion of residents who work within the City of Airdrie. In practice, this has lead the City to support commercial and industrial development at an even higher rate than the explosive population/residential growth, both in the new employment centres in the northeast and along Highway 2 south of Yankee Valley Blvd., as



well as through “in-fill” redevelopment of existing commercial areas, notably including the downtown core. The City of Airdrie has very clearly stated that the downtown is to remain the primary focus of commercial activity in Airdrie. The demand for large format commercial development in the suburban areas must be achieved in balance with a viable downtown core.

3.3 Fiscal Balance

The City believes that a healthy community can best be achieved through a balance between a variety of residential housing alternatives, public facilities and employment generating development. Historically, the City has maintained a strong employment base through large industrial operations in East Lake Industrial Park. As the growth of new businesses slowed due to land shortages, and relative to the demand for residential development, City Council identified improving the balance between these use types as an urgent priority.

Fiscal Impact Analysis

City Council has introduced the practice of undertaking Fiscal Impact Analysis (FIA) of proposed developments. Using a Fiscal Impact Model (FIM) the City is able to calculate that the level of services provided to a residential development often exceeds the revenues (taxes, levies and user fees) collected from that development. Alternatively, non-residential development results in a net benefit to the City from a financial perspective, contributing more in revenues than they cost the City. Non-residential development therefore is the balancing factor in supporting growth.

Balancing Residential and Non- Residential Development

The need to appropriately balance the land uses for each use, has resulted in the City adopting the view that for the City of Airdrie to be “sustainable”, 50% of its land base should be dedicated to non-residential employment generating businesses, with the remaining 50% of land being allocated to residential development. This land split will result in an assessment split for the City of 40% non-residential and 60% residential, and from a financial position will allow tax rates and user fees to be maintained at a reasonable level. Currently, the City’s assessment split is 84% residential and 16% non-residential;4 by increasing the amount of non-residential development, the City will be better able to respond to growing financial responsibilities.

3.4 Environmental Stewardship

One of the principles that the City maintains in the preparation of its planning documents is the need to preserve the sense of community that exists in the city and do so in a manner that maintains or enhances the natural environment.

Sustainable Development

The City of Airdrie has actively pursued development measures that ensure today’s growth is sustainable; in other words, it does not impose restraints on future generations. Ensuring all current growth adheres to this concept of sustainable development is one of the City’s main policy objectives. A critical consideration of this Strategy is conveying sustainable development polices, smart growth principles and measurable indicators and triggers for land development and annexation, along with flexible land uses to address both long and short term uses in the City. It is necessary to gauge the impact which ongoing residential development will have on the Study Area and what the anticipated cumulative effects and impacts might be.




Sustainable Transportation

The development of the transportation network forms a major part of development and should follow the concept of sustainability. While Airdrie’s 2006 Transportation Master Plan is currently being updated for 2008, it focuses specifically on existing communities and new growth areas within the current city boundaries. The City of Airdrie’s 2006 Transportation Master Plan explores some concepts, including ‘road diets,’ functional planning, access management, typical cross sections, transit stops, and school & playground zones.

EIAs, ESAs and BMPs

The City has actively sought to ensure that development takes significant environmental features into account in all planning initiatives. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) are requirements of all planning processes. Best Management Practices (BMPs) must be demonstrated on all applications that would lead to an alteration of natural features such as stream beds. The IDP with Rocky View County also reflects these principles.

Watershed Management

The Airdrie region is located within a landscape that contains features such as wildlife, plant diversity, and significant watercourses. The City’s relationship to Nose Creek is critical to any growth planning. Watershed Management must be considered when scoping and siting any future development or redevelopment.

3.5 Cooperation and Communication

In positioning itself well for future development, the City of Airdrie strives towards open communication with its constituents and a friendly relationship with its neighbors. For that reason intermunicipal planning and public consultation are very important aspects of long-term growth planning.

Intermunicipal Cooperation

The preparation of an Intermunicipal Development Plan with the County (formerly the MD of Rocky View) in 2001 was the first step in the enhancement of an improved relationship between the City and the County. An IDP establishes a process for referral on development applications and opens up prospects for dialogue on matters of mutual interest. The City of Airdrie and Rocky View County intend to revise the IDP, which will help guide growth in the Airdrie region for the next decade. The City of Airdrie strives to be a cooperative neighbour, and has an open dialogue with Rocky View County.

Public Consultation

Although this Comprehensive Growth Study does not involve Public Consultation, there has been significant involvement of the public in many other studies and policies over the past decade. The 2003 GAMP included a series of open houses and meetings which allowed interested stakeholders and members of the community to comment and direct the GAMP to respond to a variety of issues. A series of 21 meetings with a variety of stakeholders helped planners determine the framework to evaluate and determine future growth. Although discussion topics varied, four central themes emerged, including: timing of the GAMP submission, infrastructure improvements, under estimation of commercial demand and the preference for residential land. Overall, the meetings and discussion provided the project team with a thorough understanding of existing and background conditions while allowing an open discussion on future land requirements. The information and comments received during these discussions were incorporated into the analysis and are addressed in the GAMP.



Summary

The Principles presented in this Section cross disciplines and do not relate solely to planning. This Growth Strategy attempts to meet these principles by directing future development to the most appropriate locations within current and future city boundaries.



4.0 The Reality of Growth When creating a Growth Strategy, it is important to ensure that there are adequate infrastructure and resources to support development. This section provides a population and employment forecast from 2007 to 2057 (50-years from the initial CGS) with the understanding that long-term growth requires land for development.

4.1 2008 Employment & Population Projections

As of 2008, The City of Airdrie had consistently shown strong population growth over the previous 15 years, growing from 12,456 to 31,352, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 5.9 percent. This strong growth made Airdrie one of the fastest growing major municipalities in Alberta. The purpose of the Population and Employment Forecast study is to provide a 50-year population forecast for the City of Airdrie. This includes a detailed forecast for the period 2007 to 2037; and an extrapolation of these projections for an additional 20-year period from 2038 to 2057. The following graph shows that employment is projected to grow from 13,853 in 2007 to almost 30,000 in 2037. The average annual rate of employment growth from 2007 to 2037 is 2.6 percent. When the forecast is extended to 2057, employment is projected to grow to 38,302. The average annual rate of employment growth over the entire forecast period from 2007 to 2057 is 2.1 percent.

City of Airdrie Employment Forecast to 2057

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

2007 2012 2017 2022 2027 2032 2037 2042 2047 2052 2057

Year

2007-2037 2038-2057

The City of Airdrie has very clearly articulated a policy to ensure that growth in the City is balanced between residential and non-residential development. An initial population forecast was developed to provide a growth scenario than achieves this objective, and produced a population of around 85,000 by 2057. However, as Council recognized that this objective may not be achieved in the mid to long-term, an alternate scenario was developed, which relaxed this objective (allowing Airdrie’s population to grow faster than its employment base). Under this scenario, it is projected that total population could reach almost 109,000 by 2057. The



population forecast includes both natural increase and net migration to the City. The resulting forecast is summarized in the graph below.

City of Airdrie Population Projections

10000

30000

50000

70000

90000

110000

1993 2001 2009 2017 2025 2033 2041 2049 2057

Year

Po

pu

lati

on

Historical 2007-2037 2008-2057 GAMP 2004

The graph shows the historical population growth from 13,568 in 1993 to 29,035 in 2006. Population is projected to grow from 31,352 in 2007 to almost 85,042 in 2037. When the forecast is extended to 2057, population is projected to reach 108,906. For comparison, the graph also displays the 2004 Growth Area Management Plan (GAMP) forecast, which projects growth from 25,400 in 2006 to 65,900 in 2031 (an average annual growth rate of 3.9 percent). Based on the 2007 Census numbers, there were 2.69 people per household in Airdrie (31, 512 people living in 11,722 dwelling units/households). Using this number, it was expected there would be a projected 20,547 new dwelling units by 2037, and 30,172 by 2057.

4.2 2008 Land Demand

The purpose of this Growth Strategy is to determine the best ways of accommodating the growth Airdrie will expect over the coming few decades. Growth can occur in two ways: through internal growth (intensification, brownfield redevelopment, etc) and by external growth. Over the past decade, much of the growth in Airdrie has been accommodated through external growth, facilitated by an annexation in 2004. Although Council direction may evolve in the future, and residential densities in new communities have slowly been increasing, the majority of growth that Airdrie will face is likely to be accommodated through external growth and future annexation of land. For this reason, this section estimates the amount of new land that will be needed to accommodate the expected population growth, as new communities are built on the fringe of Airdrie. The population projections in the previous sections provide base numbers that can be translated into land requirements over the next 50 years.

Density

Although there is a direct relationship between population and land, this relationship is not static. When density is factored into the equation, it becomes evident that population doesn’t



equal land in all contexts; other factors, such as housing type, neighbourhood design, and the mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses also come into play. As noted in previous growth strategies and in the guiding principles section of this document, higher densities improve infrastructure efficiency and extend the life of the existing land supply. Increasing the density of new residential communities is consistent with the growth principles outlined in this document and previous policies approved by Council (such as ‘A Principled Approach to Growth’), and was also the subject of amendments to the Airdrie City Plan. In addition, it is an indicator of how intensively land is planned and used in order to provide new units of housing. While density in new communities has increased significantly over the past decade and this trend is expected to continue (recent amendments to the City Plan increase minimum densities for new communities), the overall density of Airdrie has increased only slightly due to its established neighbourhoods. The land demand projections shown here assume that overall densities will increase only slightly over the coming decades, as the gains made in new communities are moderated by the established communities that will only change slightly.

People per Household

One of the major factors that affect density is the number of people living in a household or dwelling. The statistic for ‘people per household’ indicates the number of people living in a single household, or dwelling unit. It is tracked during the annual municipal census, and over the past five years has fluctuated only slightly between 2.69 and 2.79 people per household in Airdrie. The land demand forecast makes assumptions about the number of people per household over the long-term, based on the following trends:

� Strong growth in the number of people living alone as a result of aging of the population and higher life expectancy,

� Couples with children will continue to shrink as a proportion of all households, a result of aging and low fertility, and

� Increases in the number of single parent households. Historical data shows that household size has decreased significantly over the past decades because of increased affluence, rising female participation in the labour force, rising divorce rates, and reduced fertility rates. While all of these factors have contributed to the decline in the number of people per household in the past, they are not expected to have as much of an impact into the future. The number of people per household cannot continue to rapidly decline into the future because of such assumptions as couples will continue to have children and fertility rates will not reach zero. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) forecasted5 that people per household will range from 2.5 to 2.6 in 2016 in Alberta, which is a moderate decline from where it was in 2008. The number of 2.6 is used as their rule of thumb.6 Many of these trends may fluctuate slightly throughout the forecast period. Therefore, it may be best not to project any significant fluctuations from the current rate. Having said that, the number of people per household is also related to housing policy: due to unit size, the number of people per household is often much less for apartments and condos, when compared to single-family detached dwellings. As the amount of multi-family development in Airdire has been increasing

5 CMHC, 1996.

6 Goatcher, 2008.



and is expected to continue through new CASPs, this model assumes a reduction of people per household to 2.6 by 2037, and constant thereafter until 2057.

Residential Demand

The method of calculating residential land requirements in Airdrie has been consistent over the past decade. In 2000, residential land requirements were calculated using average densities of 5.5 units per gross acre (upga) for detached dwellings, and 10 upga for multi-family units (rowhouse and apartments). That forecast assumed an increase in the proportion of multi-family units relative to detached dwelling units during the period 2000 – 2030. The average overall density of new communities was estimated to be approximately 6.2 units per gross developable acre (existing developed areas in Airdrie at the time averaged 4 to 5 upga). This same methodology was used for in 2003 for the GAMP. Based on the fiscal analysis tool used by the City of Airdrie, residential density in 2008 was 5.98 upa. In 2008, if all remaining land within Airdrie was built according to the policy stated in approved CASPs, a total population of approximately 85,000 people could have been contained within Airdrie. Given the amount of residential land available at that time within Airdrie,7 this yielded a residential density of approximately 7.08 upa. From 2000 to 2008, development in Airdrie had averaged 7.7 upa and that trend has continued; however, due to the fact that not all CASP policy can be achieved as a result of further constraints in the NSP and development stages of the process, the 2008 Land Demand Analysis assumed that density would increase from its current level to 7.0 upa by 2037. Using these assumptions, the 2008 land demand analysis estimated the required amount of residential land to be 3,320.7 acres by 2037, and 4,695.7 acres by 2057.

Industrial Demand

Methods of calculating future industrial land demand have also been similar in the previous growth strategies prepared for the City of Airdrie. In 2000, two alternative land forecast methods were highlighted: the ‘land per capita’ method, and the ‘historical land absorption’ method. The ‘land per capita’ method accounts for the direct link between population growth and economic activity in a City such as Airdrie. As the population grows, the demand for industrial land grows, and visa versa. It assumes a standard amount of industrial land to be required for each additional person that lives in Airdrie. The ‘historic land absorption’ method uses recent historical land absorption rates as an indicator of future industrial land requirements. Upon further investigation of this method, it was determined that the absorption extending back 20 years when Airdrie was a much smaller town was not a relevant indicator of future demand. In the end, the strategy used a ‘land per capita’ forecast, which assumed that the current ratio of industrial land to population would remain at 30.0 acres per 1000 residents. The estimation was recognized as a conservative estimate, as it did not account for the potential of Airdrie to capture an increasing share of the regional industrial growth, which was highly likely given it’s proximity to Highway 2 and major airports. This scenario ended up being true, and industrial growth vastly outstripped supply in the years that followed. The same method was used in 2003, but this time the strategy assumed a demand of 31.0 acres of industrial land per 1000 residents, increasing to 36.0 by 2031. The unsatisfied demand for 60.0 acres of land that existed in 2003 was also included at a rate of 12.0 acres of land per year from 2004 through 2008.

7 Calculated using 2.6 pph. Also see section on Land Supply



Due to the rapid industrial growth in the City, the same situation existed in 2008 as did in 2000 and 2003: industrial growth was expected to outstrip historical growth rates, and history would not be a good indication of future land requirements. This remains true today, and the ‘land per capita’ method remains the most appropriate method of estimating industrial land demand; new numbers need to be used that represent the current ratio. Based on the 2008 land analysis, the ratio of industrial land per 1,000 residents was 33.6 acres (when using all zoned industrial land) and 19 acres (when using only built industrial land). Based on these numbers, it remained prudent to assure there is adequate supply of industrial land for the population, and the 2008 Strategy assumed that the ratio of industrial land per 1,000 residents would increase gradually from its current level of 19 to 30 by 2057. It also assumed that Airdrie would continue to increase its share of the regional economy and become an increasingly important industrial centre on the Highway #2 corridor with excellent access to the Calgary airport. Using these assumptions, the forecasted demand for additional industrial land in 2008 was 1,578.5 acres by 2037, and 2,666.7 acres by 2057.

Commercial Demand

While local commercial uses are generally built into new residential communities and the overall density assumption of 7 units per gross acre allows for this, non–local commercial uses also need to be considered. Defined as retail that services more than the convenience needs of local residents, and often known as ‘community’ or ‘regional’ retail development, future non-local retail land is calculated using a space per resident ratio, much like industrial land. This is the method that has been used in Airdrie over the past decade. The 2008 inventory of retail commercial footage in Airdrie was approximately 1,760,000 sq. ft., representing just less than 56 sq. ft. per resident. In 2000, this number stood at just over 40 sq. ft. per resident. In general, local or convenience commercial floor space accounted for up to 10 sq. ft per capita while non-local space represented 30 or more sq. ft. per capita. Based on these generalizations, the current level was relatively high; however, most of the commercial development over the past five years has been ‘large-format’ commercial development, which vastly increases the amount of footage per person. The 2008 Strategy assumed that floor space would stay constant at 55.8 sq. ft. per capita, from 2007 to 2057. In 2008, applying this factor to the projected population growth indicated an additional floor space requirement of 2,986.300 sq. ft. by 2037, and 4,317.900 sq. ft. by 2057. While some of this retail commercial floor space could be located on lands that were already designated for commercial use in downtown Airdrie, and some could be located in new neighbourhoods, the vast majority would be accommodated on land slated for ‘employment’ uses in past IDPs and growth studies. To convert this floor area to a land requirement, a Floor-to-Area Ratio (FAR) was involved. Retail development typically ranges from less than 0.10 FAR for highway commercial uses (and other uses with high parking requirements such as restaurants), to as high as 0.25 FAR. Retail density levels over 0.25 FAR are typically only achieved by multi-story retail centres. Based on the 2008 statistics for commercial land within Airdrie, the average FAR was 0.14,8 an indication of the amount of ‘large format’ commercial that was built in recent years. As more of a balance between smaller and larger format stores was expected over the mid- to long-term, the FAR is expected to rise towards 0.20 over the next 30 years – this remains true in 2011. Using this assumption equated to a need for an additional 379.1 acres by 2037 and 839.2 acres by 2057.

8 Calculated using the current amount of built footage and current land used.



Other Land Required

When projecting future growth, residential and industrial land uses are generally the highest requirement for land; however, other uses, such as open space, transportation and institutional uses will also require land in the future. The other uses which fall into this category have historically not been quantified individually, although they are important in total land requirements. Most of the land demand forecasts factor in a certain amount of these other uses through their assumptions (i.e.: density, FAR, etc.) and include:

� Transportation – Expansion of the City will impact existing roadways and increase traffic flow. As a result, major roads and interchanges will need to be widened on land that is considered part of the gross developable acreage, and from within current City boundaries.

� Institutional – Quasi-public and institutional uses refer to regional servicing uses, and include; health facilities, high schools, churches, government administrative offices, public works yards, etc.

� Flex-Land – Flex land allows for inefficiency in the land conversion process. This process refers to the fact that not all land that has been annexed to meet the long-term growth requirement will be ready and available to accommodate growth exactly when it is needed within that period. Many reasons could apply including; private land holders, servicing constraints, underdevelopment, fragmented ownership pattern and “hold-outs”. Therefore leniency in the amount and location of lands must be accommodated.

4.3 2011 Land Supply

While all land use within the City of Airdrie’s current boundaries has been approved either through the Land Use Bylaw or in policy that is outlined in Community Area Structure Plans (CASPs), some growth areas have not yet been developed. This land falls into the category of vacant land, which is currently zoned as ‘Urban Holdings,’ which makes up the existing land supply for growth within the City’s boundaries. Numbers in this section are expressed in gross developable acres (GDA) or net acres (NA). GDA is all land (gross area) minus land that is not developable and is expected to remain as natural environmental reserve. For the purposes of the vacant land analysis, the only land that was considered environmental reserve was a 30-metre setback from existing drainage courses. NA is the GDA minus land that is expected to be used for roads or public utilities (calculated as 23% of gross developable area), then minus Municipal Reserve (10%). This section speaks to the amount of land supply that is available for the three main land uses: residential, industrial and commercial. The total amounts of land available for each use, and thus ‘vacant’, are shown in Map 4: Land Supply and Table 1: Urban Holdings Land. Table 1: Urban Holdings Land

Urban Holdings

Land Use GDA NA

Residential 1,560.46 1,081.40

Industrial 586.72 406.6

Commercial 21.3 21.3

Total 2,168.48 1,509.3



Residential Supply

In 2011, due to zoned land being developed and urban holdings land being zoned (in preparation for development), the amount of residential land supply has shrunk since 2008 to 1,560.46 gross developable acres, which will equal 1,081.40 net acres once developed. Based on the Land Demand Analysis developed for the CGS, this represents enough land to support residential growth until approximately 2022 +/- 2 years (11 +/- 2 years).

Industrial Supply

In 2011, also due to zoned land being developed and urban holdings land being zoned (in preparation for development), the amount of industrial land supply has shrunk to 586.72 gross developable acres, which will equal 406.60 net acres once developed. Based on the Land Demand Analysis, this represents enough land to support industrial growth until approximately 2020 +/- 1 year (9 +/- 1 year).

Commercial Supply

While many activities that could be considered commercial are either permitted or discretionary uses under a number of industrial land use districts, most are not. Land that is slated for future commercial use (in CASPs), designated as Urban Holdings, totals only 21.3 net acres, which represents the City’s commercial land supply. Based on the Land Demand Analysis, this represents enough land to support commercial growth until approximately 2013 +/- 1 year (2 +/- 1 year).

4.4 Land Summary

The difference between the land required for mid- and long-term growth and the existing inventory of land in Airdrie represents the land required for future annexation. Table 2 below is an updated measurement of the land that is required to accommodate the projected growth in 2011, based on the revised Vacant Land Analysis. It shows the difference between demand and supply, which translates into the amount of land that will need to be annexed. Recommended growth directions and annexation are explained in Section 6: Accommodating Growth. Table 2: 2011 Land Analysis Summary

2011 Difference (GDA) Demand (NA) (No change) 2037 2057

Land Use 2037 2057

2011 Supply

(NA) Acres Quarters Acres Quarters

Residential 3,320.7 4,695.7 1,081.4 -3,029.7 -18.9 -4,890.1 -30.6

Industrial 1,578.5 2,666.7 406.6 -1,585.6 -9.9 -3,057.9 -19.1

Commercial 379.1 839.2 21.3 -484.1 -3.0 -1,106.6 -6.9

Total 5,278.2 8,201.7 1,509.3 -5,099.5 -31.9 -9,054.7 -56.6

Sources: City of Airdrie, and the Land Demand and Vacant Land Analyses

Residential Land

To accommodate the projected population growth to 85,042 by 2037, 3,320.7 net acres of residential land will be required. In 2011, The City’s remaining residential land totals 1,081.4 net acres, which indicates a need for 3,029.7 gross acres of additional land within the next 30 years. The projections for the 50-year period suggest that there will be a need for approximately 4,890.1 gross acres of residential land, in addition to the current inventory.



A large proportion of the City’s current residential land inventory remains held in southwest Airdrie where a number of significant development constraints remain, specifically related to roadway and interchange improvements. Depending on the timing and funding availability for these projects, some portion of this inventory may not be available for development as and when required. Therefore, early annexation of alternative residential development areas is still recommended.

Industrial Land

Projections for growth over the next 30 years show that the existing inventory of land will not be sufficient for satisfying future industrial demand. The forecast estimates that an additional 1,585.6 GDA of will be required by 2037, and 3,057.9 GDA will be required by 2057, in addition to current industrial inventory. The majority of the City’s existing inventory of industrial land use is located in south Airdrie. Significant investments in roadways, highway interchanges and servicing infrastructure if these lands are to be developed. Depending on the availability and timing of funding for these projects, some portion of this inventory may not be available for development when required. Therefore, early annexation of alternative industrial development areas may be required.

Commercial Land

As illustrated on Map 4: Land Supply, there is very little land available within Airdrie’s current boundaries for future commercial development. A couple of small pockets can be found in the north; however, these will not be sufficient for growth over the next 30 years. Growth projections suggest that demand will outstrip supply and approximately 484.1 GDA of land will be required by 2037. Furthermore, 1,106.7 GDA will be required by 2057.

Total Land Requirements

In 2008, the total land required to be added to the City of Airdrie to accommodate 30-year growth in an orderly and efficient manner was in the order of 3,352.4 GDA – equivalent to 21 quarter sections of developable land. To accommodate the growth that was expected by 2057, a total of 7,307.8 additional gross developable acres of land was required – roughly equivalent of approximately 46 quarter sections of land. The 2011 Vacant Land Analysis has updated these numbers to 5,099.5 GDA (32 quarter sections) by 2037 and 9,054.7 GDA (57 quarter sections) by 2057. The following land evaluation (Section 5) determines which land is most appropriate for each use, while the process for potential future annexation and annexation boundaries is outlined in Section 6.



Map 4: 2011 Land Supply



5.0 Land Evaluation While the previous sections provided a picture of how much growth the City of Airdrie can expect in the future and an idea of how much land would be needed to accommodate that growth (depending on City policies), this section looks at the entire Study Area and evaluates the suitability for urban land use. It assumes the Study Area would be built as an extension of the City of Airdrie, presupposes a future annexation and defines what areas would be the most appropriate for inclusion within the City of Airdrie. To evaluate the land, a number of criteria were identified and are outlined here as constraints (both naturally occurring and constructed) and opportunities to urban development. Each quarter section of land within the Study Area was evaluated according to these criteria to determine its relative suitability for urban growth. It must be noted that this section also discusses the relative weighting that was given to each constraint and opportunity factor. The rating scale for constraints to / opportunities for development was on a scale of 0 to 4: 0 – insignificant, 1 – minimal significance, 2 – moderate significance, 3 – very significant, 4 – extremely significant.

5.1 Constraints

Constraints to urban development can exist as part of the natural environment, such as the topography, geology, hydrology, soil quality, and Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs). These physical constraints often pose a challenge during construction, and rules and regulations are created to prevent development near constraints. Constructed constraints can also exist, in the form of Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs), Oil & gas wells and pipelines, and Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) contours from the Calgary International Airport. Regulations exist in each case to prevent development near such constraints, and protect residential areas from these nuisances. Each of these constraints is outlined here. When considered individually, many of the physical constraints can be accommodated through site planning and design. However, where a number of constraints are identified within a single parcel, suitability for urban growth will be diminished.

Topography

Elevation in the Study Area ranges from a low of 1,072 metres (above sea level) along the Nose Creek Valley, to a high of 1,172 metes on the west perimeter. Elevation contours and topography are illustrated on Map 4: Physical Landscape. Steep slopes are illustrated by yellow and red shaded areas. While elevation alone does not pose a constraint to development, steep slopes are a constraint due to the difficulty of constructing buildings and related infrastructure along them. In addition, many municipalities define slopes above 15% grade as ‘undevelopable’ and are often granted to the City as Environmental Reserve. Weighting Although grading (e.g., cut and fill) can be done during construction to reduce

slope gradients and make the land more accommodating for development, building on steep slopes comes with significant cost. However, it is not one of the main factors that developers consider, and thus this factor was given a weighting of 1 (minimal constraint).



Geology

Geology can occasionally pose a constraint to development, in areas where bedrock or outcrops can be found. However, the geology of the Study Area is uniform, and falls into the Upper Paskapoo Formation, which is characterized by “grey to greenish, thick bedded, calcareous, cherty, clayey silt, gravel sand; grey and green siltstone and mudstone; minor conglomerate, thin limestone; and coal and tuff beds all of which are non-marine in origin.”9 For this reason the geology of the Study Area is not mapped.

9 Government of Alberta, 2007c.



Map 5: Physical Landscape



Waterbodies

The Study Area falls within the Nose Creek watershed, which has come under increasing pressure from intensification of agricultural practices as well as urban development. The Nose Creek Watershed Management Plan defines waterbodies as “locations where water flows or is present year round or intermittently. They include lakes, wetlands, creeks and sloughs.”10 Within the Nose Creek watershed, “setbacks [from waterbodies] vary from 6 metres (Municipal Government Act), to a minimum of 15 metres (The City of Airdrie, Land Use Bylaw), to 30 m for undeveloped land within the City of Calgary (The City of Calgary, Land Use Bylaw)”11 Rocky View County does not identify setbacks from Nose Creek in its Land Use Bylaw. According to the Airdrie MDP, major drainage and water courses:

shall be protected from development, dedicated as environmental reserve and integrated into urban development in a manner which minimizes disruption of the natural drainage system.” Airdrie’s land use bylaw is more specific and states that “land which is subject to flooding or subsidence, or which is marshy or unstable shall not be developed in any way except as it satisfies the provisions of this section, to the reasonable satisfaction of the Approving Authority.

12

With such direction from policy, waterbodies within the Study Area are a constraint to development, as per Map 5: Physical Landscape. Weighting While watercourses cannot be developed, and regulations specify setbacks for

both physical and ecological reasons, such features are often desirable in new development (especially residential). For this reason, the presence of watercourses was not a factor in rating land suitability for development.

Agricultural Land Capability

When planning for greenfield development, one of the traditional physical constraints is the quality of soil in the Study Area. Being a constraint, soil quality (as indicated by the Canada Land Inventory [CLI]) is illustrated in Map 6: Agricultural Land Capability to help evaluate the land base in the Study Area. Weighting While many rural municipalities consider the protection of high-quality agricultural

land a priority as part of their economic land base, the City of Airdire does not have an official policy protecting agricultural land. While it is good planning practice to protect the best soils for agricultural production, the presence of good soils is not usually a factor that restricts development, in most municipalities in Alberta. For this reason the constraint was given low relative importance (weighting of 0).

10

NCWWMP 11

NCWWMP 12

City of Airdrie, 2005. (LUB, section 5 (a))



Map 6: Agricultural Land Capability



Environmentally Sensitive and Natural Areas

Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs) are defined as “landscape elements or places, vital to the long-term maintenance of biological diversity, soil, water or other natural processes, both on-site and in a regional context.”13 Most ESAs contain special features and/or themes that relate to the protection and conservation of biodiversity, and can be classified as being of regional, provincial or national significance. There are no identified ESAs in the Airdrie region (refer to Map 7: Natural Areas & Open Spaces),14 although the Nose Creek Valley and its associated tributaries are areas of special importance, and are indicated on the map by green corridors. Weighting Considered solely as a physical constraint, an ESA would be viewed as a

significant hindrance to development, based on relevant legislation protecting them; however, although not suitable for development, nearby land is often viewed as valuable due to is proximity to a protected natural area, and thus was given a rating of 1 (minimal constraint to development).

13

Bentz et al., 1995 14

Sweetgrass Consultants Ltd. 1997



Map 7: Natural Areas & Open Spaces



Confined Feeding Operations

Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) are defined by the Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA) as “fenced or enclosed land or buildings where livestock are confined for the purpose of growing, sustaining, finishing or breeding by means other than grazing and any other building or structure directly related to that purpose but does not include residences, livestock seasonal feeding and bedding sites, equestrian stables, auction markets, race tracks or exhibition grounds."15 CFOs are considered a constraint to development and are illustrated in Map 8: Confined Feeding Operations; however, with only one CFO located in the Study Area (just outside of the western City boundary), they are not a significant constraint.16 AOPA defines Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) requirements for new, expanding and existing CFOs. The MDS is the distance that manure storage and collection areas must be from neighbouring residence walls. MDS is measured at the time of application for the new or expanded confined feeding operation and varies depending on the size and location of the CFO. CFOs are not required to maintain their MDS from neighbouring residences after the operation is constructed and operating. According to AOPA, there are no restrictions on the number and/or location of new residences around an existing operation. However, the Act does allow municipalities the discretion to impose MDS between existing CFOs and proposed residences (i.e., reciprocal MDS). The Rocky View County has chosen to enforce reciprocal MDS for new residences.17 Weighting In the evaluation matrix, the weighing of CFOs is 1 (a minimal constraint).

Although they present a nuisance to residential urban development, and vice versa, if growth were to occur in that direction, it is very likely that the parcel with the CFO would be included within the growth area, and the land would be sold to a developer.

15

Government of Alberta, 2007b 16

Previous to 2002, CFOs were a responsibility of the presiding municipality. In 2002, the responsibility for CFOs was shifted to the NRCB, and it began keeping record of all CFOs in the province; however, the NRCB does not have record of all CFOs in the province, especially if they were approved before 2002. There may be others in the study area that the NRCB has no records on. 17

Cunninghom, Scott. 2008



Map 8: Confined Feeding Operations



Oil & Gas Wells and Pipelines

The oil and gas industry is a key economic sector of Alberta, and the wells and pipelines in the Study Area are a testament. While oil and gas development can often limit the development potential of surrounding land, it can also be directly impacted by other types of development. For mainly health and safety reasons, the Alberta Energy Resources Conservations Board (ERCB, formerly the Energy and Utilities Board [EUB]) sets standards and policies that must be adhered to when a parcel of land is developed. Generally, the setback requirements are based on the amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and the release rates of the gas. Setbacks include:

� development up to the right-of-way (ROW) of sweet gas pipelines, � setback of 100 m (minimum) of sweet gas wells, � sour gas pipelines and wells at a minimum have four setback levels from development:

Level Setback 1 100 m 2 100 m to any dwelling

500 m to any urban centre18 or public facility19 3 100 m to any dwelling

500 m to any unrestricted country development 1,500 m to an urban centre or public facility

4 as specified by the Board but not less than Level 3 According to provincial policy, all development and subdivision applications must be submitted to the ERCB as well as the pipeline/well carriers for review to ensure that setbacks are met and that the pipeline and well owners are made aware of potential development around their infrastructure. Although gas wells and pipelines exist in the Study Area, many are associated with ‘sweet’ gas, which is generally less harmful in the event of an emergency, than sour gas. As regulated by the ERCB, active ‘sweet gas’ wells have a development setback of 100 metres, and development around pipelines is permitted up to the right-of-way. Sour gas wells have much more of a development setback, which can be seen on Map 9: Sour Gas Wells & Pipelines. Weighting As a constraint that is very much regulated, the weighting of this factor was

moderate (2). Development is simply not permitted in proximity to sour gas wells and pipelines; this land evaluation keeps with these laws and regulations.

18

An urban centre is defined as a community of not less than 50 separate, occupied individual permanent dwellings, or other incorporated centre. 19

A public facility is defined as a public building such as a hospital, rural school, or major recreational facility situated outside an urban centre, or other developments the EUB may designate, based on the complexity of evacuation.



Map 9: Sour Gas Wells & Pipelines



Airport Noise Contours Some portions of the Study Area fall within the Calgary International Airport Vicinity Protection Area (AVPA). As land use controls are considered to be the single most effective method of reducing the impact of aircraft noise, the Calgary International AVPA Regulation20 (under the Alberta Government Municipal Act) regulates land use around the airport (see Map 10: Airport Noise Contours). The forecasted effects of an airport are expressed in terms of a Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF), which is not a measurement of actual noise levels, but a prediction of the community reaction to accumulate perceived noise levels that would be experienced in the vicinity of the airport during an average busy day. NEF contour levels include the following:

NEF Risk / Land Use Planning Challenges

30 some objections from residents would be expected 35 residents would strenuously object to their level of exposure 40 considered to be extremely uncomfortable for human habitation

In Alberta, the NEF is an integral part of urban land use regulations. Under the AVPA, new residential development within the 30 NEF contour is prohibited, thereby protecting the airport from encroachment that would have an adverse affect on airport operations. Any dwellings within the 25 NEF must be constructed with adequate acoustic insulation. In this way effective land use controls can protect the airport and allow it to serve the public now and in the future.21 Weighting In the land evaluation, the airport noise contours were weighted at a 1 (minimal

constraint) as they are only a restriction for residential development and often sound attenuation technologies can mitigate this constraint.

20

Government of Alberta, 2006 21

Calgary Airport Authority, 2008



Map 10: Airport Noise Contours



Existing Land Use

Although the existing land use is not static (i.e.., land use evolves), it needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating land suitability for development. Land within the Study Area is identified primarily as Ranch and Farmstead, with pockets of development in the form of rural residential (i.e., low density with servicing by water wells and septic tanks) Existing land use if shown on Map 11: Existing Land Use. Where rural residential land is identified, development of land to an urban density would proceed through in-filling. From a strictly environmental stance, infill is a sustainable approach to building up the City of Airdrie. However, servicing existing rural residential areas to an urban standard would be cost prohibitive at the densities that exist today. As a result, these areas are less attractive for urban development, but could be re-evaluated in the future as long term growth potential. In the short- to medium-term, un-fragmented land that can be used for greenfield development is deemed most appropriate. Weighting Due to the high costs of servicing, fragmented land was weighted very high

(value of 4) in the evaluation matrix as a constraint to ‘urban’ development.



Map 11: Existing Land Use



5.2 Opportunities

While growth constraints are characteristics of the land that make it difficult to develop, opportunities inversely make the land more attractive to develop, in line with the goals, objectives and growth principles of the City of Airdrie. These opportunities include the existing land use policy (i.e., the current zoning), areas that are facing development pressure form landowners, proximity to existing servicing such as roads and pipes (the transportation network, potable water supply, sanitary and stormwater sewers, and Emergency Medical Services [EMS]). Costs associated with the provision of deep utility services including sanitary trunk sewers, storm trunk sewers, stormwater management facilities and water supply can be significant, and are considered when identifying land for urban growth. Existing utility trunk services may already have capacity to service certain new growth areas. For purposes of this Growth Strategy, all lands are rated according to their location in relation to current serviceability as of 2006. This means that lands adjacent to the existing utility lines/areas will tend to rate higher than lands located at a distance. This rating does not account for the fact that in certain situations, lands located at a distance from the current service lines may be equally serviceable at a future date, once services have been extended across intervening lands.

Land Use Policy (Future Land Use)

Although land use policy indicates that certain levels of planning have already occurred, for the purposes of this Strategy it is not a major opportunity or constraint, thus Map 12: Land Use Policy (Future Land Use) has been omitted from the 2011 CGS. In the land analysis completed for the CGS, land use policy does not factor into a parcel’s suitability for development, and is given a weight of zero (0). Whether it is currently slated for residential, commercial of industrial development, based on this characteristic, land is equally attractive for development.

Development Pressure

While discussions with area developers were had in the preparation of the 2008 CGS, this factor was given a weighting of zero (0) in the Land Analysis evaluation criteria. As a result, Map 13: Development Pressure has also been omitted from the 2011 CGS.

The Transportation Network

Transportation corridors and networks are important when looking at development opportunities within a Study Area. They are the arteries, allowing for movement of people and goods. The transportation network servicing Airdrie and the surrounding Study Area consists of two major north/south routes; Highway 2 (the Queen Elizabeth II) and the CP rail network. These transportation routes connect the City of Airdrie to other major population centres, and fall under the jurisdiction of Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation (AIT). The Transportation Network is shown on Map 14: Transportation & Road Network. Hwy 2 is a six-lane freeway that serves as the transportation spine for Airdrie, dividing it into west and east sectors. It provides direct vehicle access to Calgary, the main source of employment for Airdrie Residents. While the CP Rail network currently runs through Airdire, there is no train station, and was more important historically than it is today.



There are two primary roads and one secondary highway running east/west through the Study Area; Yankee Valley Boulevard, Veterans Boulevard and Highway 566. As marked on the map, these three routes are associated with an existing interchange/access to Hwy 2, thus facilitating east-west movement across the Study Area, and increasing accessibility for future residential and commercial development in the south Study Area. Five interchanges are highlighted on the map: three are shown as green (existing interchanges) and two are orange (future interchanges). Weighting Constructing roadways to accommodate growth can be the highest single cost of

new urban growth areas, making proximity to existing major roads and double loading of roads important factors in planning new growth areas. Planned growth also has the potential to minimize the length of major roads that need to be built and minimize the impact of traffic on existing communities. Because roads have a large role in moving people to and from their destinations they weigh heavily in the land evaluation (rating of 2).



Map 14: Transportation & Road Network



Potable Water Servicing

The City of Airdrie obtains treated water from The City of Calgary via two large water mains. The existing facilities in Airdrie consist of two storage reservoirs, a distribution pumping station and a distribution system consisting of a network of mains (refer to Map 15: Potable Water Servicing.22 There are two considerations when looking at potable water servicing. The first is proximity to existing pipes. For this consideration, land was evaluated based on its distance to the closest service point. The second consideration was potential water pressure. Water pressure decreases at higher elevations, and as the City of Airdrie is slightly higher in elevation than Calgary, certain sections of the Study Area would require water pressure ‘boosters’ in order to maintain high levels of service. Areas of lower elevation were thus rated as an opportunity for development. Weighting Locating water reservoirs or sanitary treatment facilities should be done to

maximize servicing efficiency. Although this is typically a component of an engineering analysis, it is an important community investment into infrastructure23. For this land evaluation, proximity to water servicing was rated at a weighting of 2 (as it doesn’t represent the full cost of servicing new areas), while location within potential pressure areas was rated at a 3, as new pressure boosters represent a significant cost.

22

City of Airdrie, 2006. 23

City of Airdrie, 2005.



Map 15: Potable Water Servicing



Sanitary Sewer Servicing

The existing wastewater system consists of conventional gravity flow collection, two lift stations, and two forcemains to the City of Calgary system. Improvements to this system are required to support continued growth. The sanitary sewer system is shown on Map 16: Sanitary Sewer Servicing. As a factor in the land evaluation, the wastewater system was included as an opportunity for growth. Like potable water service, there are two factors in wastewater servicing: proximity to existing pipes, and elevation. Land that was close in proximity to existing pipes and land that did not require significant investments due to elevation were both rated highly. As wastewater is collected through a gravity drainage system, land at higher elevations is ideal for collection, as long as they slope towards existing facilities. Areas that slope in the opposite direction and do not flow towards existing pipes were a very low opportunity. Weighting Because lift stations and forcemains are some of the most costly infrastructure

investments, the criteria for wastewater servicing were rated high. Proximity to existing pipes was rated at a 2 (moderate), while areas that do not require additional lift stations or sanitary trunks were also rated very high (4).



Map 16: Sanitary Sewer Servicing



Stormwater Servicing

The City of Airdrie storm water drainage system consists of a storm sewer system and several detention facilities (refer to Map 17: Stormwater Servicing). Nose Creek ultimately receives all of the runoff that enters the storm sewer system. Managing release rates through an efficient stormwater management system prevents the high volume events that can cause significant downstream erosion. There is also a quality component to stormwater management. Urban run-off usually has numerous pollutants and high particle counts that can settle out if primary or settlement facilities are provided. Weighting As stormwater management is usually detailed at the CASP and NSP stages of

the development process, determining areas where stormwater management will be easiest is slightly premature. However, since sufficient stormwater management is a requirement of all new development, through new storm ponds and pipes (new systems don’t necessarily need to be connected to the existing system), proximity to the existing stormwater system was given a weighting of 2 (a moderate opportunity).



Map 17: Stormwater Servicing



EMS Servicing

As stated in previous Growth Studies, a key element to urban living is being in close proximity of emergency services, including fire protection, police and ambulance. Fire protection available in an urban environment is considered significant enough for insurance companies to provide preferential rates to those properties covered by urban level emergency services. Ambulance and police services provide an enhanced level of security and generally improve the quality of life. For these reasons urban environments such as Airdrie are often more attractive to those who may need emergency services, including the older population or those with health issues.24 In this Growth Strategy, EMS servicing is considered as an opportunity, as new development in certain areas could already be serviced by existing, or planned, EMS Facilities. The City of Airdrie has been very proactive in this respect, by acquiring new sites for EMS facilities (namely fire halls) in locations throughout Airdrie. Map 18: EMS Servicing shows the two existing Fire Stations, and the three planned stations and their catchments areas. The City of Airdrie strives to maintain a four-minute response time to emergencies, and according to the map there are only a couple of areas within the City that would not be serviced, and servicing does extend outside of City boundaries. Weighting Although effective emergency response is a very important aspect of urban life, it

did not figure highly in the evaluation criteria (it was given a weighting of 0). If growth were to occur in areas that were not currently serviced, plans would be made to service the area.

24

City of Airdrie, 2005.



Map 18: EMS Servicing



5.3 2008 Evaluation Results – Growth Directions

For the purpose of explaining the results of the land evaluation, the study area was divided into four quadrants; northwest, northeast, southeast and, southwest. The following provides a summary of the opportunities and constraints to development identified within each quadrant. A visual representation of the findings is found on Map 19: Development Potential.

Northwest Quadrant

The Northwest quadrant contains the largest number of parcels with high development potential, making it the most opportune area in which to annex land for future expansion of city boundaries. A number of parcels adjacent to current city limits in this quadrant have been identified as having “very high” and “high” potential for development. In general, development potential declines in parcels located further from city limits. Opportunities:

• A large percentage of the area adjacent to the current City Boundary is facing development pressure.

• Highway 567 and 24th Street offer good transportation access for adjacent areas. � Existing servicing (potable water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater) is in close proximity,

especially in areas closest to the current City boundary. Much of the northern part of this quadrant would not require water pressure boosters to service, and thus relative cost of potable water provision is low.

Constraints: � Large areas of moderate and steep slopes along the western part of the quadrant. � A CF0 affects a large area, adjacent to the western City boundary. � Sour gas wells and setbacks in the northern portion of this quadrant impact a large area

within the quadrant. � Although existing sanitary sewer servicing is in close proximity, service provision costs

will be moderate to high, as lift stations will likely be required to service these areas.

Northeast Quadrant

The land considered most suitable for development has been identified centrally within this quadrant. An area of “very low” potential is concentrated in the northern portion of this quadrant. Opportunities:

� Two pockets of land within this quadrant are facing development pressure, with a small percentage located adjacent to the current City boundary.

� Highways 2 and 567 will provide good transportation access for adjacent areas. � Existing servicing (potable water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater) is in close proximity,

mainly in areas closest to current City boundaries. Constraints:

� Two areas of ‘high’ and ‘moderate’ fragmentation have been identified next to the current City boundary.

� Two large pockets of sour gas setback impact development potential in the northwest and southern parts of this quadrant.

� None of this quadrant has been identified as within city of Airdrie service zone therefore, any development in this area would require pressure boosters to provide water service. The cost of servicing this area with sewers was rated ‘high’ with exception of a small area adjacent to the City boundary.



Southeast Quadrant

Areas of ‘very high” and ‘high’ development potential are found in all land abutting current City limits. Pockets of “very low” potential are found along the eastern periphery and in two small pockets in the southern portion of the quadrant. The majority of this quadrant has been identified as having “moderate” or “low” potential for development. Opportunities:

� Three small areas of this quadrant are facing development pressure, one of which is bordering the City boundary.

� Highways 2 and Hwy 566 provide good access to adjacent areas. � Existing servicing (potable water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater) is in close proximity,

mainly in areas closest to current City boundaries. The majority of this quadrant has been identified as within city of Airdrie service zone and would not require water pressure boosters to service, keeping relative cost of potable water provision low. Sanitary sewer provision costs are rated ‘very low’ and ‘low’ on land adjacent to Highway 2 and the city boundary.

Constraints: � Areas of steep and moderately steep slopes are found along the Highway 2 corridor. � Large concentrated areas of high and moderate fragmentation are found in the

southwestern part of the quadrant. � Sour gas wells and setbacks impact most of this area. The exception being in the areas

that are already highly fragmented. � Noise exposure from the Airdrie airport will affect an area adjacent to Highway 2 in the

southern portion of the quadrant.

Southwest Quadrant

Areas of “very high” and “high” development potential are concentrated in the southern portion of this quadrant, with the majority of sections of “very high” potential found adjacent to Hwy 2. Development Potential decreases eastward and is identified as “very low” along the eastern boundary of the study area. Opportunities:

� Development pressure has been identified on land adjacent to Highway 2, and in two areas abutting the city boundary.

� Highways 2 and 566 will provide transportation access to adjacent land. � Existing servicing (potable water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater) is in close proximity,

mainly in areas closest to current City boundaries. Land running along Highway 2 is located within City of Airdrie service zone.

� Approximately one third of this quadrant provides an opportunity for development by providing “moderate” costs for sewer provision. The remaining two thirds are associated with high costs of sewer servicing.

Constraints:

� Areas of steep and somewhat steep slopes found along the western part of the quadrant.

� Sour gas setbacks impact development potential in the southwest corner of the quadrant, and on land running adjacent to Hwy 2.

� A large percentage of this quadrant will require pressure boosters for provision of potable water. In addition, provision of a sewer system is associated with ‘high’ and ‘moderate’ costs throughout the quadrant.



Summary This section provided a summary of the main opportunities and constraints found within each quadrant of the study area. It gives an overview of where the highest potential for development exists as well as what opportunities and constraints are present within each quadrant. Overall, it appears the most opportune areas for growth exist in the Northwest and Southwest quadrants. These areas have high concentrations of ‘very high’ and ‘high’ potential for development. Discussion relating to when annexation should occur is discussed in the accompanying Annexation Strategy.

5.4 2010 Land Evaluation Update

In 2010, an update was made to the Land Evaluation to include a new data layer called ‘ecological hotspots’, which had resulted from the recently completed ecological inventory. With the exception of upgrades to the Highway 2 / Yankee Valley Boulevard interchange and continued construction of new communities in the City, natural and human-made opportunities and constraints had not changed significantly in the two years since the 2008 evaluation; however, a shortage of land for City growth remained, and using the new ecological inventory, the revised land evaluation identifies the most appropriate areas for Airdrie to grow. The new ecological hotspot layer was given a weighting of 2 – a moderate significance – recognizing the benefits that ecological hotspots provide as ecological infrastructure, and that they present opportunities to protect and preserve such features in new communities. The revised land evaluation can be found on Map 19: Development Potential on the following page.

5.5 Dynamic Land Evaluation Tool

Because this Growth Strategy uses GIS analysis for both the mapping and land evaluation sections, the potential for the development of a continuous Growth Strategy tool exists. While the maps produced by the current evaluation are static, based on today’s servicing and development scenario, this tool can be easily updated in the future with tomorrow’s growth and servicing scenarios. For example, if a certain road, school, or fire station is built in two years time, this GIS tool can be updated and each quarter section can be re-evaluated based on the new development and servicing scenario. In this way, the Strategy can be kept accurate year-by-year, and the City of Airdrie need not rely on new studies every few years.



Map 19: Development Potential



6.0 Accommodating Growth As discussed in Section 4, the population growth that is expected in Airdrie will require additional residential, commercial and industrial land over the mid- to long-term. This section provides the City of Airdrie with a Growth Strategy that follows up the Land Evaluation and Land Supply & Demand Forecasts. It covers growth that can be accommodated within the current City boundary, explores the option of annexation, and suggests directions for growth outside of current City boundaries, which are proposed for future annexation. It encapsulates the key growth recommendations, and also provides a framework for future annexations. The legislative framework and specific tools for annexation can be found in Appendices C & D.

6.1 Internal Growth

As identified in Section 4, there are approximately 1,509.3 net acres of land currently available for future growth, as of April 2011. Of these, 1,081.40 net acres are for residential development, 406.6 net acres will accommodate industrial uses, and 21.3 net acres are for future commercial development. Growth directions inside of the city have already been determined, set out in CASPs that have been approved by City of Airdrie Council. Based on these policies, internal growth may be able to accommodate a population of up to 85,000 people; however, this Growth Strategy assumes a conservative scenario (status quo densities and development practices) and based on the 2011 Land Supply and 2008 Demand Analysis conducted, new land will be required before the City reaches that population level.

6.2 2008 Annexation Recommendations

Based on the 2008 land demand analysis, the amount of land within Airdrie was not sufficient to satisfy the long-term growth that was projected to occur. While densification was a growth strategy already being pursued by City Council, growth was expected to require an additional 5,667 acres of land (36 quarter sections of gross land) over the long-term, to be annexed from Rocky View County. Although there has been no Annexation Strategy previously prepared for the City of Airdrie, there are a number of policy documents that set the frame for Annexation in Airdrie, and have been approved by Council for this purpose. These include the Airdrie City Plan (MDP), and the Growth Principles that have been built over the past decade, and are explained in Section 3 of this Growth Strategy. These provide the reasoning and support for pursuing annexation of additional land to manage future growth. The City’s Growth Plans have historically made general recommendations regarding when annexation to the City should be considered, including to:

• control and manage the location and character of future growth and development; • make the City boundaries more cohesive, organized and logical; • achieve economic development goals; and • protect and control the environment of the City and its perimeter.

The current MDP for the City of Airdrie (the Airdrie City Plan) addresses the annexation of unincorporated areas near Airdrie, primarily through annexation policies and land use recommendations for areas adjacent to and near the city. The stated goal is:



Annexations will contribute to the economic vitality of Airdrie. In conjunction with the Annexation Plan, planning and development activities involving annexation must improve, or alternatively not impair, the economic vitality of Airdrie.

This goal is further explained through the following strategies and actions:

• Annexation determinations shall include an evaluation of impacts upon the commercial districts and areas of Airdrie, as well as the ability of the City’s tax base to support the proposed annexation.

• Potential annexation areas shall be identified, and through Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA’s) protect the City’s ability to protect and control its boundaries.

• All annexation proposals will be measured against their ability to comply with all sections of the MDP and IDP, and meet the Goals, Policy Direction, Strategies and Actions associated with Character, Land Use, Housing, Transportation, Economic Vitality, Public Investment, Environment, Regional Issues, Participation Involvement and Communication, and Urban Form.

These annexation goals, policy directions, strategies and actions will continue to guide annexations during the period of this plan. However, analyses of the costs and benefits of annexations in this period will carefully examine issues which may be of increased interest in the future. The MDP also speaks to a 30-year land supply, of which a 10 to 20-year supply should be ‘planned’ (through CASPs). This 30-year land supply for urban growth has become a general standard for a wide number of Alberta municipalities. Having a 30-year supply of land allows the municipality to have the most appropriate amount of land in the planning and construction stages of development. These policies also support annexation to accommodate long-term growth in Airdrie. The 2008 CGS identified that approximately 3,735 acres (23 quarter sections) of residential land, 2,466 acres (15 quarter sections) of industrial land and 1,107 acres (7 quarter sections) of commercial land were required to accommodate long-term (2057) population growth. These requirements are shown (expressed as quarter-sections) in Table 3 below. The annexation scenario and four subsequent growth scenarios developed for the CGS 2008 accommodated these amounts of land. Table 3: Land Provided by 2008 CGS Annexation Scenario

2008 CGS

Mid-term (2037) Long-term (2057) Total

Residential 12 11 23

Ind + Com = Bus-Ind 7 + 3 = 10 8 + 4 = 12 15 + 7 = 22 Total 22 23 45


In the 2010 CGS Update, a new annexation scenario was developed for consideration by Council and Administration and for use during annexation negotiations. It was based on the new proposed annexation boundary and the updated land evaluation (which included the Ecological hot-spots layer). This new scenario included approximately 1/3 more land than the 2008 scenario, as seen in Table 4 below. It also excluded the land that was identified by the



ecological inventory as ecological hotspots, which present opportunities for preservation and should not be developed upon. Table 4: Land Provided by the 2010 Growth Scenario, Minus Ecological Hotspots

2010 CGS

Mid-term (2030)

Long-term (2050)

Subtotal Hotspots Total

Residential 12 (same) 22 (11 more) 34 3.0 31.0

Bus-Ind 10 (same) 24 (12 more) 34 2.6 31.4

Total 22 (same) 46 (23 more) 68 5.6 62.4

The 2010 Proposed Annexation Scenario did not expand south beyond the current City boundary; however, like the 2008 scenarios, it attempted to include the most ‘developable’ land as indicated by the Land Evaluation and it was the new ideal option, based on the revised annexation boundary. That annexation scenario was recommended for consideration by Council and if approved, to be put forward by the City in their annexation application. While the proposed annexation area incorporates the amount of land for each land use (as noted in the tables above), should this or an alternate annexation boundary be approved by the Province, the spatial location of land uses (i.e. the future growth scenario and land use concept) will be determined at that time, which will also allow the appropriate level of consultation with the public and landowners.


This 2011 CGS update was completed for two reasons: to reference the new proposed annexation boundary, and to update the Vacant Land Analysis to see how supply had been keeping up with demand that was projected in 2008. As seen in section 4, the land required to be annexed to support long-term growth (50 years) is approximately 57 quarter sections. The amount of land that is provided by the revised proposed annexation boundary has risen to 78 quarter sections, as shown in Table 5 below. Subtracting the ecological hotspots leaves the City with 72.4 Gross Developable Acres for future growth. As the 2037 and 2057 growth projections from 2008 have been extrapolated to represent 30 and 50-year land needs (from 2011), land in addition to the 57 quarter sections (15 quarter sections) would provide an approximate 10 year buffer, and likely allow the City to accommodate growth to 2061. Table 5: Land Provided by the 2011 Growth Scenario, Minus Ecological Hotspots

2011 CGS

Mid-term (2031)

Long-term (2051)

Subtotal Hotspots Total

Residential 12 (same) 27 (5 more) 39 3.0 36.0

Bus-Ind 10 (same) 29 (5 more) 39 2.6 36.4

Total 22 (same) 56 (10 more) 78 5.6 72.4



6.5 Rationale for Annexation

The City of Airdrie has many policies that explain its reasoning for creating an annexation strategy. This section summarizes the rationale behind the annexation scenario proposed here, and includes the following points:

1. Previous Growth Studies – Previous growth studies over the past decade, including this 2008 Growth & Annexation Strategy, identify roadways, utility servicing, physical constraints, growth opportunities and landowner preference as the criteria for establishing a low, moderate or high rating for accommodation of future urban development. The higher ratings are also associated with a time factor for annexation. The higher the rating, the more suitable the site is for imminent development.

2. Logical Municipal Growth – Growth of the City should follow historical growth

directions and trends, and should occur in generally symmetrical directions, based on both natural and man-made constraints. Also, an area may be considered "intervening land" and appropriate for annexation if located between City-owned property and the existing City boundaries.

3. Control for Planning Purposes – The City is desirous of exercising more control on the

planning and development of appropriate land that is currently provided for under the IDP with Rocky View.

4. Land Owner Interest and Requests – The landowners of several quarter sections have

expressed interest in having their lands considered for annexation into the City. 5. Need for Industrial Land – As identified in the Land Demand Analysis included in the

2008 CGS, the City requires additional land to develop a well-planned industrial park. 6. Planning of Logical Neighbourhood Units – Annexation of the strip of land along the

City's present north and southeast boundaries would enable the planning of future neighbourhood units that are of a convenient size for a neighbourhood unit (based on the catchment areas of schools and avoiding the development of major traffic routes through residential areas).

7. Efficient and Economical Provision of Municipal Services – The City's annexation

proposal would bring land into the City along the north and east boundaries, allowing for the efficient extension of municipal services to these areas.

8. Functional Relationships – The areas to be annexed should have strong functional

relationships with the City of Airdrie. These eight key points that form the rationale were developed by examining the objectives of both Airdrie and the County.



7.0 Implementation With land requirements forecasted and the growth directions established, the only step in the planning process that remains is implementation of the Growth Strategy. Where land is outside of current City boundaries but has been identified for growth, Annexation is required. Once annexed, the regular planning process would begin when needed. In Airdrie, this would take place at various levels of planning: first in the Municipal Development Plan, and secondly through Community Area Structure Plans and Neighbourhood Area Structure Plans. All land currently within the City has already undergone this process, and thus implementation rests with the MDP, CASPs and NSPs. However, it is for land that is currently outside of current City boundaries, where implementation requires entering into the annexation process. Once annexed, the new land can then undergo planning within the MDP, and new CASPs will be created when required for development. This section deals with the annexation process, and covers the steps to be taken, from identification of required lands, through to the official endorsement by the MGB of the annexation agreement, under the MGA. Annexation requires five (5) key steps, which are outlined here:

1. Identification of amounts and locations of suitable land (completed in Section 6); 2. Financial Impact Analysis of land to be annexed; 3. Public consultation with landowners; 4. Negotiation with the County of lands to be included; and 5. Completion of the annexation application.

Step 1 has been completed in Section 6 of this Strategy. The remaining steps will be completed by the City of Airdrie at the appropriate time in the future. Section 6 covers the ‘what’ of annexation, while the ‘when’ and ‘how’ are covered here.

7.1 When to Annex – The Triggers, Phasing & Reviewing the Strategy

When annexation is discussed, the concept of triggers to initiate implementation is often highlighted. Triggers take various forms in different municipalities, but the constant is the need for land, and a specific process that is followed. Due to the 30-year land supply goal, and recognizing that the annexation process itself can often take between 2 to 5 years and is not recommended to be done more than once every 10 years, this strategy recommends using a ‘sliding scale’ and always having between 30 to 40 years of land supply. This will permit the City to have a 30-year land supply available at all times. Accordingly, when Airdrie discovers that it has less than a 35-year land supply, the annexation process should begin immediately, and by the time the annexation application is accepted and approved (which may take between 1-5 years), Airdrie will not have dropped below the 30 year supply level. The land analysis in this Growth Strategy identifies that Airdrie’s current land supply will last approximately ten (10) years, based on the 2008 population and growth projections, all of which is ‘planned’ land. This is substantially less than having a 30-year land supply, and a 10 to 20-year supply of ‘planned’ land, that is Airdrie’s Goal. As a result, this Strategy recommends that the process begin immediately to annex what has been identified as the long-term (30-year) supply of land.



7.2 Next Steps

Once land has been identified for annexation, and the decision has been made to enter into the annexation process, there are a number of steps that must be undertaken. First, Airdrie should conduct a final fiscal analysis to determine the final annexation scenario that is desired, at that point in time. Second, Airdrie should consult with the public (both the landowners in question and Airdrie residents in general), and enter discussions with the other affected municipality, which is in this case Rocky View County.

Financial Impact Analysis

Recognizing that this Strategy has been updated numerous times since 2008 (and the GIS land evaluation tool and population forecasting model that will continue to be used are both dynamic tools), future servicing may differ from what is projected currently, and a final Financial Impact Analysis would be needed to make the growth scenario official and ensure there is no negative impact to ratepayers.

Public Consultation

Two main target groups for the public consultation process include owners of land within the annexation areas (landowners), and the general public. The public consultation process should be a part of the annexation discussions and involve distribution of information on the internet, mail out notices and information packages, public meetings, and meetings with individual landowners.

Negotiation with the County

While lines of communication are expected to remain open between the City of Airdrie and Rocky View County, the City of Airdrie should enter into talks with the County to specifically discuss annexation. The draft 2008 IDP holds some provisions and recommendations for conducting annexation discussions. This process should be open and diplomatic in nature, recognizing the interests and goals of both municipalities.

7.3 Issues to Clarify

It is appropriate for the City to clearly identify the requirements to be imposed upon areas of annexation to the community. These general requirements include the following:

• For any significant residential or mixed-use area which would involve a measurable extension of municipal services, a fiscal impact analysis of the annexation area should be completed prior to consideration by City Council.

• For any area where a utility system is proposed to be incorporated into the City’s water and wastewater system, the annexation request should include a physical and economic assessment of the utility system including recommendations regarding necessary upgrades and/or adjustments.

The following list of issues should also be discussed as part of the annexation process, both with the County and as part of the annexation application.

Servicing

Municipal Servicing can be a difficult annexation element to negotiate, particularly in the absence of a comprehensive regional servicing strategy. Presently neither party has such a study in their arsenal of planning documents. Providing services to potential annexation areas while still under the municipal authority of Rocky View County can give benefit to both the City



and County residents in the short and long term. Provision of key utilities is critical to the long term sustainable and smart growth of the Study Area. However, the City of Airdrie’s current servicing agreement with the City of Calgary does not permit Airdrie to provide its services outside of Airdrie, which would make this impossible.

Country Residential Areas

There are only four main areas of country residential development surrounding Airdrie. These subdivisions were not built with the principle of future annexation in mind and therefore are not “equipped” with the ability to further subdivide or upgrade servicing. The Draft IDP contains new policy to mitigate this and ensure that future subdivisions in Rocky View County within the IDP area have the ability to re-subdivide and/or install servicing solutions and road standards capable of supporting urban densities later on.

Roadway Maintenance

Further to the section in this Strategy on Transportation, there is need for both municipalities to create a joint Regional Transportation Strategy for the Study Area. This will identify major and minor arterial roads and agree upon long-term maintenance responsibilities. Both municipalities shall agree that roadway responsibilities include routine maintenance, snow and ice control, and future improvements.

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater

The Land Evaluation in this Strategy identifies servicing capacity within the city limits and outlines potential connections to new growth areas outside the existing city limits; however, extension of servicing to the edge of the city in all directions is not yet provided. Therefore, until annexation of new lands occurs, the City and County are encouraged to work collaboratively to ensure regional scale water and wastewater service solutions are sought. As part of regional servicing, The City of Airdrie should encourage the County to require development in potential annexation areas in the County to include servicing infrastructure that is upgradeable to urban standards in the long-term. Also, water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure upgrading should be required in all areas prior to new development coming online.

Education

The City and the County shall determine whether to cooperate with local (relevant) school authorities in developing a mutually agreeable position for communication to the Municipal Government Board in support of annexation and meeting the needs of the residents within the annexation areas.

Effective Date of Annexation

The City and the County shall agree on a date [Month, Day, Year] to suggest to the Municipal Government Board as the preferred date for annexation to take effect.

Treatment of Annexed Properties

The City and the County shall agree that the treatment of annexed properties is an issue between the City and the affected landowners and property owners. It is the City's intention that the properties annexed into the City shall be treated in the following fashion:

• The annexed lands and/or improvements on the annexed lands shall continue to be assessed and taxed in the same manner and at the same mill rate as if they had remained in Rocky View County for the period ending [Month, Day, Year].

• This assessment and taxation arrangement shall no longer apply if:



a. The parcel of land is subdivided and the new parcel created is less than X hectares in size except for the separation of an existing farmstead from a previously un-subdivided quarter section; or

b. The parcel of land is re-designated under the City of Airdrie's Land Use Bylaw to a use other than agricultural, urban reserve, direct control without guidelines, or direct control with guidelines which permit a recreation use; or

c. A connection to water or wastewater services provided by the City of Airdrie.

• Any existing private water systems (e.g., individual wells, communal systems) can continue to operate after annexation. As is the case within the City of Airdrie now, the City shall assume no operating or capital responsibility for such systems.

• Any existing private sewage disposal systems (e.g., septic fields, holding tanks, communal systems) can continue to operate after annexation. As is the case within the City of Airdrie now, the City shall assume no operating or capital responsibility for such sewage systems.

• The City of Airdrie shall not normally extend municipal water and sanitary sewer service until such time as development occurs.

• The City shall ensure that, pending urban development, agricultural operations existing at the annexation date can continue.

• The City shall permit the expansion of buildings required by farming operations existing at the date of annexation subject to the receipt of appropriate permits and in accordance with all relevant statutes, regulations and bylaws.

• The City and County shall work towards a mutually acceptable arrangement for weed control on the annexed properties. The County shall consider the City's requests for fee for service arrangements relating to weed control.

• The City and the County are of the understanding that the above-described arrangement will be formalized in the Order-in-Council that annexes the subject lands to the City.

7.4 The Annexation Agreement

There are a number of elements in an agreement that are common to the annexation process, such as the continuance of weed control, animal control and the continuation of agricultural uses until such time as development of certain lands becomes imminent. The key elements of an agreement refer to the change in the location of boundaries and associated joint planning activities. Some of the key provisions are as follows:

• The County and the City should agree that assessment and taxation in the annexation areas would remain as if the land remained in the County for a period of X years unless redesignation, utility servicing or subdivision occurs prior to that time.

• The City shall agree to pay the County the sum of $X per year for the next X years as compensation for road upgrades to certain roads. Other conditions may result in one-time payments to the County to compensate for service roads (e.g., adjacent to Highway 2).

• The City and the County shall agree to resolve any disputes regarding the provisions of the agreement, through a mediation process.



8.0 References Alberta Energy and Utilities Board. 2007. Setbacks. Available online (12 January 08) at:

www.ERCB.ca/docs/public/EnerFAQs/Images/setback.gif Alberta Infrastructure. 1999. Highway #2: North of Balzac to North of Airdrie Functional

Planning Study. Government of Alberta. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. 1996. The Long-Term Housing Outlook:

Household growth, 1991 – 2016. Socio-economic Series, Research & Development Highlights, Issue 28. Available online (10 April, 2007) at: http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/NH18-23-28E.pdf

Calgary Airport Authority. 2008. Downstream Environments. Available online (10 December

2007) at: www.calgaryairport.com/document.cfm?DID=146 Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP). 2007. About Us. www.calgaryregion.ca Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP). 2007b. Overview of CRP Regional Planning, October

2007. Available online (10 December 2007) at: www.calgaryregion.ca/crp/media/24182/overview%20of%20crp%20and%20regional%20planning%20%20-%20october%202007.pdf

City of Airdrie. 2000. Growth Study. Prepared by Brown & Associates Planning Group. City of Airdrie. 2004. Growth Area Management Plan (GAMP). Prepared by IBI Group. City of Airdrie. 2005. Land Use Bylaw. City of Airdrie. 2006. Infrastructure and Offside Levy Review. City of Airdrie. 2008. 2008 – 2010 Budget. City of Airdrie & MD of Rocky View. 2001. Intermunicipal Development Plan. City of Red Deer. 2004. 2004 Growth Study. Cunningham, Scott (P.Eng). 2008. Email Correspondence. NRCB Approval Officer, P (403)

340-5795. Email: <[email protected]> Goatcher, Richard. 2008. Personal Communication. Senior Market Analyst, Prairie &

Territories Market Analysis Centre, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corportation (CMHC). Government of Alberta. 2006. Calgary international Airport Vicinity Protection Area

Regulation. Alberta Regulation 318/79. Consolidated up to 301/2006. Queen’s Printer: Edmonton. Available online (25 January 2008) at: www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Regs/1979_318.cfm?frm_isbn=0779752694



Government of Alberta. 2007. The Application of the Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) for Siting Confined Feeding Operations in Alberta. Produced by the Department of Agriculture and Food. Available online (10 December 2007) at:www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/epw2069

Government of Alberta. 2007b. Agricultural Operations and Practices Act.

Chapter/Regulation: A-7 RSA 2000. Office Consolidation. Current to 4/20/2007. Available online (25 January 2008) at: www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Acts/A07.cfm?frm_isbn=9780779723478

Government of Alberta. 2007c. Alberta Geological Survey Map of Alberta. Alberta

Geological Survey and Alberta Energy and Utilities Board. Available online (December 17, 2007) map found at: www.ags.gov.ab.ca

Municipal District of Rocky view No.44. 2007. Airdrie East Area Structure Plan (Proposed). Natural Resources Conservation Board. 2007. www.nrcb.gov.ab.ca/cfomain/default.aspx Nose Creek Watershed Partnership. 2007. www.nosecreekpartnership.com

appendix 6: airdrie comprehensive growth study (part 1)

Documents