PROVINCE
As of January 1, 2018, the Province of Alberta announced the implementation of Growth Management Boards (GMB) for the Calgary Metropolitan Region into legislation.
These boards are designed to help ensure regional collaboration and coordinated decision making as it relates to services, infrastructure, environmental protection, cost sharing and economic prosperity.It is the mandate of the GMB to submit a proposed Calgary Metropolitan Region Growth Plan (CMRGP) to the Province within 3 years. The Capital Region in Edmonton has operated under a GMB successfully for several years. It is expected that the Calgary Metropolitan Board will function in a similar fashion once operational policies and practices are established among participating jurisdictions. Learn more about GMBs here.
CALGARY REGION
With the establishment of the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board regulations and subsequent mandate to prepare a Growth Plan and a Servicing Plan, expectations of future plans to adhere to Regional objectives will affect the processing and timing of any given Municipal planning initiative or development proposal. In order to bridge this policy gap, an interim CMRGP is underway involving local Municipalities in the Calgary Region. This interim plan will be completed by the end of 2018 and will include principles and high-level policies that guide municipal planning and may influence the eventual approval mandate of the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board. For more information about the Calgary Regional Metropolitan Board, please click here.
ROCKY VIEW COUNTY
Rocky View County is anticipating to initiate a review of the Bearspaw Area Structure Plan (BASP) beginning in 2018. This process will be heavily influenced by the Calgary Regional Metropolitan Board as the Board will be mandated to review and approve all Area Structure Plans, amendments and policy documents moving forward.
It is important to note that the enactment of the Calgary Regional Metropolitan Board will have an impact on the scope of the BASP review, and in turn, the Ascension project. Our project team has developed a Conceptual Scheme that we feel is appropriate for this area and balances existing context with pressures of growth, however, if the Ascension lands are included in the future BASP it may result in required changes to the form and character of the project.
We are committed to steadfastly working towards building a concept that makes sense for the area and will continue to monitor ongoing changes at the GMB policy level. It continues to be our intent to utilize the minimum amount of land necessary for our new development and build an outstanding community respectful of the Bearspaw standard. At the moment, with the current design, the Ascension plan depicts a density greater than the existing BASP but less than densities mandated by the City of Calgary. Ultimately, the GMB will dictate minimum density targets at which time the Ascension plan may need to be revised.
If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns related to the project, please reach out to our community engagement representative.