MDP Foundation

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This page is the landing page for the background information that serves as the foundation for the MDP. These are the building blocks.

On this page, you will find information about what an MDP is, why we're undergoing an update, how it connects with the Town's strategic plan, MDP FAQs, and links to relevant documents. 

 What is a Municipal Development Plan?
Municipal Development Plan's (MDP) are policy-based land use planning documents that are required by statute law in the Province of Alberta under the Municipal Government Act (MGA). MDP's in Alberta establish a framework that is used by municipalities to responsibly address and guide their longer-term growth and development. The Town's MDP describes a vision and establishes goals and policy directions that are intended to reflect the priorities established by Council in the Town's Strategic Plan 2022-2025. The Town's MDP further provides guidance as it relates to land use planning, economic development, growth management, and investment in our municipal infrastructure and other related municipal programs and services.
 The Technical Stuff
All municipalities in the Province of Alberta are required to adopt an MDP under Section 632 of the Municipal Government Act, RSA 2000, cM-26. As a statutory plan, the MDP must address certain matters and issues as described under 632(3) of the MGA. Specifically, the MDP must address the following matters:
  • The future land use within the municipality
  • The manner of and the proposals for future development in the municipality
  • The provision of the required transportation systems either generally or specifically within the municipality and in relation to adjacent municipalities
  • The provision of municipal services and facilities, either generally or specifically
  • Policies compatible with the subdivision and development regulations to guide the type and location of land uses adjacent to sour gas facilities
  • Policies respecting the provision of municipal, school, or municipal and school reserves, including but not limited to the need for, amount of and allocation of those reserves and the identification of school requirements in consultation with affected school boards
  • Policies respecting the protection of agricultural operations

The MGA provides for additional flexibility on the inclusion of other topic areas, which may include addressing the following matters:

  • Proposals for the financing and programming of municipal infrastructure
  • The co-ordination of municipal programs relating to the physical, social and economic development of the municipality
  • Environmental matters within the municipality
  • The financial resources of the municipality
  • The economic development of the municipality
  • Any other matter relating to the physical, social or economic development of the municipality
  • Statements regarding the municipality’s development constraints, including the results of any development studies and impact analysis, and goals, objectives, targets, planning policies and corporate strategies
  • Policies respecting the provision of conservation reserve in accordance with Section 664.2(1)(a) to (d) of the MGA.

The Town’s MDP does not directly address the coordination of land use, future growth patterns and other infrastructure with adjacent municipalities because the Town of Strathmore and Wheatland County are currently developing an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). The MGA does not require these matters to be addressed in the MDP as they are addressed more appropriately within the Town of Strathmore-Wheatland County IDP.
Why the Update

Why Are We Updating the Town's MDP?

The Town's current MDP refers to a population of 7,165 in 2000, which had grown to approximately 12,352 by 2013. This amounted to a 42% increase in the Town's population over a 12-year period. More recent federal and provincial data over a 10-year period shows further continuous growth in the Town’s population. From an estimated 12,305 in the 2011 census year, the population has continued to grow to approximately 15,189 in the most recent provincial estimate of 2022. This represents a significant 23% increase, with a 4.2% increase between the census years of 2016 and 2021 alone. These recent figures highlight the pressing need for a comprehensive review and update of the Town's current MDP to align with this current growth trajectory.

Most recently, population forecasts have typically assumed a medium-scenario annual population growth rate of 1.8% upward to a high annual population growth rate of 2.5%, which would result in the Town's population surpassing 35,000 people in the medium-growth scenario and 50,000 people in the high growth scenario within the next 50 years. While the Town's current MDP does reference a population of 50,000, it was prepared more than 10 years ago, and the first comprehensive review of the current MDP was paused due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. From a good land use planning perspective, within the current Calgary regional growth climate it is crucial that the Town resumes work on a comprehensive review and update and modernization of the Town's MDP to address current land use planning policy issues and to ensure it reflects best land use planning practices.

The municipality has also recently exited the Calgary Metropolitan Regional Board (CMRB) and is now developing an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) with Wheatland County. The Town's 2024 MDP Review must address this shift in regional and intermunicipal planning. It's also imperative that the updated MDP aligns with any future IDP adopted by Council, as mandated by the MGA.
 Priority Areas and Linkages

The Town's MDP Review will focus primarily on the six priority areas and their desired outcomes that have been identified by Council in the Town's Strategic Plan 2022-2025 as key issues and concepts that will be explored from a land use planning perspective with the Town's future growth and development in mind. These "pillars" will help inform and guide the update and modernization of the Town's MDP. These six priority areas and some examples of the linkages that may exist between the Town's Strategic Plan and the Town's MDP are summarized below: 

 

Strategic Priority Area Linkages to the Town's MDP

Graphic of an affordable house in Strathmore

Affordable Living

Example:

Policy direction requiring that all residential development include a mix of housing types, built-forms and tenures. This could include policy directions or options for accessory dwelling units, building conversions, densities, "missing middle" housing, mixed-use buildings, own-rent splits, supporting small businesses, tiny homes, etc.

Graphic of financial sustainability in Strathmore

Financial Sustainability

Example:

Policy direction that ensures financial and land use planning decisions related to the provision and management of municipal infrastructure are aligned.

 

Graphic of community development in Strathmore

Intentional Community Development

Example:

Policy directions to ensure Downtown Strathmore is healthy and vibrant and/or establishing modernized requirements for new Area Structure Plans (ASP's) and setting the stage for how existing ASP's are reviewed.

Graphic of environmental stewardship in Strathmore

Climate Resiliency

Example:

Policy directions that require or are supportive of natural infrastructure systems such as ecosystem conservation, green roofs, tree canopies, xeriscaping, etc.

Graphic of economic development in Strathmore

Economic Development

Example:

Policy directions that ensure that the community is investment-ready and has growth management strategies that set the Town up for success.

Graphic of community wellness in Strathmore

Community Wellness

Example:

Policy directions ensuring access to parks and open spaces having a range of functions and opportunities and that all development occurs in a manner that is mindful of crime prevention and safety

MDP FAQs

 What is a Municipal Development Plan (MDP)?
MDP's typically describe a vision along with goals, objectives and policies that are intended to provide a municipality with longer-term guidance as it relates to land use planning, economic development, growth management and investment in municipal infrastructure and other related municipal programs and services. MDP's also inform lower order statutory plans such as Area Structure Plans (ASP's) and non-statutory plans that further help guide municipal decisions around land, infrastructure and how community services are provided.
 Is the Town required to have an MDP?
Yes. All municipalities in the Province of Alberta are required by statute law under Section 632 of the Municipal Government Act, RSA 2000, cM-26 (MGA) to have an MDP.
 Does the Town have an MDP right now?
Yes. The Town’s current MDP was adopted on April 16, 2014, when Bylaw #14-03 was enacted by Council.
 What does an MDP have to include?
As a statutory plan, the MDP must address certain matters and issues as described under Section 632(3) of the MGA. The MGA also provides for additional flexibility on the inclusion of other topic areas that an MDP may address under Section 632(3) of the MGA. For more information on these matters and issues, please scroll up on this webpage and click on "The Technical Stuff" for a detailed list that can otherwise be found in the MGA itself.
 How often is the Town's MDP reviewed and updated?
Section 5.3.4 of the Town's current MDP sets out that a review will occur every five years as required. It is however generally considered best practice to subject an MDP to a comprehensive review and update every five years, although there is flexibility and the approach will vary from municipality to municipality.
 Why was the Town's previous MDP Review paused?
There was a review of the Town's 2014 MDP that started in 2019, however it was paused in 2020 due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The Town's current MDP Review has been designed around the notion that the municipality is returning to and building upon the work the was completed previously during the Town's 2019-2020 MDP Review.
 How long will it take to review and update the Town's MDP?
The review and update of the Town's MDP is anticipated to take approximately 12-18 months to complete from the time of the "Strathmore Forward" launch until Council is presented with a by-law to adopt an updated MDP.
 Who will use the Town's MDP?
The Town’s MDP is intended to be used by everyone with each potential user having a range of possible interests and contexts as it relates to the future growth and development of the Town. With this in mind, the Town's MDP is intended to create an important connection and understanding of expectations between Council, local communities consisting of both residents and businesses, multiple stakeholder groups, as well as the Town’s corporate and business administration processes.
 How will we engage the public for input on the Town's MDP Review?
There will be a number of in-person and online public engagement opportunities provided for during the Town's MDP Review where your input and feedback is encouraged in both formal and informal settings and formats. The Town's Public Engagement Strategy for the MDP Review reflects this in that our approach is deliberately flexible and features a number of different ways and opportunities for people to provide input and feedback to the project team.
 How can I stay informed about the Town's MDP Review?
The best way to stay informed is to sign-up for the Town's MDP Review email list, which can be found here. The project team also encourages people to visit this webpage on a regular basis because we are continually updating it as new information becomes available.
 What is Council's role in an MDP Review?
Council assumes a decision-making role under the MGA, which includes the holding of a statutory public hearing prior to the second reading of any adoption by-law that proposes to amend or update the Town's MDP.

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