After two years of work and a public hearing that spanned two evenings, Okotoks council has sent its new Municipal Development Plan for regional review.
The MDP, entitled Uniquely Okotoks received second reading by town council on Sept. 15 and has been forwarded on to the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board for approval by the 10-member municipalities before it comes back to council for third reading and a final stamp of approval.
Lisa Moffatt, the consultant who worked alongside Town planners to develop the new MDP, said the plan is an overarching vision and policy document outlining land-use and development for the future of Okotoks.
“The primary function of this plan is to provide guidance on the long-range planning and physical growth of the town,” said Moffatt during the public hearing. “It also addresses the social, economic, cultural, historical, physical and environmental health of the community.”
The MDP is set to replace the existing Legacy Plan, which was first adopted in 1998 and was predicated on limited growth to the existing land capacity of the Town at the time and the water supply of the Sheep River. In 2012, the plan was amended to reflect a managed-growth model as the Town released its population cap and after 1,950 hectares of land were annexed into Okotoks from Foothills County in 2017 the MDP required significant updates, she said.
Uniquely Okotoks lays out the vision for the next 60 years’ worth of growth in town, with a focus on quality and sustainable infrastructure, economic vitality, managed community growth, environmental excellence, and the health and safety of the community and its citizens, said Moffatt.
Over the two years of plan development, three phases of public engagement brought the opinions and feedback of the community into play and revealed what residents want to see for the future of Okotoks, she said. That included comments from high school and elementary-level students in town as well.
“It takes a lot of energy and time to be involved in the process like this, and people who gave their time and provided suggestions and solutions, it’s greatly appreciated,” said Moffat.
Feedback highlighted areas like climate change, housing, jobs, economy, water, neighbourhood design, recreation and retail opportunities, transit, education and schools, and growth management as items residents valued and wanted to see upheld with the new MDP, she said.
To bring those into consideration and also align with council’s goals, the MDP includes five “big moves,” she said.
The first is the creation of neighbourhood hubs that provide a mix of land-uses within a 10-minute walking distance; second is providing a variety of homes to meet different types of ownership and income-level needs; third is focusing on renewable energy sources and developments; fourth is extending the flood hazard area to a one-in-200 scenario; and fifth is upholding responsible project costs that consider the social, environmental and economic costs.
The MDP was applauded by some community members who spoke out at the public hearing, including Lauren Ingalls, CAO of Westwinds Communities, who said the organization is supportive of the plan because of its focus on diverse housing and making affordable housing a priority.
She said Okotoks is listed as the fourth least-affordable place in Alberta to rent and there hasn’t been purpose-built stock in town since the 1980s. There are a lot of people on Westwinds’ waitlists trying to relocate to town, who can’t afford market rental rates, she said.
“Incentives for affordable housing will help retain and house low-income households in Okotoks, not only to work but who are wanting to live in Okotoks instead of residing in more affordable communities in the region,” said Ingalls.
Representatives of BILD Calgary, an organization that raises the voice of the development and building industry in the region, spoke generally in favour of the plan but raised two major issues with regards to density.
Steve LePan, development manager with Anthem United, said there was some concern in the industry with the Town’s plans to reach a minimum density of 12 units-per-acre (UPA) in new neighbourhoods, and with the stipulation that 40 per cent of total housing units in a development must be non-traditional, or not single-detached homes.
“The reality of a high-density policy is that only high-density, multi-family units will be able to achieve that number,” said LePan, adding the result could be a “glut of multi-family sites that artificially increase the UPA but sit stagnant because the market will not absorb them.”
It’s difficult to support the number of multi-family dwellings that would be required to meet the density levels without significantly changing the amenities offered within the community, he said, using Seton in Calgary as an example with its hospital, retail and leisure offerings, and impending C-Train station.
“We request the policy be amended to a density of eight UPA as a base,” said LePan. “Twelve UPA makes more sense as a long-term goal or target, something that can be looked at in five-year intervals.”
Coun. Tanya Thorn agreed with lowering the density levels – something she has spoken out on over the past two years as the MDP was created. She would have rather seen the density requirement sit at 10 UPA than 12.
“I feel the increase in UPA we’ve asked for, which is a significant jump, a 50 per cent jump from eight to 12, is a significant change to our community,” said Thorn. “It’s going to significantly change what our housing community looks like, especially since we’re not seeing any subdivisions currently developed in the region at 12.”
She said moving to 10 would have indicated the Town’s intent to increase density with a more achievable goal. Currently, the D’Arcy Ranch development is striving for 8.9 UPA, but hasn’t reached that yet, she said.
While she said she understands the reasoning behind increasing density to get more value out of infrastructure, and create more inclusive and diverse neighbourhoods, making the jump to 12 out of the gate may be too ambitious.
“I want to make the move and show the indication we’re moving in this direction, and we want more density, but I don’t want to make this major 50 per cent increase,” said Thorn.
Her proposed amendment was voted down, but Thorn still supported the MDP as a whole.
Coun. Rockley said he was pleased to see the document go to the CMRB review stage.
“I think overall the proposed MDP provides a good vision for the future of Okotoks and I think it’s a good balance of being realistic in term of what we can expect in the short, medium and long-term, and also a bit aspirational,” said Rockley, noting things like the neighbourhood hubs and high density goals help set the Town apart.
He said the 12 UPA density makes the development industry uncomfortable, but it’s helping Okotoks to be a leader in environmental responsibility by pushing the envelope toward walkable neighbourhoods, less land consumption and more efficiency in municipal services.
“I think it’s a good plan for Okotoks, it’s a good plan for the region, and I think it will certainly help point us in the right direction in the years to come,” said Rockley.
The plan is expected to come back to council after a 60-day review period by the CMRB.
