ST. PAUL – The Town of St. Paul tabled the proposed bylaw for the St. Paul North Intermunicipal Area Structure Plan (ASP) after a public hearing during the Town’s Feb. 24 council meeting.
The St. Paul North Intermunicipal ASP, an initiative which began in 2021 by the Town and the County of St. Paul and funded through the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grant, aims to attract investors and developers to the St. Paul region.
Information from the Town and County of St. Paul reads that the initiative provides a “long-term vision for the development of an area,” which involves outlining the steps taken to “advance that vision".
The area includes about 588.4 hectares located north of the Town. Some of the land is within the Town’s boundaries, while some falls within County’s boundaries.
Both municipalities passed the first reading of the initiative’s proposed bylaw during previous council meetings, held earlier this month.
During the Feb. 24 council meeting, the Plante family, who own land located within the proposed ASP, presented concerns to council.
“On behalf of the Plante Farms, we are not opposed to the town's plan for their lands in the ASP, but we are opposed to the passing of [the] second and third reading at this time,” said Gail Plante.
Plante said there has been a lack of consultation and engagement regarding the ASP, given the Plante family is one of the biggest stakeholders due to the family’s significant portion of land located within the ASP.
She explained the family only heard about the passing of the first reading from both the Town and County earlier this month. This was a surprise to the family and their neighbours, she said.
“Prior to the passing of first reading, we hadn't had a consultation with ISL [Engineering],” who worked on the initiative on behalf of the two municipalities, “since June of 2022 and at that time, not all of our questions were answered,” said Plante. She requested information on all public engagement sessions prior to the passing of the first reading.
“The criteria in the ASP grant application indicates a steering committee and landowner committee was to be set up to ensure good public consultation. We are aware that, that committee does not exist,” she said.
Plante also questioned the justification for the plan's focus on expanding northward.
Referring to a March 2022 market analysis completed by Colliers International, she said the analysis suggests there are more desirable areas for residential development, such as south of Highway 29 closer to Therien Lake and the golf course.
“This Collier report seems to have been largely ignored in this ASP as the housing needs assessment is underway and will be completed in August,” she said. “Wouldn't that be very important information that could change the housing plan for the town and housing requirements as it applies to the ASP?”
Plante also expressed skepticism about the high growth scenarios used to justify the plan's 588-hectare footprint, noting the town's historical growth rate has been quite low. She asked what data was used to predict population growth indicated under the ASP.
“Expanding outward instead of focusing on infill development can be detrimental to the town's long-term sustainability. Encouraging dense, mixed-use development within the town's existing boundaries would better support economic vibrancy and conservation of agricultural farmlands,” suggested Plante.
Plante said the draft plan is also missing information about the projected timelines for rezoning lands, which is crucial for understanding the impact on their family farm operations.
“The information that explains the staging times frames is not in the draft.”
Coun. Nathan Taylor asked if the ASP will affect the family’s ability to farm, if it passes as it is now.
Plante said yes, and this included the family’s ability to expand their farm.
“We're passing our farm down to the next generation,” she explained, reiterating that the ASP brings some concerns regarding the farm’s economic viability in the future.
Derek Plante, Gail’s son, also provided several recommendations to council regarding the ASP.
As someone who studied urban ecology, Derek said he recognizes the importance of development planning and fostering sustainable growth for a community but believes there are several points of concern, such as the potential devaluing of land due to restrictions limiting development opportunities.
Those constraints could “negatively impact local businesses, agriculture, and potential investments,” he said. Urban sprawl and agricultural loss are also concerns.
He said the land north of town is highly fertile and urban expansion will result in the permanent loss of prime agricultural soil, “a resource that takes thousands of years to regenerate.”
Following more discussions, CAO Steven Jeffery recommended postponing the passing of the second and the third reading until further consultation with stakeholders is completed.
Taylor made a motion to table the item to allow administration further consultation with stakeholders located within the ASP.
The motion was carried.
The Plante family also presented during the County of St. Paul’s Public Works meeting on Feb. 27, as the County also held a public hearing regarding the ASP.
Following a similar discussion, Coun. Maxine Fodness of the County of St. Paul also made a motion to table the item. It was carried.
