After nearly two years of collaboration, public consultation and review, the Lacombe Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) has been adopted by both Lacombe City and County councils.
The process started in the fall of 2015, when the City of Lacombe and Lacombe County began the complete overhaul of the IDP.
Stantec Consulting was hired to coordinate the plan and to help engage the public.
The IDP is a high-level document that provides policy direction, ensuring development and growth are undertaken in a sustainable and responsible manner.
“Updating the IDP represents a significant accomplishment for Lacombe County and City of Lacombe citizens and businesses. The document is founded on shared values and principles that will foster solid, complimentary urban and rural land development and economic success.
“The IDP will mindfully guide all decisions for both councils well into the future providing stability and betterment for the region as a whole. The City is pleased to share another successful partnership with Lacombe County,” says Mayor Steve Christie.
While creating the plan, care was taken to identify future growth areas, reflecting the development pressures and challenges for those lands immediately adjacent the City boundary.
With the help of an Alberta Community Partnership Grant, a detailed servicing study was conducted for some of the lands within the IDP plan area, identifying costs and opportunities for expanding City water and wastewater servicing to provide better guidance on growth within the IDP area.
“With this plan in place, the City and the County have a broad, mutually beneficial land use plan that provides a framework for long-term growth and development,” said Lacombe County Reeve Paula Law.
“We are confident that this will help grow this region collaboratively as we explore future opportunities.”
Continued cooperation is needed to accommodate the Lacombe region’s growing population, to provide a framework for future development of long term growth areas, and to establish an annexation process, setting a smooth course towards a promising future for both municipalities, officials say.
This comprehensive IDP is built on a solid partnership between the City and the County, and will continue to support the region’s vibrancy through collaborative governance.
-Weber