Bylaw 1631 - Municipal Development Plan — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot fb2f3671d779 · verified 2026-06-08 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Town of Cardston MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Bylaw No. 1631 February 2015 TOWN OF CARDSTON MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN This is the Municipal Development Plan for the Town of Cardston. This Plan identifies a number of community and planning issues that affect Cardston and its residents and attempts to create a vision for the Town as it evolves and grows into the future. The information in this Plan will guide and shape long-term growth and development within the Town. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following people are thanked for their assistance and contribution to the development and publishing the Municipal Development Plan: Marian Carlson - Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Cardston Nolan Card - Development Officer, Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Project Steering Committee: Mike deWinter (Chair) Dr. Mel Cottle Tom Matkin Ken Sommerfeldt David Edmonds (Councillor) Maggie Kronen (Mayor) Perry Neufeld - Planner, Oldman River Regional Services Commission Ryan Dyck - Planner, Oldman River Regional Services Commission Leda Kozak Tittsworth - Assistant Planner, Oldman River Regional Services Commission Administration for the Town of Cardston All participants in the public consultation process Intellectual Property - All Rights Reserved © Copyright This document is protected by Copyright and Trade Secret Law and may not be reproduced or modified in any manner, or for any purpose, except by written permission of the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. This document has been prepared for the sole use of the Municipality addressed and the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. This disclaimer is attached to and forms part of the document. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | i TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Page | 1 1.0 PURPOSE OF THE PLAN 1 2.0 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS 2 3.0 PLANNING PROCESS 3 4.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 5 5.0 INTERPRETATION 7 PART 2: COMMUNITY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................................................ Page | 9 1.0 PHYSICAL SETTING 9 2.0 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 9 3.0 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS 10 3.1 Population 10 3.2 Age Characteristics 12 3.3 Population Projections 14 4.0 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 16 4.1 Economic Development 16 4.2 Subdivision and Development Activity 16 4.3 Municipal Assessment 19 4.4 Industry Labour Characteristics 20 5.0 LAND USE 22 5.1 Residential 25 5.2 Commercial 28 5.3 Industrial 31 5.4 Parks, Recreation & Open Space 32 5.5 Public and Institutional Uses 34 Page | ii Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 6.0 MUNICIPAL SERVICES & FACILITIES 34 6.1 Water 35 6.2 Sanitary Sewer 36 6.3 Storm Sewer 36 6.4 Solid Waste 37 6.5 Utilities 37 7.0 TRANSPORTATION 37 8.0 SOUR GAS FACILITIES 39 9.0 MUNICIPAL, SCHOOL, ENVIRONMENTAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES RESERVE 40 10.0 COMMUNITY SERVICES 40 10.1 Emergency Services 40 10.2 Health Services 41 10.3 Education 41 10.4 Community Lifestyle 42 10.5 Environmental Considerations 43 11.0 REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS 43 12.0 URBAN FRINGE 44 PART 3: GENERAL GROWTH AREAS AND FUTURE LAND USES ..................................................................................................... Page | 47 1.0 GENERAL GROWTH AREAS 47 2.0 RESIDENTIAL GROWTH 47 3.0 COMMERCIAL GROWTH 48 4.0 INDUSTRIAL GROWTH 49 PART 4: PLAN POLICIES ....................................................................................................................................................................................... Page | 51 1.0 IMPLEMENTATION & PROCEDURAL ISSUES 51 2.0 SOUR GAS FACILITIES 53 3.0 MUNICIPAL, SCHOOL, ENVIRONMENTAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES RESERVE 54 4.0 COORDINATION OF LAND USE WITH ADJACENT MUNICIPALITIES 56 5.0 GENERAL GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT 57 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | iii 6.0 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 60 7.0 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 63 8.0 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 65 9.0 RECREATION, PARKS & OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT 67 10.0 ENVIRONMENTAL, HISTORICAL & CULTURAL ISSUES 69 11.0 MUNICIPAL SERVICES & FACILITIES 70 12.0 COMMUNITY SERVICES 72 13.0 TRANSPORTATION & UTILITIES 72 14.0 ECONOMIC GROWTH 74 APPENDICES Appendix A: Background Maps (1-9) Map 1 - Regional Location Map 2 - Topography Map 3 - Flood Risk Areas Map 4 - Infrastructure Map 5 - Future Growth Areas Map 6 - Existing Land Use Map 7 - Fringe Land Use Map 8 - Cardston County Land Use District Map Map 9 - Park Walkability Appendix B: Sour Gas Setbacks Appendix C: Community Questionnaire / Survey Appendix D: Executive Summary - Community Questionnaire / Survey Appendix E: Hierarchy of Planning Documents (Statutory & Non-Statutory) Appendix F: Future Residential Dwelling Unit Densities Appendix G: Park, Recreation and Open Space Planning Standards Appendix H: Province of Alberta Population Projections Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 1 PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 PURPOSE OF THE PLAN Cardston's Municipal Development Plan (also known as MDP or the Plan) is a broad-based policy document that serves to guide future growth and development toward the community's desired future. It provides a foundation for the decisions Council, Town administration, and other decision-making bodies will make and a framework to coordinate municipal bylaws, policies, programs, and investments. It is intended that the policies contained in this Plan be interpreted as guides in the Town's actions, providing a strategic perspective to help inform development and management decisions. The policies in this Plan are the blueprint to building the Cardston that residents imagine and the following vision and mission statements help in setting the stage for the creation of the Plan's guiding principles, objectives and policies. Vision Statement Cardston, a safe, family oriented community seeking vibrant, healthy, and sustainable opportunities for current and future generations. Mission Statement Through responsible governance, the Town of Cardston provides effective municipal services for the benefit of the citizens of Cardston. To ensure that plans and policies remain relevant over time, the public is afforded on-going opportunities to review plans, address Council, attend Municipal Planning Commission meetings and provide comments to the Town. As the Town has not reviewed and updated the last version of its MDP since its adoption in 2003, Council is committed to working with all residents, landowners, developers, and stakeholders in evaluating and confirming the vision for the Town moving forward and in developing a new MDP in 2014. All statutory planning documents, including area structure plans, area redevelopment plans and the Land Use Bylaw, must be consistent with the policies contained within this Plan. The Land Use Bylaw is an important regulatory planning tool for implementing this Plan and any other statutory plans and municipal policies on a more detailed and site-specific basis. In addition to the approved statutory plans and the Land Use Bylaw, the Town of Cardston Council has adopted (by resolution) various policy documents that set forth broad strategic goals or technical standards and guidelines for development. The approved non-statutory plans and policies of Council should be referred to on a regular basis in order to supplement the interpretation of this Plan. In reviewing and updating the MDP the Town of Cardston will attempt to accomplish the following general objectives: - To meet the legislative requirements established in the Municipal Government Act (MGA); - To provide a means for public input into the planning process; Page | 2 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan - To maintain and enhance the community's quality of life; - To create a more sustainable Cardston through balancing the environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects of municipal government; - To incorporate into the long-range planning process those lands that were annexed into the Town of Cardston municipal boundaries in 2005; - To review population and growth projections/requirements and update the desired growth directions of the community; - To identify land use and urban design policy that will ensure and promote sustainable growth for the community into the future; - To identify and resolve, through policy, any existing subdivision and development issues; - To identify community facilities and services required to accommodate future growth; - To establish a strategy that will create a financially sustainable community; - To identify issues requiring coordination with adjacent jurisdictions; - To establish a foundation for the development of future statutory and non-statutory plans and documents. This Plan serves as a guide to decision-making regarding future growth and development. To fully realize many of the policies of the Plan, additional studies and plans may become necessary as well as amendments to implementation tools such as the Land Use Bylaw. 2.0 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS The Municipal Government Act [section 632(1)] requires every municipality with a population of 3,500 or more to adopt a municipal development plan. In 2013 the Town of Cardston formally initiated the preparation of a community plan to review and reconfirm the community vision and to provide a policy framework for guiding future growth and development of the community. The role of a MDP is to guide the general direction of future development and provide land use policies regarding the efficient and effective management of that development. Specifically, section 632(3) of the Municipal Government Act, Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter M-26 (MGA) states that: A municipal development plan (a) must address (i) the future land use within the municipality, (ii) the manner of and the proposals for future development in the municipality, Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 3 (iii) the co-ordination of land use, future growth patterns and other infrastructure with adjacent municipalities if there is no intermunicipal development plan with respect to those matters in those municipalities, (iv) the provision of the required transportation systems either generally or specifically within the municipality and in relation to adjacent municipalities, and (v) the provision of municipal services and facilities either generally or specifically, (b) may address (i) proposals for the financing and programming of municipal infrastructure, (ii) the co-ordination of municipal programs relating to the physical, social and economic development of the municipality, (iii) environmental matters within the municipality, (iv) the financial resources of the municipality, (v) the economic development of the municipality, and (vi) any other matter relating to the physical, social or economic development of the municipality, (c) may contain 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, (d) must contain policies compatible with the subdivision and development regulations to provide guidance on the type and location of land uses adjacent to sour gas facilities, (e) must contain 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 authorities, and (f) must contain policies respecting the protection of agricultural operations. 3.0 PLANNING PROCESS South Saskatchewan Regional Plan The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) is a legislative instrument produced pursuant to section 13 of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA). The SSRP uses a cumulative effects management approach to set policy direction for municipalities to achieve desired environmental, economic, and social outcomes within the South Saskatchewan Region until 2024. The SSRP has four key parts including the Introduction, Strategic Plan, Implementation Plan and Regulatory Details Plan. The Regional Plan is guided by the vision, outcomes and intended directions set by the Strategic Plan portion of the SSRP while the Implementation Plan establishes the objectives and the strategies that will be implemented to achieve the regional vision. Pursuant to section 15(1) of ALSA, the Regulatory Details of the SSRP are enforceable as law and bind the Crown, decision makers, local governments and all other persons while the remaining portions are statements of policy to inform and guide, and are not intended to have binding legal effect (as per Part 1, Section 4(1) of Regulatory Details). Page | 4 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan All statutory plans and relevant documents must comply with the SSRP, which came into effect on September 1, 2014. Municipalities have five years within which to review their documents and file a statutory declaration declaring the same. The timing of the development of this MDP is convenient with respect to this, as it provides an early opportunity to incorporate the policy direction found in the SSRP into the new MDP. However, it is suggested that ongoing consideration will need to be paid to compliance requirements with respect to this, as the true implications of the SSRP continue to be determined and realized. Municipal Development Plan The development of this Plan has been informed to a large extent by the Town of Cardston's Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). The ICSP (2009) is a high-level, long-range planning document (non-statutory) that specifically looks at sustainability on a multitude of levels (i.e. cultural, social, economic, environmental, and governance) and provides guidance and direction in the development of other municipal plans and bylaws (see Appendix E: Hierarchy of Planning Documents). The ICSP was required to be completed by a municipality as part of A New Deal for Cities and Communities prior to being able to apply for and acquire grant monies for municipal projects. The ICSP process was important to Cardston's future and in helping to define Cardston's sustainability priorities and key strategies to achieving community sustainability. Subsequently, it was recognized that to give statutory status and weight to many of the key outcomes of the ICSP, integration of the desired outcomes (i.e. indicators of success) into the new MDP would be an important consideration in the Plan's development. The Plan attempts to incorporate suggested policies from the ICSP into those relevant policy areas of the MDP, thereby supporting the key outcomes of the ICSP and the long-term vision of a more sustainable Cardston. Land Use Bylaw The Land Use Bylaw (LUB) serves as the key implementation tool for the MDP, providing the legislative authority to enact and enforce the policies laid out within this Plan. The purpose of the LUB is to regulate and control or prohibit the use and development of land and buildings within the Town in accordance with the provisions of the MGA. The LUB also provides the basis for making decisions on applications for development by establishing use regulation and performance standards that are intended to ensure that the policies of the MDP are implemented. The basis for many of the criteria and performance standards in the LUB is found in the MDP. The LUB is also intended to implement Area Redevelopment Plans and Area Structure Plans, which apply to specific geographies in the Town, and which contain policies that are specific to that geography. Related Plans and Studies An MDP does not exist or function in isolation. Over the years numerous statutory and non-statutory plans and related studies have been completed to guide the growth and development of the Town. In addition to the ICSP, these documents were reviewed to establish a baseline from which to begin planning for the future and are acknowledged here for the benefit of persons looking to become acquainted with more specific topics and areas. - Town of Cardston Strategic Plan (2014) - Cardston Business Visitation Report (2013) Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 5 - Cardston Economic Development Action Plan (2012) - Town of Cardston Land Use Bylaw No. 1581 (2009) - Town of Cardston Infrastructure Master Plan (2009) - Town of Cardston Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (2009) - East Cardston Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw No. 1573 (2008) - Town of Cardston & Cardston County Intermunicipal Development Plan Bylaw No. 1567 (2007) - West Cardston Area Structure Plan Bylaw No. 1559 (2007) - Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Bylaw No. 1530 (2003) - Town of Cardston Downtown Revitalization Study (1984) Consultation In keeping with Council's desire to ensure residents and stakeholders in Cardston are engaged and provided with a means to provide input to the process of drafting a new MDP, multiple project steering committee meetings, a community questionnaire/survey, an open house (November 6, 2014), on-going Council review and updates, and a public hearing were all part of an open and transparent public process to the creation of the final version of the new MDP. In accordance with section 636 of the MGA, Cardston County, the Blood Tribe and the Westwind School Division No. 74 were sent notice of the Plan preparation and a copy of the draft plan, and the feedback received was considered in the development of the MDP. It should also be noted that the ICSP was accepted by Council in August 2009 and also underwent a public process of citizen engagement and consultation that, as noted above, helped to inform and give direction to the objectives and policies of the new MDP. (NOTE: A copy of the Community Questionnaire/Survey used as part of the public input process is attached to this Municipal Development Plan as Appendix C with the Executive Summary - Community Questionnaire/Survey attached as Appendix D.) 4.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Town of Cardston MDP review and update process relied on the outcomes of the ICSP process, coupled with the guidance offered by the Strategic Directions and Outcomes in the SSRP, to influence the MDP's new vision for the community. This MDP is guided by the following principles: Page | 6 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan - Sustainability in Cardston Cardston is committed to meeting the needs of its current community without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainability in Cardston will be achieved through a balancing of short- and long-term cultural, environmental, social and economic objectives/goals although always with an aim of promoting the efficient use of land. The Town recognizes the importance of strong governance to lead and promote sustainable growth and its duty to make fiscally responsible decisions. - Environmental Stewardship Maintaining a high quality of life in Cardston requires the responsible stewardship of the natural environment. Protecting the natural environment and its biodiversity through efficient uses of land, energy, water, watersheds and other natural features is essential to ensuring environmental sustainability. Further enhancement of existing natural features will add to the quality of life in Cardston for the existing community and those of future generations. Promoting increased interaction with the natural environment, through nature- based tourism and recreation opportunities, will increase the appreciation for natural heritage and environmental stewardship while also promoting active, healthy living. - Economic Diversification A financially sustainable future relies on an economically diverse and prosperous economy. Encouraging a strong and diversified workforce, while providing efficient and cost-effective municipal services, will support a successful Cardston economy now and in the future. - Community Cohesion and Inclusivity The Town recognizes that the people of Cardston are its most important resource. To provide effective governance the Town depends on the collective knowledge, experience and creativity of the Town's residents. Involvement of the community in decision making is instrumental to creating a cohesive and unified Town. - Intermunicipal Collaboration The Town will work in collaboration with Cardston County with regard to provision of infrastructure, service delivery and environmental issues. Further sharing of services will be investigated with the end goal to improve effectiveness and efficiencies across municipal boundaries. - Preservation of Culture and Small Town Character Cardston's strong culture and small town character will be embraced and celebrated as unique and worth preserving for future generations. The Town will support and encourage societies and organizations that celebrate Cardston's distinct cultural character and those that promote further celebration of the Town's unique heritage and history. These above-mentioned principles for future land use development and sustainable community growth will attempt to create a unique and superior quality of life that the community expects and demands today and for future generations. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 7 5.0 INTERPRETATION Through the preparation of this Plan, every attempt has been made to create a plan that is easy to navigate and understand. The grouping of the policies in subject areas is intended to simplify the reader's search for information and comprehension of its meaning. When interpreting the policies of this Plan, use of the words, shall, should and may have the following meaning: - shall is an operative word which means the action is mandatory; - should is an operative word which means that in order to achieve the Plan's objectives, it is strongly advised that the action be taken; and - may is an operative word which means that there is a choice, with no particular direction or guidance intended. It is also noted that when interpreting this Plan, the maps included as part of the Plan are concepts and should be considered as such. In the implementation of the Plan, minor variations to the maps may be considered by Council but substantial deviations should require Plan amendments. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 9 PART 2: COMMUNITY ANALYSIS 1.0 PHYSICAL SETTING The Town of Cardston is a community of 3,580 (2011 federal census) nestled in the rolling foothills of southern Alberta between the towering vista of the Rocky Mountains to the west, and the sprawling prairie landscape to the east. It is located 77 km (48 miles) southwest of Lethbridge and 234 km (145 miles) south of Calgary at the junction connecting Highways 2 and 5 (see Map 1). It is the last major service centre for travelers destined for the United States (Port of Carway to the south on Highway 2) or Waterton Lakes International Peace Park (to the west on Highway 5). Located in Cardston County, the Town is the major service centre for the regional agricultural community. The Town physically occupies 8.37 km² (3.23 square miles), having last increased in 2005, when approximately 1.62 km² (0.62 square miles) south of Town were annexed from Cardston County. The Blood Indian Reserve, the largest reservation in Canada 1,401 km² (541 square miles), lies directly north of Cardston and defines the northern boundary of the Town. To the southwest of Town the distinct outline of Chief Mountain can be observed. Cardston is home to Canada's first Mormon Temple - a spiritual centre for devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints throughout southern Alberta. Cardston enjoys a continental climate characterized by a combination of short, cool summers and long, cold winters. Although individual snowfall rarely exceeds 15 cm (6 inches), the harshness of winter is moderated by frequent Chinook winds that melt the snow. The growing season has approximately 111 frost-free days with an average rainfall from May to September of approximately 300 mm (11.8 inches). Annual sunshine averages 2370 hours per year. 2.0 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints traveled to Canada from Utah in the spring of 1887 to begin a new life. Led by Charles Ora Card, ten families made the journey north and settled along the banks of Lee Creek on April 27, 1887. The settlement was originally named Lee Creek Village, which later gave way to Card's Town, which was subsequently shortened to the present day Cardston. Page | 10 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan By the fall of 1887, community leaders had surveyed and planned a town site. The layout of the community was based on Mormon settlement landscape principles. Traditional Mormon settlements favoured wide streets and large blocks of land. Consequently, the half-section town was subdivided into 12 blocks with four 10-acre lots per block. Church officials in Salt Lake City purchased the Town (population 126) from the Dominion of Canada in 1889. The growth of Cardston was evident when the Town was resurveyed in 1894 occupying 2.5 km² (1 square mile) with a population of 674 people. Incorporated as a town on July 2, 1901, Cardston entered a new era of prosperity. Services such as stores, schools and medical care were firmly established by 1904. The population doubled from 674 to 1,370 residents between 1894 and 1916. The introduction of irrigation technology to southern Alberta promoted this growth. In 1898, C. O. Card negotiated a contract to construct a major irrigation canal for the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company in exchange for land and money. The numerous workers needed to work on the construction of the St. Mary's Irrigation Project were encouraged to travel north by Mormon leaders in Utah. After the canal project was completed, many workers settled in the Cardston area to homestead. Residents of Cardston suffered through the depression of the 1930s along with the rest of Alberta. The 1940s and 1950s were better economically and Cardston constructed schools and improved recreational facilities. The population continued to grow steadily and by the late 1960s over 2,700 people called Cardston home. By 1986, the population had soared to 3,497. Between 1971 and 1990 approximately 40 percent of all new homes were constructed, reflecting this growth surge. 3.0 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS 3.1 Population Historically, the Town of Cardston has reported steady population growth. In 1921, Cardston's population was 1,612, increasing over the next 40-year period by 1,189 persons, to result in a population of 2,801 people by 1961. From 1961 to 2011, the Town has averaged an annual population increase of 0.52 percent. Table 1 illustrates that between 1961 and 1966, the Town of Cardston experienced a slight decrease in its population. This population decline was indicative of the trend for that period, as most of the smaller and rural municipalities in the region experienced population decline. This declining population trend continued over the next census period and it wasn't until after 1971 that the situation began to reverse itself and the Town once again began to grow. Between the 1971 and 1976 census periods, Cardston's population grew by a healthy 14 percent. For the next 10 years the Town continued to show a slow increase in its population. Over the past 25 years (1986-2011) the Town's population has averaged a modest 0.48 percent annual increase, with more dramatic fluctuations throughout the individual census periods. In 2011, Cardston reached its largest recorded population size at 3,580, marked by an annual increase of 0.7 percent from 2006-2011. This positive change is in keeping with the provincial trend, as Alberta's growth rate during the last 5-year census period was 10.8 percent, or an average of 2.2 percent annually. By comparison, Canada's overall Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 11 population grew at an annual average rate of 1.18 percent over the same time period. The Town's most recent municipal census (2007) found a considerably greater population than the 2006 federal census, and is likely indicative of the "census undercount"1 Table 1: Cardston's Historic Population 1961-2011 typical of the federal census. Year Population Five Year Rate of Change (percent) Average Annual Change (percent) 1961 2801 1966 2721 -2.85 -0.57 1971 2685 -1.30 -0.26 1976 3063 14.07 2.81 1981 3267 6.66 1.33 1986 3497 7.04 1.40 1991 3480 -0.48 -0.09 1996 3417 -1.81 -0.36 2001 3475 1.70 0.34 2006 3452 -0.70 -0.10 2007* 3578 2011 3580 3.70 0.70 Average, 50 year (1961-2011) 2.60 0.52 Average, 25 year (1986-2011) 2.41 0.48 Source: Stats Canada (2011) * Town of Cardston Municipal Census Table 2: Comparison of Area with Similar Communities in Southern Alberta Type Total Area (acres) Total Area (hectares) Population (2011) Acres per Person Cardston 2070 837 3580 0.58 Claresholm 1930 781 3758 0.51 Coaldale 1972 798 7493 0.26 Taber 3870 1566 8104 0.48 Source: Stats Canada (2011) 1 Census undercount refers to residents who are unintentionally not enumerated as part of the census and for which Stats Canada makes adjustment based on estimated undercoverage. Page | 12 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan The Town of Cardston physically occupies an area of 8.37 km² (2,070 acres). In comparison with similar communities in southern Alberta, Cardston is less dense (from a population perspective) than comparable communities. This is likely the result of large residential lots and wide streets typical of the Mormon settlement principles. It is also due to the significant area occupied by the Lee Creek valley whereas the other communities in the table do not include significant watercourses within their boundaries. 3.2 Age Characteristics Figure 1: Town of Cardston Population Structure Source: Cardston Economic Development Action Plan (2012) Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 13 Population pyramids for the Town of Cardston illustrate the distribution between the various age groups as well as between the male and female segments of the population (Figure 1). Currently, the 5-9 age group category occupies the greatest number of persons within the Town. In 2006, the leading age group was the 15-19 category. Figure 2: Comparison of Age Distribution Between Jurisdictions Source: Stats Canada (2011) Figure 2 provides a comparison of broad age groups between the Town, the region (Census Division 032 It is clear that Cardston is still a destination for people wanting to establish and raise a family, and for elderly persons wanting to "age in place ) and the Province. The relationship between these jurisdictions and their respective age group distributions is a linear one whereby the smaller the jurisdiction, the higher the proportion of persons in the 0-19 and 65+ age group categories. Conversely, the province, being the largest jurisdiction, holds the highest proportion of persons in the 20-64 age group category, followed by the region and the Town respectively. 3 " or as a destination community for retirees. However, the prevailing challenge, as in most small to mid-size urban communities, is retaining the young workforce-age demographic. 2 Census Division 03 contains 38 566 people (2011) including Cardston, Magrath, Fort Macleod, Claresholm, Cardston County, MD of Pincher Creek, etc. 3 Age in Place means the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level. Page | 14 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 3.3 Population Projections Several different methods of population projections are used to calculate future growth in order to provide the broadest scenario possible. It should be noted that projections are conditional; they show what a population would be if the assumed trends actually were to occur. Since population projections are based on past trends, they must be looked at with some degree of caution. A sudden influx of population at a certain time would result in a forecast of high growth for the future, whereas a decrease in population in the past would portray a reduction in growth in the future. Table 3 illustrates population projections for the Town of Cardston if the Town was to experience annual population increase of 0.5 percent growth, 1.0 percent growth, and 1.5 percent growth. Table 3: Population Projections for the Town of Cardston (2011-2041) Year Population 0.5% Growth 1.0% Growth 1.5% Growth 1996 3417 2001 3475 2006 3452 2011 3580 2016 3670 3763 3857 2021 3761 3955 4156 2026 3856 4156 4476 2031 3952 4368 4821 2036 4050 4591 5193 2041 4152 4825 5594 Table 4 contains population projections using commonly accepted methods. The arithmetic and logarithmic projections are mathematical extrapolations which provide an estimation of the future based on previous growth or decline over the past 20-year period. These methods are generally useful for very short-range (5 years) and very long-range (50+ years) projections. The cohort component method takes into account the elements of fertility, mortality and migration to produce projections based on fertility rate, life expectancy and other variables. Due to the Town's modest growth (including one period of slight decline), cohort projections beyond the last 5 year project net negative growth. It is anticipated that the cohort (last 5 year) outcome, which amounts to annual average population growth just above 0.5 percent, is a reasonable projection of what might actually occur. The results of the Town's municipal census (2007) suggest that a 1.0 percent annual increase might be more likely. Provincial population projections for the region (Census Division 03) suggest an annual growth range of 0.5 - 1.0 percent. (Note: see Appendix H: Province of Alberta Population Projections) Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 15 Table 4: Population Projections for the Town of Cardston (2011-2041) Year Population Arithmetic Logarithmic Cohort (last 5 yr) Cohort (last 10 yr) Cohort (last 20 yr) 1996 3417 2001 3475 2006 3452 2011 3580 2016 3580 3551 3551 3700 3630 3592 2021 3580 3575 3575 3776 3622 3547 2026 3580 3598 3599 3832 3577 3467 2031 3580 3622 3623 3915 3541 3394 2036 3580 3645 3647 4041 3572 3337 2041 3580 3669 3672 4199 3526 3290 Figure 3: Population Projections for the Town of Cardston 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026 2031 2036 2041 Population 0.5% Growth 1% Growth 1.5% Growth Arithmetic Logarithmic Cohort (last 5 yr) Cohort (last 10 yr) Cohort (last 20 yr) Page | 16 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 4.0 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 4.1 Economic Development Cardston's economic base is primarily composed of the agricultural, tourism and the public services sectors (hospital, education and government). The region's approximately 18,210 ha (45,000 acres) of irrigated farm land and gross farm receipts total nearly $145 million, which generates significant employment and economic output. The strong presence of agriculture in the regional economy also provides opportunity for value-added agricultural manufacturing and services, which promises well for the future of the Town in its role as regional service centre. Fortunately, the Cardston area's agriculturally-based economy is relatively insulated, compared to many other areas of the province, from the volatility of the price of oil. The Town's economic development future is guided by the Cardston Economic Development & Tourism Board. The Board's role is to liaise with associations like SouthGrow, Alberta Southwest, Community Futures, Chinook Country Tourism and the Chamber of Commerce, to pursue opportunities with positive economic implications for the Town and to monitor the ongoing status of commerce and trade in the Town. In 2012, the Board helped produce the Economic Development Action Plan, which includes a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and a comprehensive action plan spanning a 3-year horizon. 4.2 Subdivision and Development Activity Table 5 displays an overview of the subdivision activity that has taken place over the past 23-year period. Over the review period, there has been an average of 5 subdivision applications per year. Residential development has been responsible for the largest number of subdivision proposals, with almost 94 percent of the proposed lots for residential use, while the remaining 6 percent were for country residential, institutional, commercial and recreational uses. A summary of the subdivision table is as follows: - on average there were 15 lots created per year, 14 of which were for residential use - of the 375 lots created over 24 years, 352 were for residential development - the last major introduction of residential lots occurred in 2011 (however it is noted that this subdivision has yet to be registered) The number of annual new housing starts is displayed in Table 6 and shows an average of 15.2 new dwelling units per year since 1997. Following a peak in 2006, new housing starts have yet to recover from the economic downturn experienced beginning in 2009. Table 7 illustrates the number and value of building permits issued in Cardston for each year since 1997. As is to be expected, the building permit values correspond generally with the subdivision figures, with relatively steady residential values and intermittent non- residential values. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 17 Table 5: Town of Cardston Subdivision Activity 1991-2014 Year Number of Applications Proposed Use of Lots Total Lots Residential Country Residential Institutional Commercial Industrial Recreational 2014 2 4 4 2013 2 4 1 5 2012 2 2 2 4 2011 6 41 1 42 2010 4 14 2 16 2009 5 5 1 6 2008 7 78 2 80 2007 10 39 39 2006 5 5 1 1 7 2005 6 6 2 3 11 2004 5 14 1 15 2003 0 0 2002 3 5 5 2001 3 4 2 6 2000 6 10 1 11 1999 7 62 62 1998 6 5 1 6 1997 5 13 1 14 1996* 5 24 1 25 1995/96 2 2 2 1994/95 3 3 3 1993/94 4 4 4 1992/93 4 5 5 1991/92 3 3 3 Total 105 352 1 6 14 2 375 ORRSC Subdivision Data (1991 - 2014) * Nine-month period April 1 to December 31, 1996. Page | 18 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Table 6: New Housing Starts for the Town of Cardston (1997-2014) Year New Dwelling Units Year New Dwelling Units 2014 3 2004 20 2013 8 2003 7 2012 8 2002 12 2011 9 2001 7 2010 11 2000 9 2009 10 1999 19 2008 25 1998 24 2007 31 1997 15 2006 40 2005 16 Total 274 Average 15.2 Table 7: Cardston Building Permit Values by Types of Permit (1997-2014) Year Residential (Value in $) Commercial (Value in $) Industrial (Value in $) Institutional (Value in $) Estimated Total $ 2014 1,622,800 202,250 1,825,050 2013 2,955,400 40,000 1,140,000 4,135,400 2012 2,588,225 215,000 14,100,000 16,903,225 2011 2,513,600 26,000 2,539,600 2010 3,234,250 471,575 1,327,000 5,032,825 2009 2,533,940 164,420 2,698,360 2008 6,938,671 200,000 12,694,192 19,832,863 2007 7,450,345 635,000 8,085,345 2006 4,922,020 187,000 1,310,000 6,419,020 2005 3,328,275 3,328,275 2004 3,583,890 871,000 1,367,300 5,822,190 2003 2,099,980 100,000 30,000 69,000 2,298,980 2002 1,704,033 2,650,000 4,354,033 2001 1,135,746 507,000 300,000 7,300,000 9,242,746 2000 1,747,170 447,980 120,000 2,315,150 1999 3,491,185 534,165 36,000 4,061,350 1998 2,581,972 350,000 225,000 3,156,972 1997 1,868,445 1,405,000 400,000 278,800 3,952,245 Total 56,299,947 8,630,390 1,200,000 39,873,292 106,003,629 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 19 4.3 Municipal Assessment The total of all land and buildings in the Town of Cardston is valued at over $310 million. Table 8 presents a breakdown of assessment for similar communities within southern Alberta. In terms of assessment dollars per capita, the Town has an $8,075 per capita deficit compared to the average of comparable communities within the area. Table 8: Equalization Tax Assessment Report (2014) Comparison of Southern Alberta communities in dollar values Town Population (2011) Residential Non- Residential Machinery & Equipment Linear Farm Land Railway Grand Total Assessment Per Capita Cardston 3,580 266,823,814 38,080,839 268,020 4,756,280 74,520 4,470 310,007,943 86,594 Raymond 3,743 260,171,128 11,144,776 766,530 3,601,110 80,480 11,460 275,775,484 73,768 Magrath 2,217 174,038,873 9,531,309 585,750 2,409,150 61,760 186,626,842 84,180 Claresholm 3,758 344,607,863 62,037,150 691,230 6,857,420 102,710 414,296,373 110,244 Fort Macleod 3,117 249,639,362 63,291,183 1,660,960 8,790,490 169,650 441,690 323,993,335 103,944 Pincher Creek 3,685 299,393,546 97,203,385 201,010 6,031,260 205,030 403,034,231 109,372 Average 3,350 265,779,098 46,881,440 695,583 5,407,618 115,692 76,270 318,955,701 94,669 Source: Alberta Municipal Affairs (2014) According to the municipality's 2014 equalized4 assessment breakdown (Table 9), the Town has a slightly greater residential assessment, at 86.1 percent, than the average of similar communities in southern Alberta. This compares to about 12.3 percent of the assessment classified as non-residential, including commercial and industrial developments, with the remaining 1.6 percent being made up of farmland, linear, machinery & equipment and railway developments. Consequently, the Town's non-residential assessment is slightly lower than the average of similar sized communities in the region. 4 Equalized assessment is the provincial process by which adjustments are made to assessment base figures in order to remove variations in assessment levels. The process is used to provide for intermunicipal fairness and equity as tax requisitions, grant allocations and other important costs and benefits are often based wholly or in part on assessment. Page | 20 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Table 9: Equalization Tax Assessment Report (2014) Comparison of Southern Alberta Communities in Percentages Town % Residential % Non-Residential % Other Cardston 86.1 12.3 1.6 Raymond 94.4 4.0 1.6 Magrath 93.3 5.1 1.6 Claresholm 83.2 15.0 1.8 Fort Macleod 77.2 19.6 3.2 Pincher Creek 74.3 24.1 1.5 Average 83.4 14.7 1.9 Source: Alberta Municipal Affairs (2014) 4.4 Industry Labour Characteristics Table 10 illustrates the breakdown of employment by industry sector for the Town of Cardston in 2006, compared to the Census Division (region) and provincial averages respectively. According to these findings, health care and social services, retail trade and education are the leading industries in the Town, occupying a total of nearly 40 percent of the labour force. In comparison, these industries collectively occupy slightly more than 26 percent in both the region and the province. It should be noted that National Household Survey data, the successor study to the former long-form census questionnaire (abandoned after the 2006 census), was unfortunately not available for the Town for 2011. Table 10: Industry Characteristics of Experienced Labour Force (2006) Total Labour Force 15 Years and Over By Industry Division Cardston Census Division 03 Alberta Total 1545 18415 1928635 Agricultural and Other Resource-based Industry 3.6% 24.4% 11.8% Construction 5.2% 8.1% 8.8% Manufacturing 8.4% 6.2% 7.2% Wholesale Trade 1.9% 3.0% 4.4% Retail Trade 13.9% 8.4% 10.7% Finance and Real Estate 5.8% 3.2% 5.1% Health Care and Social Services 15.5% 11.2% 9.1% Educational Services 10.0% 7.1% 6.2% Business Services 9.4% 10.4% 18.4% Other Services 23.3% 18.0% 18.3% Source: Stats Canada (2006) Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 21 The occupational characteristics of the Town's labour force (Table 11 below) align more closely with those in the region and the province. A slightly higher proportion of management, social science/education/government/religion and sales & service occupations are found in the Town compared to the larger jurisdictions. Table 11: Occupational Characteristics of Experienced Labour Force (2006) Cardston (%) Census Division 03 (%) Alberta (%) Total Labour Force 15 Years and Over 1550 18 410 1 928 635 Management 11.3% 8.2% 9.7% Business, Finance & Administration 11.9% 11.1% 17.6% Natural & Applied Sciences & Related Occupations 2.2% 2.7% 7.5% Health Occupations 6.4% 5.8% 5.4% Occupations in Social Science, Education, Government Service & Religion 10.0% 7.1% 7.1% Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation & Sport 2.2% 2.3% 2.3% Sales & Service Occupations 27.7% 22.7% 22.7% Trades, Transport & Equipment Operators & Related Occupations 19.0% 17.5% 18.2% Occupations unique to Primary Industry 5.5% 19.2% 6.1% Occupations unique to Processing, Manufacturing & Utilities 3.5% 3.3% 3.4% Source: Stats Canada (2006) Recognizing that the two largest employers in Cardston are the school division and the hospital, whom employ many positions with formal advanced education requirements, the Town's greater proportion of university and college graduates than within the region is understood (see Table 12 below). The Town's slight deficit in university graduates compared to the province likely owes to the trend whereby post-secondary bound students leave the Town and do not return. This is a pivotal issue for Cardston and the majority of small communities in the province. Table 12: Comparison of Education Level Between Jurisdictions Total Population 15 Years and Over by Highest Level of Schooling Cardston Census Division 03 Alberta Total 2510 28 790 2 625 145 No Certificate, Diploma or Degree 23.9% 32.8% 23.4% High School Certificate of Equivalent 28.1% 24.5% 26.2% Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate of Diploma 12.2% 11.6% 10.9% College, CEGEP or Other Non-University Certificate or Diploma 15.5% 16.9% 18.0% University Certificate or Diploma Below the Bachelor Level 6.0% 3.9% 4.0% University Certificate, Diploma or Degree 14.3% 10.2% 17.5% Source: Stats Canada (2006) Page | 22 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Of the respondents (273) who provided an employment location in the MDP Questionnaire, 72.2% (197 responses) indicated their employment location as within the Town, compared to only 14.3% (39 responses) outside of the Town. The questionnaire results also indicated that 5.9% (16 responses) worked from home and 7.7% (21 responses) worked from variable locations. 5.0 LAND USE The shape and character of a community is directly related to the quality, density and location of land use within its boundary. By studying land use we can achieve an understanding of how residential and non-residential development functions, including the amount of land they require and their relationship to one another. An existing land use analysis has been undertaken and researched in conversation with Town administration, orthophoto analysis and ground-truthing data collection methods and is articulated on Map 6 - Existing Land Use as shown in Appendix A. Cardston has a very unique landscape linked to settlement patterns that are identifiable in communities established by Mormon settlers in the late 1800s. Throughout the American Northwest and various Mormon communities within southern Alberta, the same pattern of settlement characterized by wide streets and large lots, can be recognized. Although over time the modern influences of growth have caused many of the traditionally large parcels to be subdivided into smaller lots, many of which are irregular in size and shape, the original town site is quite distinguishable from more recent expansion that has occurred. Residential development represents by far the greatest amount of developed land within the municipality, with the exception of non-titled areas including roads, lanes and the creek valley (see Table 13). Commercial development has been directed to the downtown core, along Main Street, and linear strips adjacent to both highways. Industrial land use has developed in the northwest along Highway 5 and in the industrial park located in the northeast part of town. Lee Creek meanders through the southern portion of the town site, creating a magnificent natural backdrop that has been developed into an excellent amenity that includes sports fields, picnic areas and the Remington Carriage Museum. The Alberta Mormon Temple is one of southern Alberta's most recognizable landmarks and one of the most unique features of the community. The following tables present a breakdown of existing land use in the community in both grouped (Table 13) and specific categories (Table 14). These findings are analyzed in more detail in the coming section. Table 13: Town of Cardston Grouped Breakdown of Existing Land Use (2013) Use Hectares Acres Percentage of Total Residential 210.78 520.84 25.17% Commercial 32.85 81.17 3.92% Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 23 Industrial 17.20 42.50 2.05% Public Institutional 46.23 114.23 5.52% Transportation/Utilities 3.39 8.38 0.40% Recreation & Open Space 74.35 183.72 8.88% Agricultural 94.85 234.37 11.32% Roads/Creek/Non-titled 344.14 850.37 41.09% Non-Urban/Vacant 13.76 34.00 1.64% Total 837.55 2069.59 100% Table 14: Town of Cardston Complete Breakdown of Existing Land Use (2013) Type Area (ha) Area (acres) % Total Area Single Family 142.86 353.01 17.06% Country/Large Lot 61.18 151.18 7.30% 2-family 0.97 2.40 0.12% 3 - 4 family 0.55 1.36 0.07% Multi-family 1.81 4.47 0.22% Mobile Home 2.70 6.67 0.32% Senior Housing 0.711 1.76 0.08% Retail 10.42 25.75 1.24% Wholesale 0.65 1.61 0.08% Service 6.51 16.09 0.78% Transportation 3.85 9.51 0.46% Building 2.83 6.99 0.34% Warehousing 8.59 21.23 1.03% Extractive 1.67 4.13 0.20% Ag Processing 15.18 37.51 1.81% Trucking 0.35 0.86 0.04% Educational 16.76 41.41 2.00% Government 3.10 7.66 0.37% Community 10.47 25.87 1.25% Hospital 1.63 4.03 0.19% Institutional 1.89 4.67 0.23% Religious 12.38 30.59 1.48% Airports 1.20 2.97 0.14% Telecommunication 0.09 0.22 0.01% Utilities 2.10 5.19 0.25% Indoor Entertainment 0.06 0.15 0.01% Page | 24 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Outdoor Facilities 1.92 4.74 0.23% Indoor Recreation 0.61 1.51 0.07% Outdoor Recreation 39.58 97.80 4.73% Parks 3.64 8.99 0.43% Open Space 28.54 70.52 3.41% Agriculture 94.85 234.37 11.32% Roads/Creek/Non-titled 344.14 850.37 41.09% Vacant 13.76 34.00 1.64% Total 837.55 2069.59 100% The Town's land use districting (zoning) breakdown is summarized in Table 15 below. Comparing existing land use with land use districting (zoning) is challenging given that the considerable roads/creek/non-titled areas are partly contained within the Flood Damage Reduction land use district, and because of different methods of categorization. Further analysis of the existing land use versus land use districting is necessary to understand the existing relationship between the two, including vacancy rates and the amount of existing non-conforming developments. Table 15: Town of Cardston Breakdown of Land Use Districting (zoning) Use Hectares Acres Percentage of Total RESIDENTIAL - R1 167.30 413.40 24.26% MOBILE HOME RESIDENTIAL - R2 2.43 6.00 0.35% LARGE LOT RESIDENTIAL - R3 60.86 150.39 8.82% MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL - R4 7.42 18.33 1.08% CENTRAL COMMERCIAL - C1 19.4 47.94 2.81% DRIVE IN COMMERCIAL - C2 5.21 12.87 0.76% HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL - C3 21.18 52.34 3.07% CONTROLLED COMMERCIAL - C4 0.25 0.62 0.04% DIRECT CONTROL - DC 23.12 57.13 3.35% GENERAL INDUSTRIAL - I1 33.53 82.85 4.86% LIGHT INDUSTRIAL - I2 9.98 24.66 1.45% PUBLIC & INSTITUTIONAL - P 37.68 93.11 5.46% RECREATION & PUBLIC OPEN SPACE - RO 129.24 319.35 18.74% AGRICULTURAL - A 148.02 365.76 21.46% FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION - FDR 24.1 59.55 3.49% Total¹ 689.72 1704.30 100.00% ¹does not include roads and other non-districted lands which comprise a total of 147.56 ha (364.62 acres) Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 25 In comparison with similar communities in southern Alberta (see Table 16), the proportion of land use districting within the Town is comparable to the established averages on all accounts, with the exception of industrial lands. At 6.3 percent of all districted lands, the industrial sector is underrepresented in terms of land use districting. Furthermore, existing industrial land use (Table 13) represents only 42.5 acres, which is less than half of the total area (107.5 acres) districted as industrial. Table 16: Comparison of Land Use Districting (zoning) Acreage with Similar Communities Type Residential Commercial Industrial Public/Institutional Urban Reserve/ Other Cardston 34.5% (238) 6.7% (46) 6.3% (44) 24.2% (167) 28.3% (195) Claresholm 37.7% (585) 4.7% (73) 18.0% (124) 33.3% (516) 16.3% (252) Coaldale 40.0% (659) 2.0% (33) 15.8% (260) 22.1% (363) 20.1% (332) Taber 19.9% (641) 5.5% (179) 25.8% (832) 17.9% (578) 30.8% (993) Average 33.0% 4.7% 14.0% 24.4% 23.9% 5.1 Residential In analyzing future needs for residential development, it is important to examine the current state of residential land use in Cardston. Residential land use refers to the combination of dwelling types, including single-detached, manufactured or mobile home, multi-family, and special senior residences, and the amount of land these uses occupy within the total developed land base of a community. A major component in attracting new residents is providing a suitably balanced supply of housing. Therefore, it is critical for a community to understand what type and quantity of housing stock it possesses. Cardston has an array of large lot residential properties that stem from the original settlement pattern. As lifestyles relying on sustenance agricultural and traditional homestead practises evolved over time, the need for large parcels diminished and ad-hoc resubdivision has occurred throughout the community. At 7.30 percent (see Table 14) of the total existing land use of the Town, country and large lot residential occupies nearly one-third of the existing residential land use in the Town. Single family land use, making up 17 percent of the total existing land use in the Town, occupies the majority of residential land use, followed by a cumulative 0.73 percent for all additional residential land uses, including semi-detached, row-housing, multi-family, senior's housing and mobile homes. While the demand for large urban lots and quasi-country residential living is well understood, this type of land use presents fiscal and sustainability challenges. As per the 2011 Federal Census there are 1,205 occupied dwelling units currently located in Cardston with an average of 2.9 people per dwelling unit. The average number of people per household is higher when compared to similar-sized communities in southern Alberta (see Table 19), and the province as a whole (2.7) and may be explained by the tradition of Mormon families to be large in size. Approximately 30 percent of all private households contain over four people. Page | 26 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Table 17: Town of Cardston Number of Private Households by Household Size Household Size Number 1 person 265 2 person 445 3 person 135 4 person 120 5 person 120 6 or more 120 Total 1,210 Source: Stats Canada (2011) Table 18: Town of Cardston Number of Occupied Private Dwellings by Structural Type Structural Type 2011 Single Detached 1,050 Semi-detached 40 Row house 40 Apartment < 5 storeys 55 Movable dwelling 25 Total number of occupied dwellings 1,205 Source: Stats Canada (2011) Approximately 87 percent of the occupied dwellings within Cardston are classified as single detached houses (see Table 19). In comparing this figure to other southern Alberta communities, Cardston has one of the highest ratios of single detached housing. Table 19: Comparison of Various Southern Alberta Communities Dwelling and Population Characteristics Structural Type Cardston Crowsnest Pass Claresholm Fort Macleod Nanton Raymond Vulcan Pincher Creek Picture Butte Magrath Single detached house 86.8 84.7 71.9 88.8 85.1 90.1 80.5 77.7 81.6 90.5 Semi-detached house 3.3 1.2 7.3 2.4 2.2 2.1 6.5 3.3 4.0 0.7 Row house 3.3 1.2 2.4 2.0 4.4 1.3 5.8 6.7 4.8 0 Apartment, detached duplex 0 0.8 5.5 0.4 0 0.4 1.9 0.3 0.8 1.5 Apartment building, 5 or more stories 0 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Apartment building, less than 5 stories 4.5 4.6 6.4 5.2 5.0 2.6 2.6 3.3 0.8 2.2 Other single attached house 0 0.4 0.3 0.4 0 0 0 0 0.8 0.7 Moveable dwelling (4) 2.1 7.0 6.7 0.8 3.3 2.6 1.9 8.7 8.0 4.4 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 27 Other Dwelling Status Information Average number of persons per dwelling 2.9 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.2 3.1 2.2 2.4 2.5 3.1 Population Characteristics Population 3,580 5,565 3,758 3,117 2,132 3,743 1,836 3,685 1,650 2,217 Average age of the population 38.4 50.8 51.1 43.5 49.4 32.0 52.9 43.4 36.0 33.6 Source: Stats Canada (2011) A residential land consumption range can be calculated based on historic trends in population growth and industry standards for housing density in order to illustrate the amount of land that will be required to house future growth. The land consumption analysis is based on the following criteria: - a 0.5 percent (low) and 1.5 percent (high) growth rate - a 2.9 persons per household based on historic housing density from the 2011 Census - 4.7 single family dwelling units per net acre (based on minimum lot size in R1 District) (Note: see Appendix F: Future Residential Dwelling Unit Densities) Using the assumptions developed in the analysis below (Table 20), it appears that Cardston would require anywhere in the range of an additional 9.7 ha (24 acres) (low range) to a high of 52.6 additional ha (130 acres) of residential land to accommodate a projected population range of between 4,152 and 5,594 people by the year 2041. This would result in a need for additional dwelling units in the range of 110 - 583 (low and high projected population respectively) to house the projected increase in population at an estimated 2.9 persons per dwelling unit. Although Cardston's persons per dwelling unit ratio has traditionally remained greater than the provincial average, the number of persons per dwelling unit is expected to continue to decrease to a provincial average of 2.5 (in the next census period - 2016) from 2.6 in 2011. The furthest column to the right in Table 20 illustrates the decreasing effect that increased density has with respect to land requirements. It must be noted that this acreage refers to only bare, undeveloped land, as this analysis does not take into consideration existing vacant land or lots that could be used for infill development or redevelopment. There are existing vacant areas and large residential lots within the current municipal boundaries that could be resubdivided to provide for additional housing density, variety and choice. Acreage requirements in Table 20 are net acreages, meaning that the total land requirements to support development would have to be multiplied by an additional 30 percent (approximately). Page | 28 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Table 20: Town of Cardston Land Analysis - Residential Land Consumption Range Year Population Assumed Persons Per D.U.* Total Required D.U.'s Existing D.U.s New Dwelling Units Required Land Area Required (acres) Land Area Required (acres) Low (0.5%) High (1.5%) Low High Low High Low (4.5 UPA) High (4.5 UPA) Low (5.5 UPA) High (5.5 UPA) 2011 3580 2.9 **1322 2016 3670 3857 3.1 1184 1244 1322 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.9 1265 1330 1322 0 5 0 1 0 1 2.7 1359 1429 1322 37 104 8 23 7 19 2021 3761 4156 3.1 1213 1341 1322 0 13 0 3 0 2 2.9 1297 1433 1322 0 105 0 23 0 19 2.7 1393 1539 1322 71 210 16 47 13 38 2026 3856 4476 3.1 1244 1444 1322 0 113 0 25 0 20 2.9 1330 1543 1322 7 212 2 47 1 38 2.7 1428 1658 1322 106 325 24 72 19 59 2031 3952 4821 3.1 1275 1555 1322 0 220 0 49 0 40 2.9 1363 1662 1322 41 327 9 73 7 59 2.7 1464 1786 1322 142 449 32 100 26 82 2036 4050 5193 3.1 1306 1675 1322 0 336 0 75 0 61 2.9 1397 1791 1322 75 450 17 100 14 82 2.7 1500 1923 1322 178 582 40 129 32 106 2041 4152 5594 3.1 1339 1804 1322 17 460 4 102 3 84 2.9 1432 1929 1322 110 583 24 130 20 106 2.7 1538 2072 1322 216 724 48 161 39 132 Note: This future land need analysis was done for projections over a 30-year period of additional land acreage (net) required to accommodate new dwelling units. It does not take in to consideration such factors as the existing vacant land acreage; land available for infill development, etc. * 2011 census calculated an average of 2.9 persons per dwelling unit ** 2011 census showed a total of 1,322 dwelling units DU = Dwelling Unit(s) UPA = units per net acre with roads, reserve and utility easements removed (approx. 30%) 5.2 Commercial Although Cardston has never been a significant manufacturing or processing centre, it remains a leading service centre in the region. The Town provides services and amenities to the local trading area of approximately 15,000 people. Commercial development within Cardston can be separated into categories depending on location including the central business district and highway commercial development. Currently, Cardston has 26.2 ha (66.18 acres) of developed land used for commercial purposes. At 3.93 percent (see Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 29 Table 21) of the Town's total land use districting, the proportion of commercial land use in Cardston is consistent with the observed proportion of commercial land use in comparable communities within the region. Table 21: Town of Cardston Breakdown of Existing Commercial Land Use (2013) Type Area (ha) Area (acres) % Total Commercial % Total Retail 10.42 25.75 31.72 1.24 Wholesale 0.65 1.61 0.83 0.08 Service 6.51 16.09 19.82 0.78 Transportation 3.85 9.51 11.71 0.46 Building 2.83 6.99 8.61 0.34 Warehousing 8.59 21.23 26.15 1.03 Total 32.85 81.18 100 3.93 The majority of retail commercial development has occurred in the downtown area along Main Street between 1st Avenue and 6th Avenue. Although development has spread to some of the side streets, most of the development along Main Street is only one block deep. Presently, there are few commercial vacancies within the downtown core and many buildings accommodate more than one commercial venture with some also including living quarters. In comparison with similar-sized communities, Cardston enjoys a very prominent downtown and the broad array of amenities that it offers. The Town of Cardston Downtown Revitalization Study, completed in 1984 by the former Oldman River Regional Planning Commission, suggested multiple design considerations that could be applied to boost the vitality of the downtown. These included proposals like narrowing Main Street and widening the sidewalks, adding landscaping and street furniture and other measures to promote the role of the pedestrian as the primary increment of design. However, because of the presence of the highway, it may be challenging to employ design measures while satisfying the requirements of Alberta Transportation. Still, a comprehensive revitalization, branding and redesign effort, like an area redevelopment plan, could help strengthen an already vibrant downtown into a major destination in itself. Highway commercial areas often include such commercial activities as service stations, drive-in restaurants, convenience stores, and motel or hotels. By their nature, highway commercial uses require sites with both high visibility and ready access as they cater to the motoring public. They often require larger lot sizes to accommodate drive-in services for semi-trailers, recreational vehicles, and the large amount of parking space, which these may require. Growth and development of highway commercial activity is closely related to increased traffic on the highway, rather than actual population growth in the Town itself. The Cardston Economic Development Action Plan (Action Plan) outlines the Town of Cardston's strategy to stimulate economic growth in the region and to further Cardston as a desirable community to live, work and play. The Action Plan has four main focuses: (1) Business retention and expansion; (2) Business attraction; (3) Tourism enhancement; and (4) Creating a vibrant and sustainable community. Page | 30 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan The Action Plan looked at Cardston's strengths and weaknesses regarding economic development, and identified the following opportunities for growth: - Health services cluster expansion o Advocate provincial government for new hospital o Healthy lifestyles and recreational therapy expansion o Services for aging population - Tourism cluster expansion o Enhance golf course offerings to increase overnight stays o Host larger scale sporting events o Archeological sites - EARTH Project - Create serviced industrial park - Continued support for residential expansion and improvement - Post-secondary and advanced education development o Feasibility for post-secondary (i.e. LDS college) o Lethbridge College partnership and offerings - trades development o Executive training - Professional sports camps - Create favourable business environment - Enhance recreational events (Agridome, Soccer, Baseball, etc.) - Oilfield services industry (exploration stage) - Greenhouse and 100 km markets The Action Plan also acknowledged some threats to Cardston's economic development, which included: - Resistance from land owners for recreational development - Aging hospital - Regionalization of health care - Similar communities competing for oilfield sector - Regionalization of farm services, reduction of number of farmers Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 31 The Cardston Land Use Bylaw (2009) contains four commercial land use districts: Central Commercial (C1), Drive-in Commercial (C2), Highway Commercial (C3) and Controlled Commercial (C4). The districts can be summarized as follows: - C1 - pedestrian oriented retail, restaurant and personal service uses with small lot size and setback requirements in order to facilitate a "fine grain" of service provision with an 80 percent lot coverage maximum; - C2 - automobile oriented uses for both the local and non-local population normally requiring medium size lots and excluding more intensive uses (i.e. light industry) with a 50 percent lot coverage maximum; - C3 - automobile oriented uses aimed more towards the non-local/motoring public normally requiring larger lots and providing for light industrial and some more intensive uses then C2 with a 30 percent lot coverage maximum; - C4 - pedestrian oriented uses almost identical to C1 but prohibiting residential uses in conjunction with commercial or stand- alone residential uses with an 80 percent lot coverage maximum. Historically, commercial development outside of the downtown core has occurred in narrow strips along Highways 2 and 5. As discussed further in the transportation section of this plan, highway traffic is predicted to increase along Highway 5 and the northerly portion of Highway 2. Presently, both areas contain conforming and non-conforming development and future growth should be monitored to ensure compatible development occurs. Vacant lots are available for development along both thoroughfares. 5.3 Industrial Industrial zoned lands within the Town are located predominantly adjacent to the northeast and northwest boundaries of the Town. The Town's two industrial districts, General Industrial - I1 and Light Industrial - I2, are isolated from one another, with the I1 lands occupying the northeast area and the I2 lands occupying a smaller area in the northwest. As noted earlier, the Town appears to have a deficit of industrial land use, and would benefit from an increase in non-residential, employment generating developments. It is often difficult to determine future land requirements for industrial use. By the nature of the different utilization of the land by different industries, some require a larger land base than others. Table 22: Town of Cardston Breakdown of Existing Industrial Land Use (2013) Type Area (ha) Area (acres) % Total Industrial % Total Extractive 1.67 4.13 9.72 0.20 Ag Processing 15.18 37.51 88.26 1.81 Trucking 0.35 0.86 2.02 0.04 Total 17.2 42.5 100 2.05 Page | 32 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 5.4 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Recreation, parks and open spaces most often serve two functions: the provision of leisure activities, and environmental enhancement or protection. A growing percentage of an individual's time is spent in the pursuit of leisure and it is essential to provide diverse recreational activities that appeal to many age groups and abilities. This is especially true in an age where the incidence of physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles is increasing. The natural beauty of southwestern Alberta encourages a wide variety of outdoor recreational and scenic opportunities. The close proximity of the Rocky Mountains, in particular Waterton Lakes National Park, support recreational pursuits such as hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and camping. Within the Town, residents also have access to a number of quality recreational facilities, including: - Charlie Cheeseman Ice Arena - Outdoor swimming pool - Agridome - Lee Creek Valley Golf Course - Civic Centre with theatrical performance amenities - Campground and Reunion Centre - Ball diamonds - Tennis court - Skateboard parks - Library The Lee Creek Valley Park, located in the flood reduction zone of the creek valley, includes pedestrian, bike and carriage trails, a track, and a football field. Several parks, picnic areas and playgrounds are located within the Town equipped with picnic shelters and playground equipment. It is noted that Town is in the second phase of extensive upgrades to the outdoor pool. Table 23: Town of Cardston Breakdown of Existing Recreation & Open Space Land Use Type Area (ha) Area (acres) % Total Recreation % Total Indoor Entertainment 0.06 0.15 0.08 0.01 Outdoor Entertainment 1.92 4.74 2.58 0.23 Indoor Recreation 0.61 1.51 0.82 0.07 Outdoor Recreation 39.58 97.80 53.23 4.73 Parks 3.64 8.99 4.89 0.43 Open Spaces 28.54 70.52 38.38 3.41 Total 74.35 183.72 100 8.88 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 33 In terms of developed parks within the community, there are nine parks and three schoolyards. - Cardston Centennial Square Park is the Town's largest park located in the centre of Town between 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue and 4th and 5th Street West. Originally owned by Charles Ora Card, the 2.8 ha (7 acre) park was part of the original town site. The park is equipped with playground equipment, restroom facilities, tennis courts, and three ball diamonds. - Lion's Park is located west of Main Street on 4th Avenue on the north side of the creek and is part of the Lee Creek Valley Park System. The Town owns the 10-acre park whose facilities include kitchens, picnic facilities, restrooms, softball diamond, 400- metre track, football field, outdoor swimming pool and sand volleyball courts. - Rotary Park is located east of Main Street, on both sides of 4th Avenue, adjacent to the former tourist information hut. The 2.0 ha (5 acre) park is presently owned and maintained by the Town, but was originally created as a project of the Cardston Rotary Club. - Redford Park is located east of Lee Creek, south of 1st Avenue on the truck bypass route. The park is approximately 4 ha (10 acre) in size and is developed with two elite softball diamonds, restrooms, concession booths, lights, and announcer's booth. - Lee Creek Campground and Picnic Area is located on the south side of Lee Creek on 2nd Street West, north of 7th Avenue. The campground has 70 spots with hook ups. The Reunion Centre, available for group bookings, is located south of the campground. In addition, four other small neighbourhood parks have been developed in residential areas in the north, south, and northeast sections of Cardston. These small parks are outfitted with playground equipment and serve the purpose of providing recreation space within the community. These parks were built by a combined effort of community groups and the Town of Cardston and are supervised and serviced by the Town. An examination of open space within Cardston reveals a significant amount running parallel to the creek. Some residential lots, characterized by severe topographic limitations, have been developed into unstructured open spaces and are more evident along the upper creek banks south of Lee Creek where slumping has occurred. In addition, most neighbourhoods benefit from open space created by utility rights-of way in addition to buffer areas. Map 9 shows the location of parks in the community along with a 400 m (1312 feet) "walkability" buffer. This distance, based on a review of relevant literature, is thought to be the maximum separation distance between a residence and an appropriate park space5 5 Appropriate park space means a public area that provides, at a minimum, opportunity for passive (i.e. unorganized) recreation, gathering space and playground equipment for smaller children (i.e. ages 1-5). . Page | 34 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 5.5 Public and Institutional Uses The type of public services and amenities available in a community often determines the quality of life enjoyed by residents of a community. The prosperity of Cardston is dependent on the provision of fundamental services such as healthcare or education as these services are necessary to retain existing residents and attract new residents, especially young families and retirees. The coordination of the community's needs and wants with the space available can be difficult. The designation of appropriate sites for future development of a public or institutional use can assist the agencies in long-range planning and expansion, thereby facilitating a high level of service delivery and increasing their ability to meet the needs of a growing population. Public and institutional uses comprise such activities as health and protective services, educational and cultural facilities and religious assemblies. Nearly 6.0 percent of the land use or approximately 46.23 ha (114.23 acres) within Cardston is dedicated to institutional uses (Table 19). These uses include schools, government offices, churches, RCMP office, Town Office and Civic Centre, Senior Centre, the interpretive centre and healthcare facilities. Table 24: Town of Cardston Breakdown of Existing Public Institutional Land Use Type Area (ha) Area (acres) % Total Public Institutional % Total Educational 16.76 41.41 36.25 2.00 Government 3.10 7.66 6.71 0.37 Community 10.47 25.87 22.65 1.25 Hospital 1.63 4.03 3.53 0.19 Institutional 1.89 4.67 4.09 0.23 Religious 12.38 30.59 26.78 1.48 Total 46.23 114.23 100 5.52 6.0 MUNICIPAL SERVICES & FACILITIES The municipal public works function is to efficiently maintain public parks, roads, sidewalks, storm water drainage, the water distribution system, sewage collection system, and solid waste collection and disposal. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 35 6.1 Water The Town's existing water distribution system consists of two treated-water reservoirs, two booster pump stations and a looped network of distribution pipes [100 mm (3.9 inches) to 550 mm (21.6 inches) in diameter]. The Town has its own water treatment plant located southwest of the Town and obtains raw water from Lee Creek and the St. Mary River which is stored in two raw-water reservoirs. The Town's water treatment plant has a maximum daily treated capacity of 15,465 m³ (4,085,420 gallons), and is located approximately 100 m (328 feet) from the reservoirs in the NW¼ 3-25-4 W4M, west of Highway 501 and the golf course. A 550 mm (21.6 inch) steel pipe delivers treated water to the Town's distribution system by gravity. From the 7th Avenue booster station the N.W. zone is pressurized by the three pumps in the 7th Avenue booster pump station. The 550 mm (21.6 inch) pipe from the reservoir is reduced to 350 mm (13.7 inches) and bypasses the 7th Avenue booster pump station and continues to supply water by gravity to the Town's distribution system. The 9th Avenue booster pump station supplies water to the S.E. zone. The water distribution system therefore consists of two pressure zones and one gravity zone, providing both domestic water supply and fire protection through a looped network of pipes ranging in size from 100 mm (3.9 inches) to 350 mm (13.7 inches) and consisting mainly of cast iron, polyvinyl chloride and asbestos concrete pipes throughout the system. Prior to 1987, the water was treated at the pump house #2 location where chlorine was added for disinfection and fluoride was added for dental hygiene. In 1987 the direct filtration water treatment facility was completed south of the town boundary in Cardston County with a designed capacity based on a 20 year population projection and historical consumption data. In 2012, Stantec Consulting conducted a Water plant upgrade feasibility study in which they stated that "The WTP is designed for a total output capacity of 15,465 m³/day, and as such the projected fifty (50) year maximum daily demand of 13,512 m³/day, and average daily demand of 4,292 ³/day, are within the design capabilities of the infrastructure and equipment". The treated potable water is stored in two concrete reservoirs with 4,546 m³ (1,200,926 gallons) storage capacity each. This system operates very efficiently and currently is controlled by the level of the reservoirs and the demand flow to the distribution system. In 2003, the water treatment filter system was upgraded to improve filter backwash and filtration performance. In 2013, the filter media was replaced again for continued filtration quality performance. In 2014, Ultraviolet light disinfection was installed for added treatment against Cryptosporidium, Giardia and bacteria. Both the historical low flows in Lee Creek and the need to ensure the supply of water to the plant, prompted the Town of Cardston to apply to Alberta Environment to transfer nearly half of their current water license from Lee Creek in order to access water from the St. Mary River. In 2004, Pump House No. 3 was constructed to draw water from the St. Mary River, approximately 10 km (6.2 miles) away from the Water Treatment Plant. The mechanism of Pump House No. 3 is similar to that of Pump House No. 1. Page | 36 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan The provision of water in Cardston can, at times, be quite expensive and in response a three-year program to install water meters throughout town was completed in the fall of 2002. In addition, a raw water irrigation system has been developed for some of the Town parks and golf course to reduce the amount of treated water that would be required. In 2009, the Town commissioned AECOM to produce an Infrastructure Master Plan, which analyzed existing deficiencies and required future upgrades to the system. 6.2 Sanitary Sewer In 1983, a new sewage treatment plant was constructed adjacent to the Redford Park in northeast Cardston between 1st and 2nd Avenues East. The enclosed facility consists of the following components: - Raw sewage is pumped from a lift pumping station near Lee Creek - A grit removal facility - Fine screen for removing non-biodegradable particles - Two sets of rotating biological contactors - Two settling tanks - Sludge is pumped into two aerobic digester holding tanks Effluent flows by means of a gravity system through the treatment facility, which cleans it before it is pumped through a pressure main for four miles and discharged into the St. Mary River. Biosolids are treated and dewatered by a screw press. The original design plans for the sanitary treatment plant provide the opportunity for future expansion when the need arises. Currently the plant is operating at approximately half capacity. The underground portion of the sanitary system is comprised of clay tile, asbestos cement and plastic pipes. The design of the current sanitary infrastructure (i.e. pipe network) is nearing capacity and may not be capable of handling additional capacity, particularly during wet weather events. In 2002, the Town initiated a study regarding the condition and capacities of the sanitary system. This report was utilized in the development of the 2009 Infrastructure Master Plan, which prescribed future system upgrades and conceptual servicing plans for the West Cardston Area Structure Plan and East Cardston Area Redevelopment Plan areas. In 2013, the addition of a new sanitary trunk main was completed to enable increased capacity for solid waste and to alleviate demand on the trunk main east of Lee Creek. 6.3 Storm Sewer The Town's limited storm infrastructure consists of a series of piping, catch basins and related infrastructure. Runoff from those portions of Town west of Lee Creek is collected by a series of catch basin manholes located along street curbs. The catch basins are discharged into storm collection systems that eventually convey to outfalls along the banks of Lee Creek. The east section of Town currently does not have an extensive storm collection system. Run-off from this section is mostly routed through ditches along 9th Avenue and continues to flow west, eventually discharging in Lee Creek. Lee Creek flows northeast, ultimately discharging into the St. Mary River. Floods in the area are usually caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt runoff from the Rocky Mountains. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 37 The Infrastructure Master Plan (2009) notes that there have been no recent studies completed on Lee Creek to establish its carrying capacity (see Section 10.5). In areas without a stormwater collection system, overland or sheet flow converges via the existing roadways or pathways down grade to Lee Creek. There are currently no formal storm water management facilities (i.e. storm ponds) in the Town. New development areas will require storm water management facilities to comply with Alberta Environment standards for municipal drainage systems. 6.4 Solid Waste Cardston is a member of the Chief Mountain Solid Waste Authority and contracts with a private company to provide solid waste services. A transfer station is located east of the northerly Town boundary within Cardston County. Industrial and commercial garbage is collected daily and residential service is on a weekly basis. The Town is currently in the process of undertaking a best practises study regarding waste management and diversion. A number of recycling sites are found in different locations within Cardston including a collection trailer, a used oil collector station and bottle depot located downtown. As well, a recycling plant, which handles larger recycling jobs, is located next to the sewage treatment plan. 6.5 Utilities The Town of Cardston owns the electrical distribution system within the town site and Enmax is contracted to assist with the administration of the system and to bill for the electric distribution tariffs as well as town sewer, water and garbage charges. Natural gas is available to the community and is provided by ATCO Gas. 7.0 TRANSPORTATION The MGA specifically requires the Municipal Development Plan to address the provision of the required transportation systems either generally or specifically within the municipality and in relation to adjacent municipalities. Highway 2 is the southernmost portion of Alberta's main north-south transport route leading to the United States border port of entry at Carway, 23 km south of the Town. The highway proceeds directly through the heart of Cardston and, within the Town limits, is designated as Main Street. Main Street, between Highway 5/Highway 501 (1st Avenue) and Lee Creek, is the focal point of the commercial district and is lined with many shops and services. Page | 38 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Highway 5, which terminates in Waterton Lakes National Park approximately 55 km to the west, acts as a boundary between the municipality and the Blood Indian Reserve to the north. Internally, the local road network is composed of a grid pattern characterized by wide streets typical of LDS settlement principles. Newer subdivisions have been designed with more curvilinear roads (i.e. cul-de-sacs and crescents), which assist with traffic calming/reduction, and in most cases with reduced road right-of-way widths. Two bypass roads exists on both the east and west sides of Cardston to direct heavy truck traffic and farm machinery from Main Street. This increases the ability of Main Street to move passenger vehicles efficiently and safely. The majority of the Town's streets are paved and in good condition with most having curbs and gutters to handle storm water. Table 25: Town of Cardston Average Annual Daily Traffic Volume for Highways 2 and 5 Highway Historic Traffic Numbers (2003-2012) Highway 2 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 18.5 KM South of 2 & 501 Carway 460 400 400 390 430 430 420 470 480 510 520 South of Police Outpost 510 450 440 430 470 580 560 610 610 600 620 North of Police Outpost 640 580 570 560 620 730 710 760 760 740 760 South of 501 South of Cardston 800 750 750 740 800 860 820 860 860 820 840 North of 501 South of Cardston 1540 1490 1490 1490 1560 1600 1560 1600 1600 1500 1520 South of 501 South of Cardston (Truck Bypass) 1540 1490 1490 1490 1560 1600 1540 1580 1580 1520 1540 North of 501 South of Cardston (Truck Bypass) 1420 1390 1390 1390 1420 1460 1420 1460 1380 1360 1380 South of 501 in Cardston 1610 1590 1590 1590 1830 1870 1830 1870 1710 1690 1720 North of 501 in Cardston 1950 1930 1930 1940 2270 2310 2310 2370 2360 2340 2370 South of 4 Ave in Cardston 6160 6150 6150 6180 6530 5480 5480 5560 5440 5400 4750 North of 4 Ave in Cardston 6030 6030 6030 6060 6400 5760 5760 5840 5720 5670 4960 South of 3 Ave in Cardston 6490 6490 6490 6530 6890 6580 6580 6700 6550 6050 5770 North of 3 Ave in Cardston 6190 6190 6190 6230 6580 6520 6520 6640 6490 5850 5590 South of 5 & 501 in Cardston 4460 4460 4460 4500 4740 4530 4530 4580 4480 3900 3730 North of 5 & 501 in Cardston 4830 4870 4870 4930 5200 5140 5160 5250 5130 4960 4740 South of 5 North of Cardston 4270 4310 4320 4380 4520 4550 4580 4660 4630 4730 4580 North of 5 North of Cardston 2330 2370 2350 2390 2520 2550 2570 2640 2580 2560 2430 1.9 KM North of 2 & 5 Cardston 2350 2370 2340 2400 2520 2530 2550 2660 2570 2530 2410 South of 505 North of Cardston 2020 2040 2040 2080 2200 2320 2340 2420 2360 2450 2420 North of 505 North of Cardston 2410 2430 2430 2470 2630 2710 2730 2810 2750 2720 2600 South of 505 North of Cardston 2660 2680 2660 2700 2780 2840 2860 2930 2820 2770 2660 North of 505 North of Cardston 2770 2790 2770 2810 2780 2840 2860 2930 2800 2750 2640 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 39 Table 25: Town of Cardston Average Annual Daily Traffic Volume for Highways 2 and 5 (continued) Highway Historic Traffic Numbers (2003-2012) Highway 5 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 South of 6 Northeast of Waterton Park 910 990 1160 1170 1190 1200 1160 1200 1180 1180 1200 East of 6 Northeast of Waterton Park 570 620 810 810 810 820 800 820 800 800 810 West of 6 Northeast of Waterton Park 570 620 810 810 810 820 800 820 800 800 810 East of 6 Northeast of Waterton Park 480 490 630 670 670 670 660 680 680 690 710 West of 800 West of Mountain View 750 750 730 720 700 700 690 710 710 790 810 East of 800 West of Mountain View 990 990 970 960 970 970 970 970 970 980 1010 West of 501 East of Mountain View 1000 1000 980 970 980 980 980 980 970 980 1010 East of 501 East of Mountain View 1000 1000 980 970 960 960 960 960 950 950 980 4.7 KM West of 2 & 5 & 501 Cardston 1360 1360 1320 1300 1350 1330 1350 1360 1320 1360 1410 West of Mackenzie St. in Cardston 1690 1680 1640 1610 1690 1890 1910 1890 1870 1890 1950 East of Mackenzie St. in Cardston 1920 1920 1860 1830 1920 1850 1870 1850 1830 1890 1950 West of 2 & 501 in Cardston 4040 4040 4040 4000 4190 4260 4280 4280 4180 4380 4370 East of 2 North of Cardston 2140 2100 2130 2190 2280 2280 2330 2340 2290 2410 2430 1.8 KM East of 2 & 5 Cardston 2130 2110 2120 2210 2280 2250 2320 2350 2270 2400 2400 West of 503 Northeast of Cardston 2150 2090 2120 2180 2270 2270 2320 2330 2240 2360 2380 East of 503 Northeast of Cardston 2020 1960 1990 2060 2150 2150 2200 2210 2160 2280 2300 Source: Alberta Transportation (2014) 8.0 SOUR GAS FACILITIES The MGA requires a Municipal Development Plan to contain policies compatible with the Subdivision and Development Regulation. These regulations provide guidance on the type and location of land uses adjacent to sour gas facilities. Section 10 of the Subdivision and Development Regulation outlines the setback requirements for subdivision or development in proximity to sour gas facilities. Generally, oil and sour gas facility developments are not permitted in proximity to populated urban areas. In addition, oil field development is exempted from the planning provisions of the MGA, pursuant to section 618(1), and falls under provincial jurisdiction. Currently there are no sour gas facilities within the Town of Cardston or its fringe area. If such facilities were to be established in the future, the setback distances in the Subdivision and Development Regulation must be applied to future subdivision and developments. Page | 40 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 9.0 MUNICIPAL, SCHOOL, ENVIRONMENTAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES RESERVE Municipal reserve dedication is an important contribution to the community and many of the Town's parks, trails, community facilities and school sites are a direct result. The MGA allows for the taking of municipal and/or school reserve, subject to section 666(1) at the time of subdivision under certain circumstances. The subdivision authority may require the owner of a parcel of land that is the subject of a subdivision to provide part of the parcel or money in place of land, or any combination of land or money as municipal or school reserve. The municipality has the authority to request environmental reserve to be provided at the time of subdivision in accordance with section 664(1) of the MGA. In most instances, environmental reserve must be left in its natural state or be used as public park space. Also, the owner of a parcel of land of a proposed subdivision and the municipality has the option to consider registering a reserve easement on an identified parcel of land. The difference being that ownership of the lands remains with the developer/property owner along with any maintenance responsibilities. Further, the lands remain taxable, although a decrease in assessment would be anticipated. 10.0 COMMUNITY SERVICES A number of other community services affect the quality of life of the residents of Cardston, but the provision and management of many of these are outside of the municipality's mandate and jurisdiction. Therefore, the municipality must act in cooperation, agreement and support with many of the organizations, agencies and other government departments that actually provide these important services. A significant area of land, approximately 37.68 ha (93.11 acres), is districted for the provision of institutional uses. These include schools, government offices, churches, the museum and the hospital. 10.1 Emergency Services Emergency services available to the residents of Cardston include police, fire and ambulance service. Policing for the Town is provided by the local detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Cardston detachment consists of 9 regular members and 2 stenographers and provides policing services to Cardston, Cardston County, Glenwood, Hill Spring, Mountain View, Leavitt, Aetna and Kimball. In addition, a peace officer, who is employed by the Town, is stationed in the Town office. The RCMP is involved in the community and provides such services as Business Watch, Victim Services Unit, Rural Crime Watch and Citizens on Patrol. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 41 The Cardston County Emergency Services (CCES) is a cooperative service provided to the Town of Cardston, Cardston County, the Blood Reserve, Aetna, Leavitt, Mountain View, Hill Spring, Glenwood and Waterton Lakes National Park. Currently, services are provided by a volunteer unit consisting of 40 members and include fire and rescue, both water and ice. The CCES fleet contains 4 pumper trucks, 4 grass trucks, 1 four thousand (4,000) gal water truck, 1 rescue response vehicle, 1 command post trailer and truck, 1 medical co- response unit and 1 rescue boat. 10.2 Health Services Medical services in Cardston include: medical clinics, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, physiotherapists and assisted living facilities. The majority of the health services in the area fall under the jurisdiction of Alberta Health Services, which operates both the Cardston hospital and community health programs. The hospital has an acute and continuing care facility offering 24-hour emergency, palliative care and obstetrics and surgical services. The age and condition of the hospital is of increasing concern to the Town. It is understood that the Cardston Hospital falls within the provincial top 10 priority action list and it is hoped that favourable consideration will be given by the province for its replacement in the coming future. Assisted living facilities for the Town of Cardston include Lee Crest Supportive Living and Chinook Lodge. An Auxiliary Hospital offers long-term care as part of the Cardston Health Centre. 10.3 Education Public schools in Cardston are the responsibility of the Westwind School Division No. 74, headquartered in Cardston. Schools include Cardston Elementary School (K-5), Cardston Junior High School (6-8), Cardston Senior High School (9-12) and an alternative school. Daycare and nursery school is also available. Special education programs are accessible to elementary and junior high students that require additional help. Evening credit courses are offered at the senior high school level. Post-secondary opportunities are available in the City of Lethbridge, approximately 80 km away. The school enrolment numbers for the whole Westwind School Division presented in Figure 4 give perspective to the fluctuations in the Cardston schools. Considerable decline in the Cardston Elementary School enrolment over the past six years is in contrast to the growth witnessed in Raymond and consistent enrolment in Magrath. While the Cardston Junior High is also experiencing modest decline annually, Cardston High School has been experiencing a positive growth trend over the last six years. School enrolments can be linked directly to the age distribution of a community. In view of this, (see Figure 1) it is expected that in the next few years elementary and junior high school enrolments will maintain or slightly increase, and that high school enrolment growth will taper off. Page | 42 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Figure 4: Comparison of Enrolment Numbers in Westwind School Division No. 74 Source: Westwind School Division (2014) 10.4 Community Lifestyle Cardston is a thriving community characterized by a conservative lifestyle linked closely to tradition and belief. With the majority of the community embracing the Mormon faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints plays a central role in the day-to-day lives of community members and the church sponsors numerous social and cultural events. The Town is also home to many other churches including: St. Paul's Anglican Church, Baptist Church, St. Andrew's United Church and St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Church. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 # of students (as of Sept. 30) School Year Westwind School Division Enrolment Numbers 2014/2015 2013/2014 2012/2013 2011/2012 2010/2011 2009/2010 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 43 The local library is part of the Chinook Arch Regional Library system, which encourages sharing of materials between southern Alberta communities and provides users with a wide selection of materials. Residents of Cardston have the opportunity to become involved in local theatre or to enjoy local museums and historical venues including the Remmington Carriage Museum, Card Pioneer Home and the Courthouse Museum. Community service clubs, including the Lions and Rotary Club, are actively involved in supporting and improving the community. Organized sports are also available to the community including minor hockey, figure skating, and field sports. 10.5 Environmental Considerations Lee Creek and the resulting valley together represent an environmentally significant area within the municipality, which has the potential to impact the community. Late spring floods on Lee Creek have been known to pose the threat of damage; therefore, in 1989 a program was implemented to reduce the potential of flood damage. The Flood Damage Reduction Program identified urban areas subject to flood damages and encouraged solutions including land use planning, zoning, flood proofing and flood preparedness (see Appendix A, Map 3 - Flood Risk Areas). The results of the Cardston study indicated that a 1 in 100 year flood would not seriously affect the existing residential and commercial development along the creek. Flood risk areas are mainly limited to the area between the 1st Avenue Bridge and the Main Street Bridge within the flood plain. As a result, a land use district was created in the Land Use Bylaw that regulates the use of land adjacent to the creek and restricts development. The risks associated with flood events are more acute in view of the flood events of 2012 and 2013 in southern Alberta. Updated flood mapping and flood plain development restrictions are anticipated in the near future pursuant to the recently legislated Bill 27, "Flood Recovery and Reconstruction Act." Although many environmental matters are of increasing concern to citizens of all municipalities, many of the causes of environmental problems are beyond the scope of municipal authorities to solve. The Town of Cardston can continue to contribute to environmental sustainability in the community by encouraging and practicing conservation and low impact development and providing opportunities for recycling, and promoting education and environmental stewardship. 11.0 REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Communities throughout Alberta are exploring the advantages of regional cooperation by working together to improve the sustainability of each community within the region. The benefits of regional partnerships continue to be realized and are entrenched in the South Saskatchewan Page | 44 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Regional Plan. Therefore, it is very important for the Town of Cardston to continue working with neighbouring municipalities who have common economic goals and development objectives. Currently, the Town of Cardston participates in the SouthGrow Regional Initiative, which includes 20 communities in south-central Alberta. As well, the community has partnered with other municipalities in southwestern Alberta to provide planning and geographical information system (GIS) for the region with the creation and support of the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. The Town's Chief Elected Official (Mayor) participates in regular regional meetings such as the Mayors & Reeves of Southern Alberta and Four Mayors Meeting (Cardston, Magrath, Raymond and Stirling). A long-standing relationship between the Town and Cardston County has produced many projects and partnerships that have benefited both municipalities. The development of the Cardston County Emergency Services clearly demonstrates the positive impacts that can come about as a result of a harmonious working relationship with neighbouring municipalities. As well, the two municipalities support the Regional Library System and Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), participate in a reciprocal business license program and have a water agreement that allows the Town to supply clean water to some of the County residents (for which capacity exists to supply additional areas in the County). The Town of Cardston also supplies sanitary sewer, water, and power to portions of the Blood Tribe Reservation. The Town, County and adjacent urban municipalities have formed the Chief Mountain Regional Solid Waste Authority and are exploring the viability of shared service provision for recreation and other services. 12.0 URBAN FRINGE The fringe area surrounding an urban municipality is a critical concern when planning for the future. The tendency for conflicting land use, and/or premature fragmentation, to develop has the potential to hinder the logical and preferred future expansion of the urban area. The urban fringe of the Town of Cardston is found to contain a variety of land use activities ranging from residential, commercial, noxious industry, and recreational to municipal public works facilities and a waste transfer station. The fringe study area (Map 7 - Fringe Land Use), 1½ to 2 miles east, south, and west of the Town boundary, is approximately 3,242 ha (8,012 acres) in size and contains approximately 62 land use developments. Of the land uses in the fringe area (see Table 26), residential development occupies the greatest proportion of land use, at 73 percent. It should be noted that the land use within the settlement of Moses Lake, directly north and adjacent to Cardston on the Blood Reserve, is not included in the study. It is recognized that a strong relationship exists between the Blood Reserve and the Town, but as there is no possibility of future growth in this direction, land use in this area will not affect the future growth pattern of the municipality. The lands lying adjacent to the Town's northeasterly (NE¼ 10-3-25 W4M) boundary within Cardston County (see Map 8) have been designated for grouped country residential (approx. 100 acres), and commercial and industrial use (approx. 60 acres) respectively. In addition, this area also Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 45 contains a substation and the Town's solid waste transfer station. The topography of the area is rolling with the existence of two major drains that converge east of the transfer station. This area is adjacent to the Town's industrial park and sewage treatment plant. In the future, residential development in this area may conflict with the natural sequence of expansion for industrial or large lot commercial. The southern portion of the fringe study area contains a variety of land uses. The Royal Canadian Legion, Cardston County maintenance yards and Volker Stevin shop can be found alongside Highway 2 in addition to numerous residences. The NE¼ 3-3-25 W4M, lying to the southeast of the Town's boundary with the County, has been fragmented in a similar pattern to the lands lying to the west that are contained within the Town. It is noted that the Town's last annexation, in 2005, brought in the golf course and other lands adjacent to Lee Creek, consisting of approximately 162 ha (400 acres). The fringe area west of the Town limits is developed with buildings along the majority of its length, although with a slightly lower incidence of subdivision. The locations of the water treatment plant and storage reservoirs are the most significant development in addition to country residential development, farmsteads and the cemetery. The topography of the land west of the Town is less severe and does not contain any major drains or draws. Table 26: Town of Cardston Fringe Area Land Use (2013) Type of Land Use Uses Total Residential: Country Residence 30 Farmstead 15 Ancillary Farm Residence 45 Agricultural: Farm Building 4 Intensive Livestock 4 Commercial: Misc. Commercial Business 5 5 Utilities: Water Storage/Treatment 1 Electrical Station 1 Solid Waste Transfer 1 3 Other: Cemetery 1 Gravel Pit Dump/Junkyard Golf Course 1 Miscellaneous (MD yard) 3 5 Total 62 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 47 PART 3: GENERAL GROWTH AREAS & FUTURE LAND USES 1.0 GENERAL GROWTH AREAS The identification of future growth areas is intended to set the framework for sound decision-making, promoting consistency and certainty for residents, developers, business and industry. Therefore, it is important for the Town of Cardston to evaluate and identify future growth areas at a "high-level," to the extent possible at this time, in order to facilitate long-term capital planning for the extension of infrastructure. The Town's general growth areas and future land uses have been identified in those areas shown on Map 5 - Future Growth Areas (see Appendix A). It should be noted that additional land use statistics and analysis is provided in more detail in Part 2 (Community Analysis) of this document. Analyzing existing land use inventories and population projection information reveals that roughly 70 percent of the total developable land within the Town's corporate boundary is developed. In the short term, the most desirable development option is to concentrate on the infilling of vacant lots and the redevelopment of both existing residential and commercial/industrial properties within the current municipal boundary. Future growth and development should be directed (generally) to those areas identified on Map 5 (Future Growth Areas). If the Town of Cardston continues to grow there will come a time when the Town will need to incorporate additional lands from outside its present municipal boundary in accommodating long term urban growth. The Municipal Development Plan Project Steering Committee suggests that the Intermunicipal Development Plan between the Town and Cardston County be updated and that the plan include provision for agreement and acceptance of the designation of appropriate long term urban growth corridors/areas. It is noted that the County's current land use district map (see Map 8) does not include an urban fringe district surrounding the Town. 2.0 RESIDENTIAL GROWTH In order to establish future residential land requirements, a residential land consumption range can be calculated based on historic trends in population growth and industry standards for housing density. Historically the Town's population has grown at a modest rate; being approximately 0.5 percent population growth per annum over the last 50 years (1961-2011). Recent projections from the Province, which is projected to grow as a whole at an average annual rate of 1.56 percent (for a period from 2014-2041), state that Census Division 03 is expected to grow within an annual range of 0.5-0.99 percent annually. (Note: see Appendix H: Province of Alberta Population Projections) Page | 48 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan The land consumption analysis in this document provides the Town with an indication of future residential land requirements to accommodate various population levels. Assuming a 0.5 percent annual growth rate, the Town would require an additional 24 net acres of land to accommodate a projected population of 4,152 persons by the year 2041. At a more optimistic growth rate of 1.5 percent annual population growth the Town would require 130 net acres of land to accommodate a projected population of 5,594 persons (see Part 2, Table 20 - Residential Land Consumption Range). At this growth rate the existing land supply within the Town boundary is adequate to support residential development within the projection range. It is noted that these land requirements do not take into account existing lands within the Town available for development. Overall, residential development will continue to be directed to areas encompassed by the West Cardston Area Structure Plan (Bylaw No. 1559) and the East Cardston Area Redevelopment Plan (Bylaw No. 1573) (see Map 5 - Future Growth Areas). A mix of conventional residential and higher density residential development will generally be directed to areas in the northwest portion of the community as sewer and water services can be more easily accommodated in this portion of the community until such time as municipal infrastructure is extended to the southern areas of the Town. In view of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan's strategy to "Utilize the minimum amount of land necessary for new development and build at a higher density than current practise" (pg. 89 of SSRP), the Town will need to examine existing and proposed lot sizes in the community. Appendix F provides a guide to residential densities including the density achieved by a range of lot sizes. 3.0 COMMERICAL GROWTH Future highway commercial development will be encouraged to locate in specific areas of the community. In the north, infill highway commercial shall develop in the limited areas available along Highway 5, west of highway 2. Future (i.e. unsubdivided) highway commercial also exists at the northwest limits of the Town, and because of its size (over 10 acres) may be suitable for a big-box tenant or, recognizing the industrial zoning immediately south, a mixed business park type of development. An area of land located in the south part of the community, west of Highway 2 and south of Highway 501, will look to create an additional commercial node that will provide for highway commercial and business park services. This southern area has great access and visibility and will serve as the southern gateway to the community. Multiple existing highway commercial (C3) designated parcels are also available along the east side of Highway 2, south of the Cardston County administration office. Appropriate commercial development will continue to be encouraged to locate in existing commercial areas with the infill of vacant lots and the redevelopment of older properties in the downtown. The downtown's strength is in its role as a central congregation area for retail, eating establishments, offices, personal service and other compatible, pedestrian oriented uses. Small storefronts and multi-tenant buildings offer the opportunity for a "finer grain" of business, with the potential for niche retailing and services geared to tourists in addition to local residents. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 49 According to the Cardston Business Visitation Report (2013), performed by Community Futures Alberta Southwest, business owners described their primary market area as follows: - 57 businesses (55 percent) defined their primary market as local; - 40 businesses (39 percent) saw their primary market as regional, including areas occasionally reaching the cities and adjacent provinces; - 2 businesses (2 percent) viewed their primary market as national in scope; and - 5 businesses (5 percent) viewed their primary market as international in scope. While these businesses are not all located in the downtown, the downtown is a focal point in the community. Although some traditional downtown activities will continue to shift to the periphery, the downtown will continue to evoke strong emotional sentiment and sense of place. Recognizing this, it is thought that further physical improvements to the downtown realm could be the catalyst for economic growth throughout the whole town. Coupled with other strategic economic development initiatives, redefining the downtown as a tourist destination, especially recognizing the close proximity to an internationally known destination in Waterton Lakes National Park, would give existing and prospective businesses the opportunity to expand their business scope beyond the local market. 4.0 INDUSTRIAL GROWTH Industrial development shall be directed to the available areas adjacent to the 8th Street bypass, including the few available infill lots in the industrial park and the unsubdivided Blocks 2 and 5 (containing a total of approximately 15 acres) located between 3rd and 5th Avenue East. Future development of this area may require a stormwater management plan to address drainage issues. Industrial opportunities also exist in the northwest area west of the 12th Street bypass. Including existing vacant lots, these areas occupy a total of approximately 60 acres. Varied topography and low lying areas encumber the lands, however, with the benefit of comprehensive stormwater drainage planning, the area is thought to be developable in its entirety. Recognizing the Town's deficit in industrial land use (see Part 2, Table 16 - Comparison of Land Use Districting Acreage with Similar Communities) and non-residential assessment base (see Part 2, Table 9 - Equalized Tax Assessment Comparison of Southern Alberta Communities), additional areas should be explored for industrial use in the near future. Furthermore, the Town should endeavour to increase its industrial and employment generating land use base by undertaking more detailed study on business attraction/retention initiatives along with stakeholders like the Chamber of Commerce. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 51 PART 4: PLAN POLICIES MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES The policies presented in this Plan will provide guidance and direction for municipal decision-makers regarding future growth and other planning-related considerations. Council, council committees and the public have reviewed the policies, prior to adoption, to ensure that the Plan reflects the vision and mission statements of the community and the associated guiding principles as set out in this Plan. APPLICATION AND ACTION ITEMS Various action items are proposed within the policy section of the MDP. While it is the intent of Council to undertake these initiatives as time and resources allow it is noted that Council is not obliged to carry out any of the suggested actions as per section 637 of the MGA. It is also noted that a significant number of proposed action items will be dealt with at the time when a new Land Use Bylaw is to be prepared. 1.0 IMPLEMENTATION & PROCEDURAL ISSUES The Municipal Development Plan is a statutory plan identified in the hierarchy of planning documents in Part 17 of the MGA. This Municipal Development Plan has been prepared for the Town of Cardston in accordance with the provisions of the MGA, the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and the Subdivision and Development Regulation. The MGA requires that all local statutory plans and bylaws must be consistent with provincial legislation, with each other and adopted by bylaw. The MGA also establishes through legislation the requirement for public consultation, which includes providing the opportunity for public input, referral to any adjacent municipalities and a mandatory public hearing prior to consideration of second reading of the subject bylaw. The Municipal Development Plan will become the long-range planning document that describes the vision for the Town of Cardston as it moves and grows into the future. All municipal decisions made by the Town of Cardston Council or any of Council's respective committees (having jurisdiction through Council's delegation of authority, if the case may be) shall be made in compliance with this Municipal Development Plan in successfully implementing the described long range vision for the community. It should be noted that this Plan is considered to be an adaptable and "living document" in that it may be changed, amended, updated and/or modified by Council at any time (in line with the legislative requirements of the MGA) in refining the long range vision for the community. Page | 52 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Objectives: - To adopt a plan which provides guidance for future land use decisions in the Town of Cardston. - To meet the legislative requirements established in the MGA. - To establish a mechanism whereby the Municipal Development Plan may be revisited, refined and amended to accommodate changes in the municipality. - To ensure that the municipal decision makers have sufficient information to make an informed decision and a process in which to obtain and review that information. - To promote consistency of decision making by ensuring decisions are made within a framework of policies. - To provide a positive and respectful environment for listening, evaluating and responding to the input, issues and concerns of the citizens of the Town of Cardston. Policies: 1.1 The Municipal Development Plan shall be adopted by bylaw and subsequently amended, if required, pursuant to sections 230, 606, and 692 of the MGA. 1.2 Prior to adoption of this document, the plan shall be sent for review and comment to: (a) adjacent jurisdictions; (b) school authorities; (c) Alberta Environment & Sustainable Resource Development and various government agencies. 1.3 In order to achieve consistency, all applicable statutory planning documents and the land use bylaw shall be amended to comply with any policies of this plan that where a conflict/discrepancy exists. 1.4 Before any amendments or changes are made to this plan, the Town shall ensure that public input is included as part of the decision-making process through information meetings and/or public hearings. 1.5 Any amendments or changes to this plan shall be forwarded to the municipality's planning advisor for review and comment. 1.6 This plan shall be reviewed, amended or replaced by a new bylaw on a regular basis in order to achieve consistency and reflect the current vision of the municipality and its ratepayers. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 53 1.7 This plan shall be reviewed comprehensively within the next two (2) years to ensure compliance with the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan. Prior to filing a statutory declaration respecting compliance with the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan the Town shall consider initiatives taken by other municipalities to ensure compliance and shall consult with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission. 2.0 SOUR GAS FACILITIES The MGA requires that Municipal Development Plans contain policies compatible with the Subdivision and Development Regulation regarding the type and location of land uses adjacent to sour gas facilities. For the most part, the energy industry is regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) and is exempted from the provincial legislation pursuant to section 618 of the MGA. Objectives: - To meet the legislative requirements of the MGA, the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and the Subdivision and Development Regulation. - To identify any sour gas facilities within the boundary of the Town of Cardston. - To minimize any adverse land use conflicts for a proposed subdivision or development in close proximity to a sour gas facility. Policies: 2.1 The municipality shall ensure that all subdivision and development applications that are located within 1.5 km (0.9 miles) of a sour gas facility are referred to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). 2.2 Pursuant to section 619 of the MGA, a license, permit, approval or other authorization granted by the Alberta Energy Regulator shall prevail over any local bylaw or land use decision rendered by the municipality. 2.3 Residential subdivision and development shall not be approved if it would result in residential development (i.e. overnight accommodation) within 100 meters (328 feet) of a gas or oil well unless the development is permitted to be located within a lesser distance and that lesser distance is approved in writing by the AER, pursuant to section 11(1) of the Subdivision and Development Regulation. Page | 54 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 2.4 Setback guidelines for sour gas facilities shall be in accordance with the standards established in Figure 1 - Minimum Setback Distances for Sour Gas Facilities (see Appendix B) provided by the AER or any subsequent standards should these existing guidelines be revised. 3.0 MUNICIPAL, SCHOOL, ENVIRONMENTAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES RESERVE The MGA requires that, under certain circumstances, the Subdivision and Development Authority address municipal, school, environmental and/or community services reserve at the time a subdivision decision is rendered. The MGA also requires that these reserves be allocated in conjunction with affected school authorities. Objectives: - To establish guidelines for the allocation of municipal, school, environmental and community services reserve. - To ensure that any applicable municipal and/or school reserves are dedicated at the time of subdivision. Policies: 3.1 Municipal and/or school reserve will be provided in accordance with sections 666 and 667 of the MGA. 3.2 Where the reserve requirement is to be satisfied as money in place of land, it shall be done so in accordance with the provisions of section 667 of the MGA. 3.3 Municipal and/or school reserve will not be required to be provided subject to situations under section 663 of the MGA. 3.4 The Subdivision and Development Authority has the ability to require the provision of municipal or school reserve as land if such provision is prescribed in an approved area structure plan or if the provision is warranted in the opinion of the Subdivision and Development Authority. 3.5 The existing supply and capacity of park and open space land in the adjacent area and the Town as a whole shall be included as part of an area structure plan preparation or a subdivision application where municipal reserve is applicable. 3.6 The Subdivision and Development Authority shall consider the supply and capacity of relevant park and open space land in the adjacent area and the Town as a whole when making a decision on the method of reserve dedication (i.e. land or money in place Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 55 of land) for a subdivision application in accordance with Section 9.0, Recreation, Parks & Open Space Development, of this document. (Note: see Appendix G: Park, Recreation and Open Space Planning Standards) 3.7 The location of municipal reserve land will be guided by a consideration of the optimum location for the intended public use and shall be determined, generally, at the Area Structure Plan stage where one is required. 3.8 Where a narrow parcel of land is required to provide a leisure trail or pedestrian connection within a subdivision, it may be designated as municipal reserve unless it is also used as a utility right of way, in which case it shall be designated a public utility lot. 3.9 The Subdivision and Development Authority has the ability to require the dedication of environmental reserve or environmental reserve easement at the time of subdivision, in accordance with section 664(3) of the MGA. 3.10 The Subdivision and Development Authority shall take environmental reserve or environmental reserve easement adjacent to Lee Creek at the time of subdivision of a width no less than that specified in the Alberta Environment & Sustainable Resource Development "Standard Recommendations to Municipal Subdivision Referrals" (2007). These areas may be accompanied by municipal reserve buffers where appropriate. 3.11 Where the provision of land for municipal, school or environmental reserve has been required, such lands shall be designated on a final instrument and registered for those purposes at Land Titles Office in accordance with section 665 of the MGA. 3.12 Where the municipality is of the opinion that certain lands may be re-subdivided in the future, the Subdivision and Development Authority has the ability to require that municipal or school reserves be deferred by caveat pursuant to section 669 of the MGA. 3.13 The municipality has the authority to acquire lands for municipal reserve purposes pursuant to section 665 of the MGA. 3.14 The Town of Cardston will receive all municipal reserve funds paid and, should a school authority in the future require land for a school, an agreement for possible municipal assistance will be discussed at that time. 3.15 The Town has the authority to designate a surplus school site as a municipal reserve or community services reserve pursuant to section 672 of the MGA. 3.16 A surplus school site designated as community service reserve shall be used by the Town for any or all of the purposes outlined in section 671(2.1) of the MGA. Page | 56 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 4.0 COORDINATION OF LAND USE WITH ADJACENT JURISDICTIONS The MGA stipulates that a Municipal Development Plan must address the coordination of land use issues with adjacent jurisdictions. Recognizing that it is important for adjacent jurisdictions to work together to promote efficiency and effectiveness, communication must occur for this to be successful. It is not intended to increase the complexity of decision-making, but rather to open all lines of communication in taking advantage of any and all opportunities that may be available to such partnership. Although an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IMDP) between the Town and Cardston County exists (2007), the document is in need of review/update and full implementation. The following policies are presented in this section in order to guide any future amendments to the IMDP and to fill any gaps where the IMDP is silent. Objectives: - To ensure cooperation in planning issues between neighbouring jurisdictions. - To allow adjacent jurisdictions to take advantage of mutual opportunities to maximize efficient use of transportation systems, infrastructure and other mutual interests. - To ensure cooperation and dialogue between jurisdictions on matters of mutual interest or concern. - To promote intermunicipal cooperation between the Town and adjacent jurisdictions. Policies: 4.1 Council shall demonstrate regional leadership in sustainable development by advocating watershed management, regional partnerships, and the reduction of resource consumption and reuse of resources. 4.2 Council shall work together with neighbouring jurisdictions and agencies to achieve the shared environmental, economic and social outcomes in the SSRP and to promote mutually beneficial regional interests. 4.3 Council shall review the current Intermunicipal Development Plan (with Cardston County) to ensure its relevance and shall liaise with the County to ensure it has been properly implemented. 4.4 Council shall initiate discussions with Cardston County with respect to a long-term growth strategy for lands immediately adjacent to the Town's corporate limits. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 57 4.5 Council shall uphold existing cooperative policies between the Town of Cardston and Cardston County to minimize incompatible land uses and land use conflicts in the fringe area that may conflict with the future long range growth aspirations of the Town. 4.6 Council shall consult with adjacent jurisdictions regarding plans to undertake any major infrastructure works or projects that may affect or impact adjacent jurisdictions. 4.7 Council shall consult with adjacent jurisdictions regarding other projects of mutual interest or benefit. 4.8 All proposed statutory plans, land use bylaw and/or amendments that may have an impact shall be referred to adjacent jurisdictions for their comments prior to consideration of final readings of the subject bylaw. LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES The intent of the following sections are to ensure that future development complies with the guiding principles and objectives as set forth in this Plan. It is important to make certain by way of compliance and consistency with the objectives and policies as contained in this Plan that the Town ensures the development of a high-quality built environment as implemented through those standards and regulations in the Land Use Bylaw. The intention of the following objectives and policies are to provide guidance to Council, the Subdivision and Development Authority and/or the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board when making or rendering decisions. 5.0 GENERAL GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT Objectives: - To ensure that development complies with the lists of permitted and discretionary uses as set forth in the Land Use Bylaw. - To ensure that serviceable land is adequately available to accommodate future urban growth. - To identify appropriate areas for development and redevelopment based on infrastructure, site characteristics, and compatibility with adjacent and existing land uses. - To provide polices and establish guidelines that direct future subdivision and development, which provide concise and manageable standards for developers. - To ensure efficient and sustainable design and construction techniques in subdivision layout and community design and development projects. Page | 58 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan - To maintain a high quality of development and subdivision design whenever possible. - To promote and coordinate a dialogue with Cardston County regarding future land use in the fringe area or on lands within close proximity to the Town of Cardston municipal boundary. - To identify general future long range growth directions and potential land uses. - To support/utilize the strategies in the "Efficient Use of Land" section of the SSRP. Policies: Future Growth & Development Areas 5.1 Future urban growth and development in the municipality shall be directed to the areas identified in the Municipal Development Plan as future growth areas (see Appendix A - Map 5) if they are determined to be suitable for development and can be serviced with municipal infrastructure. 5.2 Council shall ensure that new growth and development occurs in a stable and fiscally sound manner, given infrastructure, land carrying capacity and physical constraints. 5.3 Future urban growth shall be directed to areas with existing municipal infrastructure capacity or to locations where infrastructure extensions can be made most appropriately. All residential and commercial development shall be required to connect to the municipal sanitary sewer and water service unless it is demonstrated to the Subdivision and Development Authority that circumstances exist whereby services are not required for a commercial development. 5.4 Council and the Subdivision and Development Authority shall only allow new development in areas that can be serviced by both roads and the appropriate municipal utilities. 5.5 Any applications to redesignate non-urban area/agricultural land to another type of land use district shall be forwarded to the municipality's planning advisor for review and comment. 5.6 Council has the authority to require future subdivision and development to pay off-site levies pursuant to section 648 of the MGA and any other development fees as required by Council. General Development 5.7 Council or the Subdivision and Development Authority have the ability to require a developer to prepare an Area Structure Plan, Area Redevelopment Plan, Conceptual Design Scheme or Comprehensive Development Plan for adoption prior to or at the time of an application for redesignation, subdivision and/or development permit. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 59 5.8 Council shall develop and incorporate Area Structure Plan standards/guidelines into the Land Use Bylaw. 5.9 All future subdivision and development proposals shall be evaluated by the Subdivision and Development Authority as to the proposal's compliance with the objectives and policies of this plan, the SSRP, the current land use bylaw, and any other applicable statutory planning documents. 5.10 When evaluating applications for the subdivision of land, the Subdivision and Development Authority shall consider the impact of the proposal on existing land use activities in the area. 5.11 Proposed subdivisions shall be evaluated with respect to the following considerations: (a) compatibility with possible future development of residual and/or adjacent lands; and (b) appropriate connections to existing roadway and municipal utility infrastructure as deemed necessary; and (c) the suitability of the land to accommodate the proposed use(s). 5.12 Before initiating the formal rezoning/redesignation process, Council has the authority to require the developer to undertake a public consultation process to work with community groups, local residents and neighbours and to report the results of that public consultation process to Council. 5.13 The municipality shall promote redevelopment within existing areas whenever possible, based on infrastructure capacities and whether or not the development is compatible with adjacent land use. 5.14 New development should be planned to accommodate and integrate with the surrounding landscape and topography. 5.15 Park planning and building design is encouraged to recognize and, where possible, appropriately take advantage of natural site features including sloping land, viewscapes and other natural features. 5.16 All development shall be required to connect to municipal sanitary sewer, water and electrical utility system services, unless it is demonstrated to the Subdivision and Development Authority that circumstances exist whereby municipal services are not required. 5.17 Council has the ability to undertake any or all of the following municipal prerogatives: (a) adopt an Area Structure Plan or Area Redevelopment Plan by municipal bylaw or Conceptual Design Scheme by resolution which will govern subsequent subdivision and development of the specific area; (b) request that a comprehensive development plan be prepared and submitted for review by the Subdivision and Development Authority; (c) waive the requirements to provide any of the information typically requested to be provided; Page | 60 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan (d) to require the developer to provide any additional information not addressed or contemplated in this Plan or other guidelines, at the time of application review. 6.0 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Objectives: - To ensure a diversity of housing types/forms, levels of affordability and serviced building lots are available throughout the community that cater to all residents and housing needs. - Plan for the inclusion of non-residential land uses in residential areas, where deemed suitable (e.g. institutional uses, small local commercial/convenience uses, home based businesses). - To encourage the development of existing serviceable lands prior to undertaking new residential subdivisions. - To promote a high standard of design, safety and amenity in all residential areas. - To ensure that an adequate amount of serviced residential land is available to meet future housing demand and that land is developed in an efficient and rational manner. - To reduce the number of incompatible land uses in residential areas. Policies: General Residential Development 6.1 Future residential development shall: (a) comply with the objectives and policies of this plan; (b) be directed to the areas of the municipality identified in the "Future Growth and Development" section of this plan; (c) be evaluated as to its suitability by Council and/or the Subdivision and Development Authority. 6.2 Residential development programs and decisions shall ensure: (a) provision of a choice of new residential neighbourhoods and areas with provision for a variety of housing types that cater to all housing needs and income levels of the public; Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 61 (b) safe, attractive residential environments secure from incompatible land uses and in conformity with the existing historic, natural and cultural quality of residential neighbourhoods; (c) rational and economical extensions of existing municipal services. 6.3 Applications submitted for large-scale (multi-family) or multi-lot residential developments shall be evaluated on the basis as to how the proposal will affect the existing municipal infrastructure and servicing capacities prior to approval being granted. 6.4 Residential subdivisions may be planned and developed in phases, which would take into consideration market demand and future servicing. 6.5 When decisions are made regarding the conversion and servicing of raw lands for residential growth, the Town's assessment ratio should be reviewed to ensure any imbalance between residential and non-residential assessment is manageable. 6.6 When decisions are made regarding the conversion and servicing of raw lands for residential growth, the Town's supply of available infill lots shall be reviewed to ensure an appropriate proportion exists between the amount of available infill lots and the amount of raw land/lots. 6.7 Council shall endeavor to undertake the following initiatives in order to realize the "Efficient Use of Land" strategies and outcomes of the SSRP: (a) the creation of density targets for existing developed areas within the community; (b) the creation of density requirements for new developments (i.e. within area structure plans); (c) the establishment of maximum lot sizes for residential land use districts; (d) the MDP (and where appropriate the Land Use Bylaw) shall be amended in order to provide for the implementation of any of the above initiatives upon completion. (Note: see Appendix F: Future Residential Dwelling Unit Densities) 6.8 The presence of incompatible land uses in residential areas shall be reduced by: (a) encouraging the owner of the deemed incompatible use to relocate to more suitably-zoned sites; (b) limiting legally non-conforming uses to only necessary routine maintenance in accordance with section 643(5) of the MGA; (c) withholding a development permit for a discretionary use where a potential conflict exists. Infill Development 6.9 The Town shall emphasize and promote residential redevelopment. Wherever possible infill development shall: Page | 62 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan (a) be promoted in areas deemed to be suitable for the proposed use that can accommodate additional development and intensity; (b) integrate with the area and should be compatible in size and comparable in height, scale, design and density to the existing dwellings in the neighbourhood; (c) recognize the integrity of mature neighbourhoods and encourage infill development that complements existing development; (d) provide continuity with nearby streetscapes and lot patterns; (e) be subject to the capacity of municipal utilities and infrastructure. 6.10 The Town shall take a leadership role in encouraging infill development by undertaking the following initiatives: (a) continue to discuss and educate landowners about opportunities for infill development; (b) work with the community to identify preferred areas for infill development; (c) consider proposals for alternative lot sizes and configurations within infill areas where appropriate. Manufactured or Mobile Homes 6.11 Manufactured homes in the R-1 (residential) district shall meet all the standards and requirements of the Land Use Bylaw. 6.12 The Land Use Bylaw shall provide the standards for the placement of mobile/manufactured homes both within and outside mobile/manufactured home parks, having regard for the concerns of all residents. Multi-Unit Dwelling Developments 6.13 Council shall strive to achieve a proportionate increase in various multi-unit housing that caters to broad socio-economic and demographic groups. 6.14 Multi-unit developments, including apartment buildings, condominiums, townhouses, or senior housing complexes, shall be designed in such a manner as: (a) to be compatible with scenic views and not generate excessive traffic in residential neighbourhoods; (b) to locate adjacent to or in close proximity to green space or park areas, or alternatively, provide some form of recreation/green space on-site. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 63 6.15 Council shall consider the establishment of enhanced development standards for multi-unit dwellings in the Land Use Bylaw as a trade-off for increased density, to ensure compatibility with adjacent development and to help dismiss any negative stereotypes and/or NIMBY6 Affordable Housing ism regarding multi-unit housing. 6.16 Affordable housing7 6.17 New developments shall integrate an appropriate amount of affordable housing. is encouraged to locate in all parts of the Town, with a focus on locations adjacent to schools, parks, playgrounds and the downtown, while avoiding an over-concentration of affordable housing in any one area. 6.18 Affordable housing shall be of a high quality that is visually indistinguishable from neighbouring and nearby market housing. 7.0 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Objectives: - To strengthen the role of the downtown commercial area and enhance its image. - To expand and promote the commercial district as a vital component of the local economy. - To establish sound planning polices and guidelines for commercial developments that protect existing developments and encourage new ones. - To encourage a high quality design aesthetic (i.e. site, building and landscape design) in all commercial development proposals. - To improve the infrastructure that will help attract and maintain sustainable economic development in Cardston, including services to the downtown core area, commercial areas and/or industrial parks. 6 NIMBY is an acronym for Not In My Back Yard, which is a characterization of opposition by residents to a proposal for a development because it is too close to them, often with the connotation that such residents believe that the development is needed in society but should be further away from them. 7 Affordable Housing means housing that costs less than 30% of a household's pre-tax income. Page | 64 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Policies: General Commercial 7.1 Council shall continue to encourage and support local business. 7.2 New commercial development shall be encouraged to locate in the existing commercial districts through the development of vacant sites and redevelopment of existing sites whenever possible. 7.3 When land use bylaw amendments are proposed to accommodate new commercial uses, consideration shall be made to existing and adjacent land use patterns in the area. 7.4 All unsightly materials or objects being stored outdoors in the commercial districts shall be appropriately screened. 7.5 The design of new commercial areas or buildings shall provide for the safe and convenient on-site vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian movement. 7.6 The design of new commercial buildings shall provide for appropriate storage, screening and collection of waste materials. 7.7 The design of new commercial buildings shall provide buffering between any existing or future residential areas to minimize any negative impact that may be created by nuisances such as noise, traffic, light and/or visual impacts. 7.8 Council shall ensure, through performance standards contained in the Land Use Bylaw, that landscaping, building placement, building and form and architectural treatment of commercial development provides a high quality visual appearance. 7.9 Council shall support, through the appropriate allocation of uses, exemptions and other provisions in the Land Use Bylaw, the development of local food production and urban agriculture. Downtown Commercial Development 7.10 Council shall continue to pursue commercial revitalization plans and assist building owners or developers in redevelopment by promoting the Commercial Urban Renewal Policy in the downtown and throughout the community. 7.11 A high degree of attention shall be given to the architectural design of building façade and front setback areas that interface with heavy pedestrian traffic which shall be required to achieve a high quality of design. 7.12 Council shall consider the creation of a downtown area redevelopment plan pursuant to section 634 of the MGA for the purpose of preserving and improving the character, esthetics, accessibility and viability of the downtown and its infrastructure and thereby assisting in the promotion of the downtown as a shopping/tourist destination. Any plan created shall contain clear and specific provisions for implementation. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 65 7.13 The subdivision and development authority has the ability to permit mixed-use development in appropriate areas, allowing such activities as commercial activity on the main floor of buildings with residential or office use on the upper floors. Highway Commercial Development 7.14 Highway commercial subdivisions and developments shall occur only in suitable locations and in a manner that will allow for any planned expansion of the highway system. 7.15 Council has the authority to amend the Land Use Bylaw to accommodate commercial expansion by rezoning present residential lots located adjacent to Highway 2 and Highway 5 to an appropriate commercial land use district. 7.16 All highway commercial subdivision and development shall be referred to Alberta Transportation for comments and/or approvals. Parking in Commercial Areas 7.17 In suitable commercial locations, Council shall consider providing for off-street parking for recreational vehicles to encourage tourists to stop and shop in commercial areas. 7.18 Any off-site parking area or lot shall adhere to set landscaping controls set forth in the land use bylaw, with consideration for, but not limited to, the following design elements: (a) visual screening for areas adjacent to the street; (b) provision of a landscaping buffer between property line and the parking lot; (c) punctuating large parking areas with soft landscaping islands; (d) integration of bicycle parking; (e) provision of an uninterrupted pedestrian route; (f) incorporation of crime prevention through environmental design considerations. 8.0 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Page | 66 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Objectives: - To encourage and accommodate a broad range of industrial uses in keeping with the need to maintain a diverse and sustainable local economy. - To prevent or minimize any potential land use conflicts with existing or proposed industrial uses. - To attract new investment and industries to the community to diversify the assessment base and provide employment opportunities. Policies: General Industrial 8.1 Council shall attempt to attract and give preference to light industry or secondary manufacturing locating in the Town of Cardston. 8.2 Land use strategies for future development areas (i.e. new industrial park) shall provide for a full range of industrial uses. 8.3 Council shall plan to provide for both the expansion of existing industries and the development of new industry. 8.4 Council shall seek to ensure the availability of competitively priced, readily developable industrial lots that accommodate a wide range of industrial development. These areas should be designed and maintained for industrial uses, with commercial uses limited to those that are ancillary to and supportive of the primary industrial use. 8.5 The Subdivision and Development Authority shall ensure that a high standard of building design and landscaping is obtained for industrial sites, particularly in highly visible sites adjacent to major roadways. 8.6 All outdoor storage in industrial areas shall be appropriately screened on all sides. 8.7 Industrial sites shall be serviced by an efficient traffic circulation system that is designed to handle the volumes and various types of industrial traffic generated by this type of activity. 8.8 The Subdivision and Development Authority shall require the development of industrial sites in a manner that will minimize potential land use, traffic circulation and environmental conflicts. 8.9 Council has the authority to institute architectural and design controls for buildings and structures within the industrial areas for the purpose of maintaining the appearance of the areas and the image of the community. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 67 9.0 RECREATION, PARKS & OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT Objectives: - To provide and maintain quality parks and recreational facilities to serve all residents. - To ensure that future land developments preserve natural features and provide adequate park or open space for residents. - To encourage linkages between open space, parks, schools, and pathways where feasible. - To deliver a wide variety of season wide recreation and leisure activities and opportunities for both residents and visitors. - To provide facilities that support active and healthy living. - To protect the natural environment. Policies: General 9.1 Council shall strive to make all public spaces more enjoyable, safe and accessible to all members of the community. 9.2 Council shall investigate various funding alternatives and partnerships to offset the increasing costs of park and recreation land maintenance, especially for new subdivisions. 9.3 Council shall continue to work with school authorities and support the shared use of open space and playground areas. 9.4 Council shall endeavor to provide a range of facilities, parks and open space that provide opportunity for both active and passive recreation and organized/unorganized sports and activities that are accessible to people of all ages and physical ability. 9.5 Council shall endeavor to create a recreation master plan. 9.6 Signage to recreation and parks facilities shall be consistent, clear, and, where appropriate, illuminated for night-time visibility. Recreational Facilities 9.7 Where feasible, Council shall endeavour to maintain and improve existing recreational facilities. Page | 68 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 9.8 Council shall ensure that the development of recreational facilities is compatible with other adjacent land use activities. Parks and Open Space 9.9 Council shall continue to take inventory of the municipal parks and prioritize their need for maintenance or replacement based on the state of their physical condition. 9.10 It is the goal of the Town to provide an appropriate park space8 (Note: see Map 9 - Park Walkability) within 400m (1312 ft.) walking distance of every resident. 9.11 Council shall consider the creation of a park hierarchy (i.e. regional, community, neighbourhood), for the purpose of prioritizing resources, siting municipal reserve areas, and assessing areas in need of park space. (Note: see Appendix G: Park, Recreation and Open Space Planning Standards) 9.12 Council shall investigate the opportunity to establish a future continuous open space corridor system and pathway system along the Lee Creek valley with the potential for linkages to all residential communities in the Town. 9.13 If storm water management areas are needed to alleviate storm water drainage problems, catchment areas may be used to provide park or open space for the public. 9.14 The establishment of community gardens should be considered in certain parks if deemed suitable by the Subdivision and Development Authority. 9.15 Council shall encourage citizen organizations and volunteers to fundraise and/or donate in-kind to upgrade playground or park areas. 8 Appropriate park space means a public area that provides, at a minimum, opportunity for passive (i.e. unorganized) recreation, gathering space and playground equipment for smaller children (i.e. ages 1-5). Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 69 10.0 ENVIRONMENTAL, HISTORICAL & CULTURAL ISSUES Objectives: - To support the enhancement and delivery of Arts, Culture and Heritage opportunities that stimulate and support the transition to sustainability in the community. - To minimize the conflicts between development activities and the protection of special or significant sites. - To coordinate provincial and municipal governments in the preservation of historic and prehistoric sites and to promote key historic sites as attractions. - To help residents understand and appreciate local historical and cultural resources. - To achieve a reasonable and healthy balance between environmental protection and economic imperatives and prosperity. Policies: General Policies 10.1 Council shall seek support from provincial agencies in promoting awareness of the benefits of protecting special or significant sites. 10.2 The Town's environmental, historical and cultural assets are key contributors to the Town's attractiveness and should be recognized as being an integral part of economic development efforts. 10.3 Council shall consult with its planning advisor to consistently and regularly update all land use maps in the community. Environmental Policies 10.4 The conservation of significant natural and cultural assets in the municipality shall be encouraged. 10.5 Development and land use in the floodplain shall be regulated by guidelines, policies, controls or requirements put in place by the municipality in conjunction with the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada. 10.6 Council shall prohibit development in the floodway and shall review and restrict development in the flood fringe and other hillside areas that could potentially be subject to harm by watercourses or sloughing through regulations in the Land Use Bylaw. Page | 70 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Historical Policies 10.7 The preservation and restoration of historic buildings and sites important to the development, character, and identity of the Town of Cardston shall be encouraged. 10.8 The voluntary designation of eligible buildings and places by bylaw as a municipal historic resource, pursuant to section 26 of the Historical Resources Act, shall be encouraged in order to support the preservation and restoration of historic resources and the viability of the downtown. 10.9 Council shall attempt to increase local awareness of historical preservation grants available for residents to restore and improve properties that may be classified as historical. Cultural Policies 10.10 Council shall encourage the development of methods that would enable arts and culture to become more self-sufficient in the community. 10.11 Council shall attempt to balance the needs of natural and cultural environments with economic development, recreation, and individual residents as a reflection of community values in land use and development decisions. 10.12 Council shall support Arts and Education opportunities that provide culturally enriching experiences for the youth of the community. 10.13 Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices shall be celebrated within the community for the betterment of everyone. 10.14 Initiatives that enhance and uphold "sense of place" (e.g. community events, local heritage, and symbols of the community) within Cardston shall be explored and utilized to their fullest potential in order to foster and build upon the community's unique character. 11.0 MUNICIPAL SERVICES & FACILITIES Objectives: - To ensure that future land developments have adequate infrastructure and that water and sewage treatment services are able to handle the minimum capacities required for future growth. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 71 - To achieve and maintain a high level of physical and social services in the municipality. - To support and promote volunteer and community service organizations that operate in the Town of Cardston. Policies: Municipal Services for New Subdivision and Development 11.1 All development shall be required to connect to the municipal sanitary sewer, water and electrical utility system services unless it is determined by the Subdivision and Development Authority that it is not required. 11.2 The cost of supplying the required infrastructure services to subdivisions or new developments shall be borne solely by the developer and not by the municipality. 11.3 The Subdivision and Development Authority has the ability to require a developer to enter into an agreement with the municipality pursuant to the MGA and registered by caveat against the certificate of title to ensure the said agreement is binding on the land owner, or successors in title, to install or pay for the installation of public utilities that are necessary to serve the subdivision, pursuant to sections 650 and/or 655 of the MGA. 11.4 Council shall endeavor to create a comprehensive policy respecting development agreements. Wastewater 11.5 The minimum setback distances from mechanical wastewater plants as stipulated by Alberta Environment & Sustainable Resource Development shall be adhered to in order to prevent occurrences of objectionable odours in subdivisions when plants are operated normally and within designed capacities. 11.6 Council shall monitor and ensure that the sewage treatment system and water treatment plants are capable of handling additional capacities associated with the projected growth of the municipality. Site Requirements for Development 11.7 The provision of curbs and gutters in newly developed areas shall be addressed in a development agreement. 11.8 New developments shall create a minimal increase in storm water runoff from the predevelopment state. Problem areas shall require a storm water management plan to be approved by the municipality. 11.9 Council shall attempt to identify areas in the community that have sidewalks in a state of disrepair and implement a plan to replace or repair, on a priority basis, the damaged sidewalks as budgetary and economic considerations allow. Page | 72 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 12.0 COMMUNITY SERVICES Objectives: - To meet the health, social and life-long learning needs (including physical, mental, spiritual and emotional) of the community. - To maintain communication with external organizations that provide community services to residents. Policies: 12.1 Council shall encourage non-profit groups/organizations and provincial agencies to establish programs and operate in the community to enhance the level and quality of existing community services. 12.2 Council shall promote programs and initiatives to enhance volunteerism and community service organizations as they contribute considerably to the quality of life in Cardston. 12.3 Council shall continue to support and work in mutual agreement with other government departments or agencies that help provide various community services to residents. 12.4 Council shall encourage communication with appropriate provincial agencies to determine if family support services are adequately addressing the needs of Cardston residents. 12.5 Council shall support the promotion of Continuing Education in the community. 13.0 TRANSPORTATION & UTILITIES Objectives: - To maintain a transportation network that meets the needs of the community and provides both safe and efficient routes. - To liaise with Alberta Transportation and/or Cardston County with respect to any transportation routes of mutual interest or jurisdiction. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 73 - To provide a transportation network that accommodates different modes of mobility and moves residents, employees, visitors and goods to, from and within the community in a safe, efficient and sustainable manner. Policies: General Transportation 13.1 Municipal roads or transportation initiatives shall try to: (a) ensure proper access is available for the development of tourism-related industries or attractions; (b) be planned and developed to enhance opportunities for local businesses to benefit from the circulation of traffic both through and within the community; (c) create "complete streets"9 13.2 The development of new transportation routes or the upgrade of existing routes shall be completed as deemed appropriate by Council with consideration of the budget and financial costs to the municipality. accommodating all uses including pedestrians and cyclists. 13.3 Council shall continue to support and develop the Cardston Trails Program to enhance the utilization of the trails for community recreation and tourism uses as well as to promote increased foot and cycle traffic to the downtown area. 13.4 Council shall ensure that service roads and limited access points are provided for road or highway related land uses, as required. 13.5 Local roads in new subdivisions: (a) shall be designed to take into consideration the local topography and contours of the land with crescents, cul-de-sacs and through streets being designed to the standards of the municipality; (b) shall respect the lay of the land; (c) shall not create a disjointed secondary street system; (d) shall adhere to a hierarchical pattern of road networks, based on arterial, collector, and local road networks, to ensure the safe and efficient movement of vehicles; (e) for the purpose of legal access, every lot to be created by a subdivision application shall have direct physical access to a public roadway. 13.6 The municipality shall maintain a consistent standard of road design. 9 Complete Street means a street appropriately designed for all ages, abilities, and modes of travel. Page | 74 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 13.7 The development of an interconnected pathway system shall be explored by the Town as a means to ensure strong intercommunity linkages accommodating alternative forms of transportation in the community. Walking, Cycling and Alternative Transportation 13.8 Council shall support initiatives and ongoing education regarding alternative transportation methods and the linkages of alternative transportation between active and healthy living and environmental awareness. 13.9 Council should give consideration to the requirement for minimum bicycle parking requirements in the Land Use Bylaw. 13.10 In the design of new subdivision provision of walking and cycling facilities (i.e. sidewalks, cycling routes) should be considered between residential areas and key destinations such as employment areas, schools, and parks/open spaces. 13.11 Council shall investigate opportunities for communal seniors' transportation with more comprehensive coverage (i.e. evenings and weekends). 14.0 ECONOMIC GROWTH A strong, healthy assessment base provides the necessary revenues for the municipality to provide the services and facilities to which ratepayers have become accustomed. It is important for the municipality to encourage suitable economic growth strategies while balancing the provision of services and the protection of important historic, cultural and environmental resources. Objectives: - To expand and diversify the local economy. - To substantially increase and promote the tourism industry potential of Cardston. - To create a positive municipal environment that encourages and supports business and industry. - To create a strong local economy, a vibrant downtown, and resilient businesses that help move the community toward sustainability. - To encourage the implementation of the existing Economic Development Action Plan for the region. - To encourage the development and location of environmentally friendly businesses and industries within the Town. Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Page | 75 Policies: 14.1 Council shall strive to create a strong, livable, safe community with good neighbourhood organizations and adequate parkland, recreational opportunities, community centres and other public amenities that will foster local business growth and generate a host of economic benefits. 14.2 Future land use decisions shall create a compatible situation whereby industry, recreation and environmental uses can co-exist and not create constraints or potential conflicts. 14.3 Municipal decisions shall be made with special attention placed on creating an atmosphere that positively demonstrates that Cardston is a friendly, attractive community that is favourable to business. 14.4 Council shall support positive opportunities to diversify the local economy and expand the tax base. 14.5 Council shall support economic development strategies that: (a) focus on enhancing and developing the strengths of the community; (b) attempt to attract and give preference to light industry or secondary manufacturing to locate in the municipality; (c) conserve, maintain, enhance and market local amenities to assist economic growth; (d) actively promote opportunities for the public to enjoy the natural resources of the area as an economic growth engine; (e) maintain and expand the role of the Town of Cardston as a host community to cultural, recreational and other special events and festivals. 14.6 Council shall support and investigate initiatives to increase local educational and skills training opportunities for residents, including the development of a post-secondary institution. 14.7 Council shall support the development of a new hospital. 14.8 Council shall consider the proposals and recommendations concerning the beautification, urban renewal and economic development of Cardston as outlined in the Report on the Mayor's Task Force on Downtown Revitalization and Beautification 2001. 14.9 Attempts shall be made to make Cardston a clean, attractive community by encouraging the cleanup of unsightly premises and enforcing regulations through a municipal bylaw. 14.10 Council shall encourage and support the development of commercial tourism by encouraging a tourism marketing strategy for the community and the region. Page | 76 Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan 14.11 Council shall support environmentally conscious entrepreneurs and the establishment of environmentally friendly or green industry firms as a means to ensure economic diversification. 14.12 Council shall consider the objectives of the Economic Development Action Plan when deciding on future updates to this plan, or the update/adoption of the Land Use Bylaw or any statutory plan. APPENDICES Appendix A: Background Maps Map 1 - Regional Location Map 2 - Topography Map 3 - Flood Risk Areas Map 4 - Infrastructure Map 5 - Future Growth Areas Map 6 - Existing Land Use Map 7 - Fringe Land Use Map 8 - Cardston County Land Use Districts Map Map 9 - Park Walkability Appendix B: Sour Gas Setbacks Appendix C: Community Questionnaire / Survey Appendix D: Executive Summary - Community Questionnaire / Survey Appendix E: Hierarchy of Planning Documents (Statutory & Non-Statutory) Appendix F: Future Residential Dwelling Unit Densities Appendix G: Park, Recreation and Open Space Planning Standards Appendix H: Province of Alberta Population Projections Appendix A: BACKGROUND MAPS (1-9) +0&+#04'5'48' '&'08#..'; NATIONAL PARK LAKES WATERTON +0&+#04'5'48' '&'08#..'; R 5 Tp 26 Tp24 R 7 R 6 R 4 R 3 R 8 R 9 R 1 R 2 Tp 25 Tp 16 Tp 14 Tp 17 Tp 23 Tp 15 Tp 18 Tp 21 Tp 20 Tp 22 Tp 19 Tp 13 Tp 6 R 1 Tp 9 Tp 12 R 9 R 6 Tp 5 R 4 Tp 8 R 2 Tp 1 R 8 R 7 Tp 11 Tp 3 Tp 10 Tp 4 Tp 7 Tp 2 R 3 R 5 R 1 R 30 R 29 Tp 29 R 13 R 14 R 11 R 12 R 10 Tp 28 R 20 R 19 R 15 R 22 R 26 R 25 R 23 R 16 R 21 R 17 R 24 R 18 R 27 R 24 R 23 R 22 R 21 R 17 R 20 R 18 R 27 R 19 R 26 R 25 R 28 R 16 R 5 R 4 R 1 R 3 R 6 R 2 R 10 R 14 R 11 R 15 R 12 R 13 GRANUM OKOTOKS BOW ISLAND BURDETT FOREMOST COUTTS LONGVIEW DUCHESS TILLEY BROOKS COWLEY MILK PINCHER PICTURE MAGRATH RAYMOND COALDALE BUTTE RIVER CARDSTON COALHURST WARNER STIRLING BARNWELL NOBLEFORD GLENWOOD FORT MACLEOD LETHBRIDGE TABER CHAMPION MILO ROSEMARY ARROWWOOD CARMANGAY LOMOND CLARESHOLM HIGH RIVER BASSANO VAUXHALL STAVELY NANTON GLEICHEN HUSSAR CREEK BARONS VULCAN MEDICINE HAT REDCLIFF HILLSPRING 3 61 61 22 22 40 7 36 22 40 22 3A 3 2 3 3 5 2 5 5 6 5 3 4 5 4 6 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 6 4 25 36 62 52 61 52 25 36 25 62 23 36 23 61 36 62 4 36 24 23 23 24 2A 25 36 24 36 23 25 23 56 2 2 1 1 7 1 2 2 56 56 36 3 22 1 1 3 1 41 41 61 41 41 41 41 41 41A 3 1 41 1 3 146 I.R. I.R. 146 I.R. 146 I.R. 146 WHEATLAND COUNTY COUNTY OF NEWELL No 4 COLUMBIA BRITISH No. 147 NATION PIIKANI INDIAN RESERVE SIKSIKA INDIAN BLOOD RESERVE VULCAN COUNTY No 26 COUNTY MUNICIPAL DISTRICT PINCHER CREEK CARDSTON COUNTY COUNTY OF WARNER No 5 M.D. OF RANCHLAND No 66 M D OF No 9 MUNICIPALITY OF CROWSNEST PASS WILLOW CREEK BLOOD INDIAN RESERVE M.D OF FOOTHILLS KANANASKIS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SPECIAL AREA 2 CYPRESS COUNTY COUNTY OF FORTY MILE M. D. OF ACADIA SASKATCHEWAN SPECIAL AREA 2 SPECIAL AREA 3 PIIKANI NATION No. 147 OF TABER LETHBRIDGE M D OF TOWN OF CARDSTON REGIONAL LOCATION MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TOWN OF CARDSTON OLDMAN RIVER REGIONAL SERVICES COMMISSION MAP 1 Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 2 - TOPOGRAPHY MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN INDEX CONTOURS (2.5m) PHOTO DATE: MAY 9, 2013 All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 3 - FLOOD HAZARD AREAS MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN LEE CREEK FLOOD WAY FLOOD FRINGE PHOTO DATE: MAY 9, 2013 NOTE: FLOOD HAZARD INFORMATION IS BASED ON DATA FROM ALBERTA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 4 - INFRASTRUCTURE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN WATER PRESSURE MAIN SANITARY GRAVITY MAIN SANITARY PRESSURE MAIN STORM GRAVITY MAIN PHOTO DATE: MAY 9, 2013 All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 5 - FUTURE GROWTH AREAS MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PHOTO DATE: MAY 9, 2013 All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 6 - EXISTING LAND USE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Cemetery Commercial Country Residence Dump/junkyard Farm Building Farmstead Dairy CFO Resource Extracting Miscellaneous Ranch Utilities All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Town Boundary Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 7 - FRINGE EXISTING LAND USE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PHOTO DATE: JUNE / JULY 2012 All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Town Boundary LAND USE BYLAW AMENDED TO MAP 8 - CARDSTON COUNTY MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND INCLUDING BYLAW 647/2013 Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 Agriculture - AG Grouped Country Residential - GCR Single-lot Country Residential - SCR Rural Commercial/industrial - RCI All In Twp 3, Rge 25, W4M TOWN OF CARDSTON NW 3, NE 8, SE 8, Sec 9, NW 10, SW 10, Ptn's NE 4, NE 5, NW 8, SE 16, SW 16, Bylaw No. 1631, February 10, 2015 MAP 9 - PARK WALKABILITY MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PHOTO DATE: MAY 9, 2013 BUFFERED PARCEL 400m PARK BUFFER Appendix B: SOUR GAS SETBACKS Appendix B: SOUR GAS SETBACKS Appendix C: COMMUNITY QUESTIONNAIRE / SURVEY TOWN OF CARDSTON MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN QUESTIONNAIRE The Town of Cardston has initiated the preparation of a new Municipal Development Plan (MDP). The MDP is a statutory planning document, which takes the Town of Cardston's goals and objectives for future development and creates policies that will aid in achieving them. Your opinions are essential in helping Council establish goals, objectives and policies that will achieve the desired future. Council wants to hear from you! Please take some time to fill out this important survey and return it in the enclosed stamped, self-addressed envelope or drop it off at the Town Office. PLEASE RETURN THE SURVEY PRIOR TO: October 18, 2013 SECTION 1 - Background The following questions will provide the Town with a better understanding of the different needs of individuals and how different groups view Cardston's future. Please be assured all responses are anonymous. 1. Please indicate whether the person filling out this survey is:  Male  Female 2. Please indicate the age of the person filling out this survey: _________ 3. How many people (including yourself) are there in your household? Please indicate the number of members in each age group. _____ 0-4 _____ 20-24 _____ 40-44 _____ 60-64 _____ 5-9 _____ 25-29 _____ 45-49 _____ 65-69 _____ 10-14 _____ 30-34 _____ 50-54 _____ 70+ _____ 15-19 _____ 35-39 _____ 55-59 4. Do you reside in the Town of Cardston?  Yes  No 5. Please state how many years you have lived in the Town of Cardston. _____ years 6. How long have you lived in your present residence? _____ years 7. Have you always lived in Cardston?  Yes  Yes, but left for school and moved back  Yes, but left for work and moved back  No. Please specify previous location _______________________________ If you have lived somewhere other than Cardston for any period of time, please indicate reasons for choosing to move to/return to Cardston ________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 2 8. Please indicate your occupation status. Please indicate the locations* and occupations of employed members of this household, including yourself. Housewives and students should indicate these activities as occupations. (*If employment is not at a fixed place, but involves travel, indicate "variable".) Gender Occupation Location Full Time Part Time/ Seasonal Retired Unemployed 1.     2.     3.     4.     5.     6.     9. Please state the most important reason why your household chooses to live in Cardston (select up to 3 most important).  Family  Property Taxes  Employment  Low Crime Rate  Schools  Recreational Opportunities  Lifestyle  Large Lots  Religious Affiliation  Other: (please specify) SECTION 2 - Town Appearance/Facilities 10. Based on your experience rate the following: Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion a. General appearance of Town       b. Appearance of the downtown       c. Appearance of main entrances to Town       d. Appearance of older residential areas       e. Appearance of new residential areas       f. Quality of new residential development       g. Location of new residential development       Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 3 11. Would you like to see more, the same amount, or less of the following types of development in Cardston? More Same Less No Opinion Residential     Commercial     Industrial     Recreational     Public and Institutional (Government)     12. What types of residential development would you like to see more of in Town? (Check all that apply)  Single-family housing  Apartments  Mobile homes  Duplexes  Senior housing  Modular housing  Townhouses (3 or more units)  Moved-in dwellings  Secondary suites  Other: (please specify) 13. Based on your experience rate the following: Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion a. Pool       b. Ice Centre       c. Agridome       d. Golf Course       e. Ball Diamonds       f. Walking Paths       g. Tennis Courts       h. Parks       i. Playgrounds       j. Campgrounds       k. Civic Centre       l. Library       m. Reunion Centre       n. Senior Centre       o. Youth activities       p. Soccer park       14. What could be done to improve the existing facilities? ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 4 15. Are there any other facilities that you feel our community needs? ___________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 3 - Protective Services 16. Based on your experience rate the following: Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion a. Fire Protection       b. RCMP       c. Dog Control       d. Weed and Pest Control       e. Ambulance       f. Bylaw Enforcement       SECTION 4 - Health Services 17. Based on your experience rate the following: Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion a. Hospital       b. Auxiliary Hospital       c. Local Access to Physicians       d. Local Access to Dentists       e. Community Health Programs       f. Lee Crest Nursing Home       g. Chinook Foundation       h. Home Care       i. Mental Health Services       j. Other Health Services (chiropractor, optometrist, etc.)       Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 5 SECTION 5 - Education 18. Based on your experience rate the following: Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion a. Preschool       b. Kindergarten       c. Elementary School       d. Junior High School       e. High School       f. Alternate School       g. Counselling / Liaison Services       i. Continuing Education       Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 6 - Town Administration / Roads and Streets / Utilities 19. Rate the following: Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion a. General Administration       b. Community Planning       c. Access to Local Government       d. Maintenance of Roads and Streets       e. Snow Removal on Roads and Streets       f. Sidewalks and Boulevards       g. Downtown Parking       h. Signage       i. Water Systems       j. Sanitary Sewer       k. Storm Drainage       l. Garbage Pickup       m. Recycling       n. Electrical Power       o. Landfill       p. Channel 32       q. Economic Development       r. Street lighting       s. Parks / Beautification       t. Town Communication Methods       Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 6 SECTION 7 - Town Funding 20. One purpose of a municipal development plan is to guide and manage change in your community over the next few years. Please indicate whether or not you are in favour of the following proposals for Cardston. *Also put a () before each proposal you would agree to spend Town funds on a cost-share basis. *Funding Should the Town : Agree Disagree No Opinion _____ a. Pay the cost of developing land for residential purposes    _____ b. Own and develop land for commercial and industrial purposes    _____ c. Upgrade and revitalize the downtown core area    _____ d. Promote pedestrian traffic by employing streetscaping and unique street furniture    _____ e. Promote discussion and cooperation with Cardston County regarding future development within the town's fringe (2 miles outside the present town boundary)    _____ f. Upgrade current facilities (e.g. agridome, ice arena, etc.)    _____ g. Take an aggressive approach to economic development with incentives to attract businesses    _____ h. Explore implementing a more extensive Waste Recycling program    _____ i. Explore the completion of more hiking/biking trails    _____ j. Purchase and implement the use of curbside garbage bins that can be picked up by an automated garbage truck    _____ k. Explore Oil and Gas opportunities    _____ l. Encourage businesses with a senior citizen focus    _____ m. Continue to promote tourism    _____ n. Encourage First Nations businesses in Town    _____ o. Lobby the province for hospital upgrades    21. Should land developers be expected to pay 100% of the infrastructure costs (roads, sidewalks, water, sewer) associated with their proposed developments, or should the Town provide incentives (e.g. cost sharing) to developers for improvements that are beneficial to the Town? Developers should pay 100% of costs Town should share in costs No Opinion Residential Development    Commercial Development    Industrial Development    Recreational Development    Senior's Housing    Affordable Housing    Intensification of existing developed areas    Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 7 22. What other goals and objectives, besides those listed above, do you feel your community should try to achieve? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ SECTION 8 - Shopping 23. Where does your household shop for the following goods and services? (Please specify the % spent in Cardston and the % spent in other communities.) Cardston Other Communities (specify) Online a. Groceries ____% __________________ ____% ____% b. Clothing ____% __________________ ____% ____% c. Hardware and Construction ____% __________________ ____% ____% d. Automotive Services and Supplies ____% __________________ ____% ____% e. Personal Services (barber, dry cleaning, etc.) ____% __________________ ____% ____% f. Financial Services ____% __________________ ____% ____% g. Entertainment ____% __________________ ____% ____% h. Farm and Ranch Supplies (if applicable) ____% __________________ ____% ____% i. Household Goods ____% __________________ ____% ____% j. Insurance Services ____% __________________ ____% ____% k. Legal Services ____% __________________ ____% ____% 24. If you regularly shop in Cardston, why do you do so? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 25. If you regularly shop outside of Cardston, why do you do so? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 8 SECTION 9 - Conclusion 26. In the future, would you like to see Cardston:  Remain the same size  Grow slowly (approximately 35 people per year)  Grow moderately (approximately 52 people per year)  Grow rapidly (approximately 70 people per year) Do you have any suggestions that would support growth? _________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor No Opinion 27. Generally, how do you rate Cardston as a place to live?       28. What do you like most about Cardston, or do not want to see changed? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 29. What do you like least about Cardston or feel needs to be changed? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 30. Since you have resided in Cardston, what has been the most notable improvement? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Town of Cardston Municipal Development Plan Questionnaire - Page 9 THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME The Town of Cardston greatly appreciates your input Additional Comments: _______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Appendix D: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - COMMUNITY QUESTIONNAIRE / SURVEY Appendix D: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - COMMUNITY QUESTIONNAIRE / SURVEY Community Questionnaire / Survey Results (Executive Summary) As a result of the legislation in the Municipal Government Act and a desire by Council to facilitate public input on a multitude of levels and means, Council approved the creation and circulation of a community questionnaire / survey in the fall of 2013. The results of such questionnaires and surveys can provide those involved in drafting a new plan with much valuable information, ideas and community input. The results help to delineate areas of major issue and concern that provides important information in beginning to create a foundation of understanding in formulating broad community goals and objectives. The questionnaire was fairly detailed and was designed to provide information about the existing situation and the direction that Cardston should pursue in the future. The Town of Cardston hand delivered questionnaires to residences within the Town of Cardston, as well as handed out questionnaires in the Town Office and provided a means for questionnaires to be completed and submitted online. The completed questionnaires were then to be returned to the Town Office by October 15, 2013. A total of 1,250 questionnaires were hand delivered, along with approximately 10-20 given out at the Town office. A total of 337 completed questionnaires were received, 28 of those were filled out online, providing a response rate of approximately 26 percent. The following general information about the respondents was concluded: - Approximately 54 percent of the respondents were female; - The majority of respondents were over 50 years of age, with 36 percent being 70 years or older, 21 percent being 60 to 69 years of age, and 14 percent being 50 to 59 years of age. There were no respondents under the age of 20; - Most of the respondents resided within the Town of Cardston, with 47 percent having lived in Cardston for more than 20 years; and, - Family, religious affiliations, lifestyle and employment were the most important factors, for the respondents, in choosing to live in Cardston. In addition to gathering information about the respondents, questions were asked of residents concerning various aspects of community life. Town Appearance/Facilities: The majority of the respondents felt that the overall appearance of Cardston and the facilities present were good. Respondents indicated they wanted to see more residential, commercial, industrial and recreational developments. Of the facilities present, the library and soccer park were rated as excellent. Respondents felt the Agridome, golf course, ball diamonds, campgrounds, Civic Centre, Senior Centre, Reunion Centre and youth activities were all good, while the pool, ice centre, tennis courts, parks and playgrounds were all felt to be average. Comments indicated there is a need for more winter activities. Suggestions included: Bowling alley, indoor recreation centre, indoor pool, waterslides, racquet ball, climbing wall, roller rink, mini golf, curling rink, arcade, sports complex, and a woman's only fitness centre. Protective Services: The respondents rated the RCMP, fire protection, dog control, weed and pest control, ambulance and bylaw enforcement. In general, respondents felt these services were good. Weed and pest control was rated the lowest. Health Services: The respondents of Cardston rated all the health services as good. It was felt that the health services lacking in Cardston, were a maternity ward, a surgical ward, more resources for mental and emotional health issues, and more options for preventative and alternative medicine. Respondents also felt the hospital and clinics were in need of upgrades. In regards to senior facilities, respondents either felt they were good or insufficient depending on the level of care required. Education: The questionnaire revealed that residents of Cardston generally felt that the education system in the town was good at all levels. Town Administration/Roads and Streets/Utilities: The respondents rated most of the services as good. Community planning, maintenance of roads and streets, snow removal, sidewalks and boulevards, storm drainage, economic development, parks and beautification and Town communication methods were all rated as average. Town Funding: In this question, respondents were asked their view on the types of development they desired for Cardston. Most respondents were in favor of the Town: - Owning and developing land for commercial and industrial purposes; - Upgrading and revitalizing the downtown core; - Promoting discussion and cooperation with Cardston County regarding future development within the Town's fringe; - Upgrading current facilities; - Taking an aggressive approach to economic development with incentives to attract businesses; - Exploring implementing a more extensive waste recycling program; - Exploring the completion of more hiking/biking trails; - Exploring Oil and Gas opportunities; - Encouraging businesses with a senior citizen focus; - Continuing to promote tourism; - Encouraging First Nations businesses in Town; and, - Lobbying the province for hospital upgrades. Comments from respondents indicated they would like to see more industry, tourism, commercial and economic growth. Shopping: While the majority of respondents indicated that they do most of their shopping in Cardston, they also did a significant amount of shopping outside Cardston, especially for clothing. Lethbridge was the most common destination when shopping for goods and services outside of Cardston. Convenience and support of local businesses were the most common reasons for shopping in Cardston, while better selection and better prices were the main reasons for shopping outside of Cardston. The results of the questionnaire provided a good "jumping off" point in helping to identify, delineate and discern areas of major concern and to focus attention on those larger issues that may need more attention and investigation. The questionnaire was the first step in a public process of defining a set of objectives and policies to guide Cardston's future growth and development as a whole community. Appendix E: HIERARCHY OF PLANNING DOCUMENTS Appendix E: HIERARCHY OF PLANNING DOCUMENTS Appendix F: FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNIT DENSITIES Appendix F: FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNIT DENSITIES Future residential dwelling densities will largely be determined by the type of housing provided in the new areas to be developed. The following indicates some of the densities that could be achieved with various housing forms. Expected Average Residential Dwelling Densities 1. Single Family Lot Size for a Single-detached Net Residential Acreage* Units/Gross Acre** 40' x 110' = 4,400 6.3 9.9 45' x 110' = 4,950 5.6 8.8 50' x 110' = 5,500 5.1 7.9 50' x 120' = 6,000 4.7 7.3 55' x 110' = 6,050 4.6 7.2 60' x 120' = 7,200 3.9 6.1 65' x 120' = 7,800 3.6 5.6 70' x 120' = 8,400 3.3 5.2 70' x 130' = 9,100 3.1 4.8 70' x 140' = 9,800 2.8 4.4 80' x 140' = 11,200 2.5 3.9 80' x 150' = 12,000 2.3 3.6 90' x 150' = 13,500 2.1 3.2 * Units per acre with roads, reserve, utility easements removed Reserve 10 % of gross (for actual land area) Roads 20-30 % of gross (for approximate land area) ** Use for country residential 2. Multi Family / Innovative Housing Units / Acres Units / Gross Acre Apartments 29.9 40.6 Townhouses 14.5 19.7 Fourplex 19.5 26.5 Duplex 10.2 13.8 Mobile Homes 7.7 10.4 Innovative Detached Housing 14.1 19.1 Appendix G: PARK, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE PLANNING STANDARDS Appendix G: PARK, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE PLANNING STANDARDS PARK AND OPEN SPACE PROVISION STANDARDS COMMUNITY/PLANNING AGENCY PROVISION RATIO Acres/1000 Persons U.S. National Recreation Association 10 Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services 20 Mid-America Regional Council 30 RECREATION OPEN SPACE STANDARDS (A) Type Acres (ha)/1000 population SIZE RANGE sq. ft. acres m2 ha Play lots -- 2500- 1 230- 0.4 Vest pocket parks -- 2500- 1 230- 0.4 Neighborhood parks 2.5 (1.0) -- 5-20 -- 2-8 District parks 2.5 (1.0) -- 20-100 -- 8-40 Large urban parks 5.0 (2.0) -- >100 -- >40 Regional parks 20.0 (8.0) -- >250 -- >100 Source: Chapin and Kaiser (1979:446) RECREATION OPEN SPACE STANDARDS (B) Type Acres (ha)/1000 population SIZE Min. acres (ha) RANGE Ideal acres (ha) Neighborhood parks 2 (0.8) 5 (2.0) 10 (4.0) Play field 1.5 (0.6) 10 (4.0) 15 (6.0) Community parks 3.5 (1.4) 40 (16.0) 100 (40.0) District parks 2 (0.8) 100 (40.0) 200(80.0) Regional parks 15 (6.0) -- 500-1000 (200-400) Source: Koppelman and DeChiara (1975:363) RECREATION FACILITIES SPACE STANDARDS Facility Type Standard per 1000 population Baseball diamonds 1 per 6,000 Softball diamonds (and/or youth diamonds) 1 per 3,000 Tennis courts 1 per 2,000 Basketball courts 1 per 500 Swimming pools - 25 meter 1 per 10,000 Swimming pools - 50 meter 1 per 20,000 Skating rinks 1 per 30,000 Neighborhood centres 1 per 10,000 Community centres 1 per 25,000 Outdoor theatre (non-commercial) 1 per 20,000 Shooting ranges 1 per 50,000 Golf Courses - 18 hole 1 per 25,000 Source: Chapin and Kaiser (1979:447) Appendix H: PROVINCE OF ALBERTA POPULATION PROJECTIONS Appendix H: PROVINCE OF ALBERTA POPULATION PROJECTIONS