Bylaws, Plans & Policies

Municipal Development Plan & Land Use Bylaw Update

We are currently in the process of reviewing and updating our existing Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB).

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Project Overview Handout

Land Use Bylaw DRAFT

LUB - Overview of Changes

Municipal Development Plan DRAFT

MDP - Overview of Changes

Governing Documents

Land Use Planning
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) is the legislative framework in which all municipalities across the Province of Alberta operate. It provides the governance model for municipalities and lays the foundation of how we function, including areas in planning and development.

Planning decisions are guided by statutory plans, bylaws, and policies adopted by County Council. These adopted statutory plans must be consistent with each other. For any conflict or inconsistency between statutory plans: the intermunicipal development plan will prevail over a municipal development plan; the municipal development plan will prevail over an area structure plan. These statutory plans help guide the regulations in the land use bylaw. Additionally,  non-statutory plans are other policy documents that help guide decision making; they are often developed to provide guidance for development in an area.

The LUB is a planning tool that helps implement the goals in the land use plans and regulates development within the County. All parcels of land are divided into different districts; each district consists of development regulations and permitted or discretionary uses to be considered.

Bylaw 98-801 – Land Use Bylaw (November 2020 consolidation)

The MDP is a statutory plan that establishes policies for land use and other matters for the entire municipality. It is a high level document that provides leadership and direction in the conservation of agricultural land, preservation of environmentally sensitive areas, and provisions for the infrastructure necessary to encourage sustainable and economic development.

Bylaw 98-800 – Municipal Development Plan November 2020

The Fees, Rates, and Charges Bylaw sets the amount charged for all services provided by the County. Planning and Development Fees can be found on Page 5.

Bylaw - Fees, Rates, and Charges

Municipalities that share a common boundary may adopt an IDP.  An IDP is a statutory plan that identifies any conflict relating to planning activities within and around another municipality; and ensures orderly development by reducing any unnecessary costs and negative impacts on either municipality.

We are currently in the process of updating the EIP Area Structure Plan (ASP) along with a team of consultants.

Draft EIP ASP Project

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An ASP is a statutory plan that provides land use policies for a specific area within the municipality.

On November 28, 2018, Beaver County Council adopted the updated Equity Industrial Park Area Structure Plan (EIP ASP). A public hearing was held on November 13, 2018. No concerns were raised at the public hearing.

  1. The Vision of the EIP ASP is to allow light and medium processing, manufacturing, warehousing, and related supportive development to contribute to the economic diversification and success of the County while protecting important environmental features and wetlands from development impacts.
  2. Development is limited to the existing lots in NW 3, NE 3, and a portion of the S ½ 3 not occupied by wetlands.
  3. Acceptable uses include light and medium industrial, limited commercial, low-impact/eco-friendly industrial, and wetland conservation or restoration.
  4. The existing water and sewer systems can accommodate some growth, although upgrades may be required as development progresses.
  5. Stormwater drainage improvements are required for both the existing development in NW 3 and for future development in NE 3.
  6. Wildlife surveys and/or biophysical assessments may be required prior to development to confirm environmental sensitivities.
  7. There are a significant number of wetlands on the property that could be extremely expensive to replace according to Alberta Environment’s wetland compensation policy.  The preferred option is avoidance of wetland disturbance followed by “transfer credit” or “wetland banking” options. 

Bylaw 18-1063 - EIP ASP 

Equity Industrial Park Area Structure Plan

 

All municipalities sharing a common boundary are required to adopt ICFs. An ICF highlights and formalizes existing collaborative work between adjacent municipalities and provides a forum for neighbouring municipalities to work together. The goal is to enable municipalities to collaborate regarding service delivery and cost-sharing.  

The following ICFs have been developed:
Tofield/Beaver ICF
Ryley/Beaver ICF
Holden/Beaver ICF
Viking/Beaver ICF
Strathcona County/Beaver County ICF
Lamont County/Beaver County ICF
Minburn County/Beaver County ICF
MD of Wainwright/Beaver County ICF
Flagstaff County/Beaver County ICF
Camrose County/Beaver County ICF
Leduc County/Beaver County ICF

Designation of Municipal Historic Sites

Beaver County acknowledges the significance of historical resources to the preservation and protection of local history and culture and will support the designation of municipal historic sites. Official recognition of important events and sites that have shaped the history of the County will forge a bond between the present and the past and will preserve the area as “a place to call home”.

Requests to designate a municipal historic site can be made to Beaver County Council in writing. The written request to Council must include the following information:

  • Proposed Site for Designation
    • Municipal Address
    • Nearest Urban (Tofield, Ryley, Viking, Holden, Bruce, Kinsella)
    • Legal Address
    • Property Size
  • Site Name

Naming conventions recommend that if the site is being designated for its association with a specific individual, the first and last name should be included (i.e.: John Doe Residence, John Doe Hotel, John Doe Farm, etc.). If a site is not being designated for its association with the specific individual, just use the last name of the name of the first occupant (i.e.: Doe Residence, Doe Hotel, Doe Farm, etc.). In the Alberta Register, there is an option to note “other” names in addition to the site name. For example, if the “Doe Residence” is located on what was historically known as “123 Farm”, the primary site name would be “Doe Residence” and the other name noted would be “123 Farm”.

  • Description of the Historic Place

This should only be two or three sentences long. It should state what is going to be proposed for designation and where it is located.

Example
The 1822 built John Doe Residence is a unique Victorian style cottage house that includes original landscape elements including a tree lined driveway, shelter belt, groomed hedges, and large oak tree. The cottage sits on 160 acres located 25km north of Whoville, Alberta in Plane Jane County and has been a significant landmark for over 200 years.

  • Heritage Value

The purpose of a heritage value statement is to communicate why the site is significant and what physical aspects of the site embody the significance. Heritage value statements should be relatively light on historical facts. This portion is recommended to be 2-5 paragraphs.

  • Character-Defining Elements

This should be a bullet point listing of what physical elements the site has, but without being too restrictive (i.e.: rather than saying “bamboo shingles” you would say “wood shingles” or something less restrictive).

  • Historical Context

This is the opportunity to dive into the historical facts of the site (i.e.: was the original owner the Premier of Alberta?, was the farm the first duck farm in Alberta?, etc.). Include all of the historical facts you deem important and prudent to why this should be considered a designated historic site. This portion is recommended to be 3-6 paragraphs.

 

To visit the Heritage Resources Management Information System (HeRMIS) Alberta Register of Historic Places, click here. The County strongly recommends researching other designated properties on HeRMIS for examples on how to complete the elements required as part of the written request to Council.

In addition to a written request to Council, there is an administrative fee. Please refer to the current Fees, Rates, and Charges Bylaw for the Application Fee to Designate a Municipal Historic Site.

To view the Designation of Municipal Historic Sites Policy, please click here.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your historic property, please feel free to contact our Development Officer at 780-663-3730 ext. 1018 or via our contact form.

In addition to the County’s statutory plans and land use bylaw, the following policies and documents are taken into consideration in making any planning or development decisions:                                                          

  • Acquisition of Land for Road Widening – this policy guides the land acquisition process when upgrades to County roads are required.
  • Disposition of County Land – this policy outlines how County owned lands may be leased or sold, provided that public interest is not adversely affected and compliance with the MGA.
  • Notification of Confined Feeding Operations – this policy establishes the notification requirements upon receipt of an application for a CFO.
  • Road Approaches – this policy outlines the construction, widening, relocation, removal of approaches and sale of culverts.
  • Road Development Levy – this policy establishes the recovery costs of the local improvements from the developers of land within a Benefit Area.
  • Road Use – this policy addresses Council’s expectations for road users and the public with regard to heavy trucks using County Roads.
  • Telecommunications Tower Protocol – this policy establishes the protocol for proponents wishing to place new tower facilities in the County and requesting municipal concurrence.
  • Verification of Compliance – this policy outlines the steps required for obtaining a compliance certificate.

  • Highway 14 Corridor Plan – this document, in collaboration with the Towns and Villages, manages the growth and uses along the Highway 14 Plan area to avoid current and future land use conflict with transportation plans.
  • Municipal Sustainability Plan – this document outlines the long-term goals and targets grounded in sustainability principles.
  • Matters Related to Subdivision and Development Regulation
  • Surface Drainage Bylaw – This Bylaw prohibits the alteration of the surface elevation or grade of any property (public or private) if such work creates a nuisance or danger, adversely affects the stability of a slope, alters an on-site storm water management system, or alters the elevation of an adjacent property.
  • West End Growth Management Plan – this document manages the growth and density in the West End.

Questions? Contact Planning and Development via our contact form or call 780-663-3730.