Plan and they will come
Published October 18, 2006
I want to thank all of you for following Council's series on regional cooperation. The Mayor of Edmonton's recent letter to the editor highlights how close our two municipalities are in our positions. My column is the fourth in our series and I will focus on planning in our community and the region.
As Councillor Dunn stated last week, we do not exist in a bubble. It has long been the practice of Strathcona County and almost all of our regional partners to consult with each other regularly when dealing with development that has a potential impact on our neighbours. We have spent a great deal of effort communicating our short and long range planning goals. We have asked each neighbour to provide input on our draft Municipal Development Plan and taken into consideration the adjacent land uses in their municipalities in the development of that plan.
A prime example of good planning and regional partnerships is Alberta's Industrial Heartland. Strathcona County has received accolades for this industrial development in conjunction with the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Sturgeon County and Lamont County, our partners. During our partnership development, we did consult widely including with the City of Edmonton. As Edmonton's Mayor stated the "Capital Region is booming on a wide scale" and we are pleased the City of Edmonton has initiated development of the Edmonton Petroleum Park in their northeast district. Our experiences through Alberta's Industrial Heartland will greatly assist Edmonton as they move forward and we are more than willing to share our expertise and what we've learned with the City.
Our relationship with industry is outstanding. Together we have comprehensive safety, environmental and emergency services plans in place that we constantly work to improve. As well, our commitment to transition zones between changing land uses and the separation of industry and residential development are science based and have given us considerable experience and understanding of how to take a risk management approach to planning. These are truly sound planning principles.
Strathcona County is prepared for the changes and growth in our community in partnership with our municipal and industry partners. We have worked very hard with our Heartland partners to attract and work with industry relative to infrastructure and services.
We also understand that industrial development in our municipality means prosperity for the region not just our residents and the same will hold true for the Edmonton Petroleum Park.
Strathcona County is, and is committed to remaining, a strong regional partner. We have a track record of partnership, sound and future-oriented planning and willingness to help others. We believe that effective communication and cooperation will ensure balanced regional priorities are identified and communicated effectively to our provincial and federal governments.
With municipalities only receiving seven per cent of the revenues collected versus the 93 per cent collected by Provincial and Federal Orders of Government and many of the region's priorities falling under provincial or federal jurisdiction, more than ever we need to work together to find the 93 per cent solution, not covet each other's share of the seven per cent.
Peter Wlodarczak
Councillor, Ward 4
780-464-8146
wlodarczak@strathcona.ab.ca
Last updated: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
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