Edson town council has given second and third readings to proposed changes for the Municipal Development Plan, the Intermunicipal Development Plan and the Bench Creek Area Structure Plan at the regular meeting Sept. 3.
According to officials, the Landowner of the Bench Creek Area Structure Plan, adopted in 2009, has purchased more land than they wish to have added to the ASP. In order to add the new land to the Plan, changes needed to be made to the Municipal Development Plan, the Intermunicipal Development Plan and the Bench Creek Area Structure Plan. The Landowner has made this application with both Edson town council and Yellowhead County council.
The Bench Creek Area Structure Plan is a residential area plan located on the north-west side of town in both Town of Edson land and Yellowhead County land. Officials say this area is intended to accommodate seven residential parcels as well as a potential second phase that would see one of the parcels sub-divided into four lots.
The proposed amendments for the Municipal Development Plan include:
- Replacing Map 3 – Existing Land Use to include NE 19-53-17-W5 in the Bench Creek Area Structure Plan Area
- Replacing Map 4 – Opportunities and Constraints to include NE 1953-17-W5 in the Bench Creek Area Structure Plan Area.
The proposed amendments for the Intermunicipal Development Plan include:
- Map 7 – Area Structure Plan – area is revised to include NE 19-5317-W5 in the Bench Creek area structure plan.
- All references within the document to “Map 7 – Area Structure Plan Areas (2017)” are deleted and replaced with “Map 7 – Area Structure Plan Areas (2024)”.
- Map 8 – Land Use Concept is revised to show the Land Use Designation of the portion of Lot 1, Block 2, Plan 002-1462 and NE 19-53-17-W5 within Yellowhead County as County Residential.
- Appendix A: Section 2.4.1.2 is revised to delete the second paragraph on page 8 and replacing it with “First, the Bench Creek ASP is located on the north-west extents of the Town and is a residential area structure plan. It contains approximately 110 hectares of land and portions of the plan area are in Yellowhead County and the Town of Edson as the Plan Area straddles the Town and County boundary. The Plan is intended to accommodate a first phase creating seven residential parcels, and a potential second phase to re-subdivide one parcel into four. Parcel sizes in phase one range from 3.24 hectares to 41 hectares. Access to the Bench Creek ASP is from Rodeo Road (Range Road 180) and from Township Road 534.”
- Appendix A: Map 7 – Future Land Use is revised to show the portion of Lot 1, Block 2, Plan 002-1462 within the Town of Edson as having no future land use.
The proposed changes for the Bench Creek Area Structure Plan include:
- The image on page 14 has been revised to remove the words “Consolidation Area” from the area bounded by the black box.
- Figure 7 (shown on page 19) has been amended to identify that the existing approaches to proposed Lot 6 and proposed Lot 7 will be removed and a joint approach will be required along the boundary between Lots 6 and 7.
Public hearings were held in both the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County regarding these proposed changes. While no major objections were heard at either public hearing, one major change to the proposal was made at the Yellowhead County meeting to revise figure seven, ensuring that the approaches are consistent with Yellowhead County’s Access Management Policy.
Second and third readings for all three bylaws passed unanimously. Councilors Chouinard and Moore were not present for the public hearings and therefore abstained from voting.
