Update on Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP)

Draft Summer Village of Larkspur & Westlock County Intermunicipal Development Plan

The Summer Village of Larkspur and Westlock County has been collaborating to develop an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP).

An IDP is a high-level statutory plan jointly developed and adopted by two or more neighbouring municipalities. IDPs ensure that land use decisions within the identified IDP area are thoughtfully considered through a cooperative planning approach to support the long-term interests of both municipalities.

Highlights from the Draft IDP between the Summer Village and County include:

  • An overview of development statistics and land use features
  • Environmental information about the lake and surrounding lands (at the watershed scale)
  • A plan area that extends approximately a ½ mile from the boundary of the Summer Village of Larkspur
  • Land use policies that apply to both the County and Summer Village lands
  • Clear processes for intermunicipal communication, referral, and dispute resolution that apply to both the County and the Summer Village
  • An intermunicipal referral area that includes the Summer Village, and that also extends a ½ mile from the shoreline of Long Island Lake (within the County)
  • Policies that support the continuation of existing land uses within the plan area
  • Policies that allow for the same subdivision rights that are currently provided for within the Summer Village and County’s respective Land Uses Bylaws.

The IDP does NOT:

  • trigger annexation or amalgamation
  • redistrict (rezone) lands within the plan area

Once an IDP is approved by municipalities, amendments to the IDP must be approved by both municipalities for the changes to come into effect.

Process and Engagement

The draft IDP was prepared by MPS (the project consultant) and an Intermunicipal Planning Committee that consists of a member of Council from both municipalities. The project began in 2019 and is still ongoing.

An online public meeting was hosted on June 14, 2021 by MPS. The purpose of the meeting was to explain what an IDP is, share information about the Long Island Lake area, and provide an overview of content in the draft IDP. A recording of the public meeting can be found on MPS’ YouTube channel, by searching for ‘Municipal Planning Services’ or by using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9PMSHeTAAE

Attendees were provided with the opportunity to give feedback on the draft IDP by Monday, June 28, 2021.

The Summer Village and Westlock County have agreed to extend the response period, to provide affected landowners and community members with additional time to review the recording of the online public meeting and the draft IDP. The new response closing date is now Monday, July 19, 2021 (five weeks after the online public meeting).

Feedback can be sent to Kyle Miller of MPS by email (k.miller) or phone (780.486.1991).