Developer-Funded Area Structure Plans
City Council directed Administration to adjust the process of creating or amending Area Structure Plans (ASP), by working on certain projects under a developer-funded model. This new process will reduce the time it takes to produce or amend an ASP and will allow for more collaboration between City staff, landowners, developers and the public.
An ASP is a long-range planning document that refines and implements The City’s broad planning objectives and policies of the Municipal Development Plan and the Calgary Transportation Plan. The ASP will also consider other applicable local area plans, and other plans and policies. ASP’s promote logical, compatible and sustainable development, while guiding the specific land uses, and subdivision and development decisions that collectively determine the form that the plan area will take.
Developer-Funded ASP Planning Process
The process for a developer-funded ASP is unique to every project, but we follow these basic steps in collaboration with a developer:
- Determine the need for an ASP in a specific community or area of land. Area Structure Plans require significant City resources, so the decision to initiate a new Area Structure Plan or an addition through amendment needs to be made within the context of The City’s overall City Planning Policy Roadmap, and needs to reflect the general planning objectives of this work program.
- Develop priorities and principles for the plan area.
- A single developer enters into a funding agreement with The City to cover the costs of producing an ASP.
- Distribute project information to landowners within the plan area and adjacent residents.
- Develop background information and draft land use concepts for consideration.
- Refine land use concepts based on feedback.
- Produce a single, draft land use concept and policies for review.
- Further feedback and refinement of the land use concept and policies based on the feedback received.
- City’s technical review of the proposed concept.
- City’s acceptance of all technical studies required to evaluate, service and support the development of the plan area.
- City drafts a final ASP based on technical feasibility, City policies, Council priorities, internal and external partners feedback, and landowner rights.
IPC (Infrastructure Planning Committee) reviews Administration’s report and the proposed ASP, and may comment on or change the recommendation provided by Administration.
- Review by Infrastructure Planning Committee (IPC).
- City Council reviews the bylaws, reports and recommendation provided by City Administration and IPC. If Council is in favor of the Policy, they will provide 1st reading.
- The Policy must then be submitted for approval at the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB). This review and approval can take upwards of two months.
- If approved by the CMRB, it can return to Council for 2nd & 3rd Reading.
- Council makes a decision whether or not to approve the new ASP.