It’s not easy to be an elected municipal leader in Alberta, particularly when it comes to making land-use decisions. Our boom and bust economy and the reluctance of past provincial governments to take long-term planning seriously have created an environment where some municipalities choose short-term growth over long-term sustainability.
How does a municipality balance long-term environmental protection with the benefits of substantial gains in tax assessment that can come from increased development? What would you do if you were that municipal leader?
When you’re a County Councillor, things are rarely straightforward, and these applications are no different. Please join me in the Council Chambers at Buttercup County, Alberta, where you are one of five County Councilors. Council has received development applications from a couple of prominent companies proposing very large residential developments at beautiful Reelbig Lake, located at the far end of your County. Reelbig Lake is a prime recreation site, with residential, summer residential and commercial development. The development will bring in a substantial increase in assessments that will help stabilize the mill rate for your predominantly rural, agriculture-based County. All ratepayers would benefit from potentially large gains in County assessment.
There are also risks. One of North America’s leading water quality experts is on record predicting that Reelbig Lake’s water quality will suffer if these developments proceed. The expert says that there will be disturbing cumulative impacts resulting from the proposed developments. He says that Reelbig Lake will become eutrophic. Swimming will be impossible and desirable species of fish will die, and science will be unable to reverse the condition.
As a Councillor with some knowledge of human nature, you know that folks will not be too keen to rent paddleboats or go fishing if that prediction comes true. If the expert is right, future property values around the lake will take a serious hit. Given the public alert already given concerning the risks to Lake water quality, there could be future lawsuits from property owners angry about the erosion of their property values.
Is this even the right time to make this decision? The provincial government is in the final stages of implementing a Land Use Strategy, which will provide a comprehensive planning process including cumulative environmental impacts as part of the approval process. Some concerned Reelbig Lake residents insist that Council table these developments to the Land Use Strategy process.
The developers are pushing hard for a speedy approval of their applications. They say that the economic activity generated by the approval, combined with the assessment gains, will make this a big winner for Buttercup County.
So there you are, members of Council. I’m your County Reeve, Harry Handshake, and the way I see it, we have three options: (1) Approve the development applications in spite of the concerns (2) Reject the applications because of the concerns (3) Slow down the process and refer it to the Land Use Strategy for assessment.
