EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Introduction

Transcription

1 Introduction EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Urban Service Area Fort McMurray (hereafter referred to as the Urban Service Area) is currently experiencing a variety of development pressures. Unprecedented population growth, land constraints, a housing shortage and a fluctuating mobile workforce have presented unique planning challenges for the municipality. With the population of the Urban Service Area projected to grow to between 90,000 and 100,000 persons by the year 2010, the need to identify future Urban Growth Areas is pertinent. The purpose of the Fringe Area Development Assessment - Urban Service Area is to outline areas suitable for future urban expansion of the Urban Service Area. Although the Fort McMurray Area Planning Study was conducted in 1986 by Alberta Municipal Affairs, a new updated Study is needed to confirm areas suitable for urban expansion and establish a logical sequence for development. The specific objectives of this Study are: Identify areas suitable for future urban development. Determine environmental and geotechnical constraints to development. Integrate new development areas with existing and future transportation, servicing and other infrastructure. Identify significant environmental features for protection/preservation and to minimize impacts on terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Eliminate any areas that may currently be included in expansion planning that are not suitable for development. Update the Fringe Area Planning Study that was conducted in Prioritize expansion areas by suitability for development and cost for servicing and infrastructure (transportation) including population projections for each area. Provide a final recommendation for preferred growth areas and phasing. Study limitations are described in Section 1.4 of this report. Potential Urban Growth Areas As illustrated on Figure ES-1, the Potential Urban Growth Areas that were studied include the Saline Creek Plateau, Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers, North of the Horse River, Parsons Creek, West Growth Area and Forest Heights. As a result of the preliminary geotechnical assessment, areas that appeared to be unsuitable for urban development were eliminated. Based upon direction from the Steering Committee, development potential for each of the areas was calculated utilizing residential densities of 65, 80 and 95 persons per hectare (pph). The results are summarized in Table ES-1. ES-1

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3 Table ES- 1: Potential Population Residential Development Potential for Urban Growth Areas Potential Urban Growth Areas 65 pph 80 pph 95 pph Saline Creek Plateau 16,218 19,656 20,000* Parsons Creek 16,042 19,440 22,743 Between the Hangingstone & Horse Rivers 29,484 35,480 41,225 North of Horse River 10,355 12,640 14,896 West Growth Area 21,912 25,504 29,631 Forest Heights 16,537 20,192 23,789 Total 110, , ,284 * There is a limit of 20,000 people in this area due to servicing constraints The Steering Committee adopted a population density of 95 persons per hectare as the assessment basis to increase the serviceable population in each Urban Growth Area, reduce servicing costs and to create a more sustainable development. Transportation and Servicing Analysis Based upon a population density of 95 pph, offsite transportation and servicing requirements for the Urban Growth Areas were analyzed and order of magnitude (+/- 50 per cent) cost estimates were prepared in 2007 dollar values. Total transportation and servicing costs were calculated on a per dwelling unit basis. These are summarized on Table ES-2. Table ES- 2: Offsite Development Costs Urban Growth Area Estimated # of Units Transportation Costs ($) Cost per Unit ($) Servicing Costs ($) Cost per Unit ($) Total ($) Total Cost per Unit ($) Saline Creek Plateau 6,897 73,020,000 10, ,240,000 15, ,260,000 25,850 Parsons 1 7,842 42,050,000 5,400 56,210,000 7,200 98,260,000 12,600 Creek Between the Hangingstone & Horse 14, ,005,000 10, ,830,000 10, ,835,000 20,050 Rivers 1 North of the 1 5, ,765,000 21,200 64,270,000 12, ,035,000 33,700 Horse River West Growth 1 10,217 46,500,000 4,600 48,900,000 4,800 95,540,000 9,400 Area Forest Heights 8, ,610,000 24,800 76,060,000 9, ,670,000 34,100 1 Costs associated with the Regional Ring Road are not included in these costs. ES-2

4 Recommended Urban Growth Strategy Evaluation of the Urban Growth Areas was based on evaluation criteria and the Evaluation Matrix, developed in consultation with the Steering Committee. A system of weighting was applied to each of the evaluation criteria in order to develop priority rankings for each Urban Growth Area based on four (4) development scenarios. The four (4) development scenarios include: Scenario 1: Most cost effective (based on minimizing front end costs). Scenario 2: Minimal overall costs (based on cost / unit for off-site transportation and servicing costs). Scenario 3: Immediate Development Potential (irregardless of costs). Scenario 4: Triple-Bottom Line (based on cost effective, orderly and efficient development of an Urban Growth Area over the long term). The ranking of each of the eight (8) Urban Growth Areas, based upon the four (4) development scenarios is summarized in Table ES-3 ES- 3: Urban Growth Area Ranking by Development Scenario Front End Cost Saline Creek Parsons Creek Priority Ranking Between the Hangingstone & Horse Rivers North of Horse River West Growth Area Forest Heights Cost / Unit Scenario Immediate Develoment Triple Bottom Line The priority ranking in ES-3: Urban Growth Area Ranking by Development Scenario suggests that development of Parsons Creek and the Saline Creek Plateau Urban Growth Areas should take place first and, if possible, occur concurrently. The West Growth Area should be developed second. The Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers and North of Horse River Urban Growth Areas should be developed third and, if possible, occur concurrently. The Forest Heights Urban Growth Areas should be developed fourth. In detail, priority grouping and ranking of the Urban Growth Areas is as follows: 1a) Parsons Creek Infrastructure servicing costs for the Parsons Creek Urban Growth Area are relatively low. Therefore, the front end costs and cost per unit are lower than all other Urban Growth Areas. Also, due to its proximity to Highway 63 and Provincial land ownership status, the southern portion of this area is readily accessible for initial stages of development. To achieve full development of Parsons Creek, construction of the Regional Ring Road is required as well as a phasing out of existing land uses (i.e., Oil and Gas). ES-3

5 Based on the Front-end Cost and Triple-Bottom Line Development Scenarios, Parsons Creek is prioritized to occur in group one (1) for land development and should occur before (1a) the Saline Creek Plateau Urban Growth Area. 1b) Saline Creek Plateau The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has initiated the development of this Urban Growth Area through the preparation of an Area Structure Plan in consultation with Keyano College, the Rotary Club, and other stakeholders. The municipality has also begun work on the servicing for Saline Creek Plateau through the expansion of lift station 1B in the Lower Townsite, and the expansion of MacKenzie Park reservoir and pumphouse to accommodate the design population. Saline Creek Plateau is readily accessible for initial stages of development due to its proximity to Highway 69 and Airport Road. Due to existing infrastructure and work which has been initiated, initial front end costs related to development of this Urban Growth Area are relatively low. Based on the Front-End Cost and Immediate Development Scenarios, Saline Creek Plateau is prioritized to occur in group one (1) for land development and should occur after (1b) development has begun for the Parsons Creek Urban Growth Area. 2) West Growth Area With the development of Parsons Creek and construction of the Regional Ring Road, the West Growth Area is the next logical Urban Growth Area for development. Front end development costs and cost per unit are relatively low. Based on the Front-End Cost and Cost/Unit Scenarios, West Growth Area is prioritized to occur in group two (2) for land development, after development has begun for the Parsons Creek Urban Growth Area. Additionally, due to the topography of the area, the West Growth Area has the potential for future expansion to the west. The development of this area is contingent on the construction of the Regional Ring Road. 3a) Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers, and b) North of Horse River Extension of sewer and water servicing from the north across the Athabasca River is required for development of these Urban Growth Areas. Therefore, front end costs and costs per unit are relatively high. Roadway access for full development of these Urban Growth Areas is contingent on the construction of the Regional Ring Road. A higher priority ranking was attributed to the Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers Urban Growth Area. This is due to its proximity to Highway 63, which would facilitate the immediate development of the initial stages of this area. Additionally, this is a large land area which is conducive to the development of an integrated and sustainable community. Based on the Front-End Cost and Triple-Bottom Line Scenarios, the Between the Hangingstone and Horse River and North of Horse River Urban Growth Areas are prioritized to occur in group three (3) for land development. The Hangingstone and Horse River area (3a) should begin development before the North of Horse River area (3b). 4) Forest Heights Given its isolation from the Urban Service Area and existing infrastructure, Forest Heights is the least desirable of the Urban Growth Areas for development. Significant investment in ES-4

6 roadways and extension of servicing for both initial phases of development and full build out are cost prohibitive. Furthermore, there will be a need to provide emergency services, schools, and other community services in this area. Due to its relatively low percentage of developable area, Forest Heights lacks the potential population to justify the initial costs to access and fully service this area as a complete community. Should it be possible to extend the Forest Heights Urban Growth Area to the east to achieve a larger developable area, and therefore a higher population, Forest Heights may become more attractive for development than developing beyond the boundaries of the other Urban Growth Areas. Based on the Front-End Cost and Immediate Development Scenarios, the Forest Heights Urban Growth Areas received a priority ranking of four (4). Full development of the Parsons Creek, Between the Hangingstone & Horse Rivers, North of Horse River and West Urban Growth Areas is dependent upon construction of the Regional Ring Road. If the cost of the proposed Regional Ring Road is considered for development of the Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers, North of Horse River, Parsons Creek, and West Urban Growth Areas, Cost / Unit for these Urban Growth Areas will rise by approximately $14,000 per unit. The additional cost does not change the priority rankings identified above. However, Forest Heights would achieve a relatively similar Cost / Unit. The development of the Regional Ring Road may provide opportunities for further development west of the Urban Growth Areas considered in this Assessment. Recommendations Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo It is recommended that the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo: 1. Begin discussions with Alberta Municipal Affairs to establish a new Urban Service Area boundary to include the Parsons Creek, Saline Creek Plateau, Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers, North of Horse River and West Growth Areas. Including the Forest Heights Urban Growth Area in the Urban Service Area is not recommended at this time for the following reasons: a. Front End servicing and transportation costs to develop this Urban Growth Area are cost prohibitive, given the need for major river crossings. b. Much of the land within the Urban Growth Area has been identified, through preliminary geotechnical analysis, as unfavourable for development due to its topography and soil conditions. c. Due to the fragmented nature of lands suitable for development, it is difficult to realize the development of an integrated and sustainable community in this Urban Growth Area. 2. Assess the appropriateness of the Urban Expansion (UE) zoning for lands surrounding the Urban Service Area, excluding the Urban Growth Areas designated for future development. 3. Complete map amendments to the Municipal Development Plan 00/005 and Land Use Bylaw 99/059 to include the Urban Growth Areas prioritized for development. 4. Undertake a market study of commercial and industrial land requirements to determine the amount of land needed, the best locations and servicing requirements. ES-5

7 5. Initiate area structure plans for Parsons Creek, Between the Hangingstone and Horse Rivers and North of Horse River, and West Growth Areas. These need to include more detailed geotechnical studies, servicing studies and traffic impact assessments to solidify the findings and recommendations for the report. 6. As part of the Regional Transportation Master Plan (TMP), underway between the end of 2006 and 2008, confirm the optimal roadway network requirement that accommodates the traffic generated from and attracted to the Urban Growth Areas. 7. Initiate the Highway 69 Transportation Corridor Study to secure the right-of-way requirements for future improvements. 8. Protect land for the interchanges required to provide access to the Urban Growth Areas off Highway 63. Interchanges on Highway 63 will be required north of Confederation Way, at Confederation Way, at Thickwood Boulevard, at Beacon Hill, at Highway 69 and south of Highway 69. Rights-of-way need to be identified prior to development of the Urban Growth Areas. 9. Undertake the Water Servicing Master Plan, Sanitary Sewer Service Master Plan and a Drainage Basin Master Plan for the existing Urban Service Area and Urban Growth Areas. Province of Alberta It is recommended that the Province of Alberta: 1. Release Crown Land for development in the Urban Growth Areas, as per the preferred order of development, as previously recommended and as shown on Figure ES Initiate discussions with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) to establish a Land Trust (or Land Bank) to improve the delivery of land for development to the RMWB. 3. Reassess the impact of the projected population of 200,000 on the Highway 63 corridor improvements proposed in the 2006 Highway 63 Planning Study. 4. Consider developing the Regional Ring Road that provides the necessary access to the Parsons Creek and West Urban Growth Areas. This road and bridge over the Athabasca River will provide regional access serving the entire population of the Urban Service Area, other northern communities and the oil and gas industry. Benefits to developing the Regional Ring Road include: Access to the Oil and Gas Industry bypassing the Commercial Urban Service Area. Alternative heavy load access and Dangerous Goods Transport route through the Urban Service Area for the Oil and Gas Industry. Provides the necessary access to the West Growth Area and North of Horse River Urban Growth Areas. Reduces the bottleneck pressure on the existing Athabasca River Crossing. Alternative route from north to the south in emergency situations. ES-6

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