Crossfield council voted to table the third and final reading of an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) Bylaw between the Town and Rocky View County (RVC) on June 4.
The IDP is designed to set out guidelines for how the two bodies collaborate on developments and growth around their bordering lands.
“I think it’s a really good document and really well written,” said Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson, adding he wanted more time to read through the bylaw again.
“I don’t want to support this in ignorance,” he said of his motion to table the final reading until the June 18 council meeting.
Anderson said the move to table the third reading was “in no way because I’m concerned with administration or the document.”
He added the document is a large and complex one and he wants to be sure he fully understands what he is supporting.
“I just don’t see the emergency,” Anderson said. “It’s not going to hold up any critical element.”
Earlier on the same day RVC council voted to approve the new bylaw.
“I think the Town is simply taking it’s time to review the document,” said Drew Hyndman, senior planner with RVC. “We are anticipating a positive outcome on the 18th.”
He added the County is happy to give Crossfiled council more time to review the document because, he said, “this reflects a good, long-standing relationship between the County and Crossfield and is the outcome after a long process.”
In 2009, RVC and the Town of Crossfield entered into an annexation agreement for the 1,696 acres of land from RVC to Crossfield.
Under the agreement, the Town and County agree to two joint planning processes; an IDP and areas structure plans (ASPs) within the Town and County between Highways 2 and 2A.
The IDP will help the Town and County maintain adjacent planning processes and contains policies what coordinate land use and development for lands that are of common interest to both municipalities.
Similar to the IDP the ASPS will help the municipalities coordinate the framework for subsequent subdivision and development of the land.
In the original agreement the IDP and ASPs were to be finalized two years from the date of the Order in Council of June 17, 2010.
However, both municipalities were unable to meet the timeline and an extension was agreed to until June 17, 2013.
Crossfield CAO Cheryl Skelly said she had spoken with RVC and there was no anticipated problems with tabling the final reading until June 18.
The bylaw will be brought back to Crossfield council for the third and final reading on June 18.
