A summary of the key issues that emerged from public engagement activities up to the end of February 2007 includes:
During the course of public consultation and review of the first draft, the ASP boundary was extended one mile to the west of Highway 825/Opal Road, one mile north of Highway 38/Twp Rd 570, and approximately two miles south of Twp Rd 560. This boundary extension permits heavy industry to locate as intended and also has the benefit of allowing residents surrounding the heavy industrial zone to be considered under the Land Trust Voluntary Property Purchase Program.
The central principle of setbacks is to limit the number of residents in proximity to heavy industry and where feasible to increase the distance between residents and heavy industry. Both of these will have a net effect of increasing the liveability and quality of life for County residents. The proposed setback for industrial development, identified as an internal setback within the Plan area, was thought to be a good way of addressing separation between industry and residents.
The proposal for setbacks addresses both residents located in the Heavy Industrial Policy Area (see Map 10) and those in the Heartland Agricultural Policy Area. For the residents in the Heavy Industrial Policy Area, a 457 m (1,500 ft) setback would be maintained between process portions of an upgrader facility and residences, in a manner similar to the ASP Bylaw 900/00. Over time, as the Plan area is built out with heavy industry, the number of residents would decline and those residents remaining at their choosing would have a minimum of 457 m (1,500 ft) separation distance maintained from heavy industry.
A number of stakeholders raised the issue of whether heavy industrial development should be a discretionary or permitted use in the LUB. Some residents feel discretionary use allows an opportunity to become more engaged and informed about future project approvals. Permitted use arguments suggest defining the use in advance, thus clearly identifying heavy industrial as a permitted use will allow for approval certainty.
There was concern the ASP changes would negatively affect those landowners currently involved in the application process with the Voluntary Property Purchase Program. A general recommendation was to ensure that residents living in the current ASP area should be eligible for consideration under the Voluntary Property Purchase Program. The boundary location and uses in the proposed ASP ensure that residents within one mile of the Heavy Industrial Policy Area will be eligible to apply under the Alberta Industrial Heartland Land Trust Voluntary Property Purchase Program. In addition, Sturgeon County commits to developing a vacant land purchase program for properties without residences for the following properties only:
This program is valid only if the subject lands remain undeveloped (i.e. without residences).