Why Expansion?

Why does Drayton Valley wish to annex land from Brazeau County at this time?

In a letter from the County to the Town, the County encouraged annexation. After many failed attempts to negotiate a cooperative solution to the long-term growth affecting the Town, it was decided that annexation would provide the only viable long-term solution.

Drayton Valley has experienced a significant population growth in recent years. Not including residences located outside the municipal boundary that enjoy municipal services such as water and sewer, the Town’s population was 6,893 in 2007.

As a municipality, we urgently need to address the Town’s increasing population and shrinking land base. In 2006, the average Alberta town saw 280 people/km²; Drayton Valley had 522 people/km².  Expanding the Town’s boundary will address the concerns of residents and businesses in the Drayton Valley urban area relating to incompatible land uses, lot sizes and the provision of services.

The Town’s notice states that Drayton Valley wants to acquire 69 ¼ sections of land from Brazeau County. Isn’t that quite a bit?

The Town’s annexation proposal requests 69 ¼ sections of land, but the amount of developable land is much less because of topography, pipelines/oil wells and existing developments.

It is important to note that the portion of land requested by the Town amounts to approximately 1.3 per cent of the County’s total area. This portion of land is projected to accommodate the Town’s growth for the next 50 years. The amount of land proposed for annexation is based upon:

• The rate of growth the Town has experienced since 2001
• A demonstrated need for land to accommodate short- and long-term municipal growth
• The rate and scale of development that requires town services
• Expansion in the fringe area that does not meet current planning standards
• The number of failed attempts by the Town and County to jointly plan and manage growth.

 Brazeau County Overview (202 Kb)

Hasn’t Drayton Valley acquired enough land in the past to handle future growth?

The last annexation process concluded in 2002, through a settlement agreement where both parties agreed to participate in joint planning. Since then, a large majority of the land acquired during the previous annexation has been developed, and our joint planning efforts regarding the fringe areas have had limited success. Some of our municipal developments include:

• Apex Common
• Power Centre
• Meraw Estates
• Aspenview
• Sunrise on the Park
• Shire Estates

 Remaining Land in Drayton Valley (1.8 Mb)

Drayton Valley must be prepared for future growth, as the population and need for land is projected to grow from 20 ¼ sections today, to 44 ¼ sections in 25 years, to just under 100 ¼ sections over the next 50 years. Land acquired in the past accommodated growth levels at the time. The Town is focusing on effective long-range planning to ensure adequate land resources are available to sustain the community’s growth well into the future.

The proposed expansion will put Drayton Valley at 5,762 hectares, less than half the size of Lethbridge. Compare this proposed boundary expansion with the timeline and projected growth:

Why doesn’t Drayton Valley acquire land that is undeveloped and unserviced?

Typically, land development for residential and commercial properties occurs directly adjacent, or in close proximity to existing urbanized services and amenities. This is the natural progression for development, as it builds on existing areas providing services. Particularly for residential properties, to develop land in unserviced areas would lead to increased costs for developers and those who would purchase property in that area.

Expansion of the Town’s boundary is also intended to prevent incompatible land uses from occurring adjacent to each other along the boundary between the fringe area and the Town. A further aim for this expansion is to increase the supply of residential property options in the Drayton Valley urban area.