MD of Foothills Growth Management Strategy
Project Outline
Project Title:
Our Foothills - Our Future: Building on our past ... A vision forward.
Introduction:
From 1999 to 2009, the MD of Foothills was subject to significant development pressures due
to a booming local economy and a common desire among city residents to escape the hustle
and bustle of the city and achieve a more desirable lifestyle. Now that development has
slowed somewhat we have the opportunity to take a look at drafting a plan that builds on the
work done in preparation of the MDP2010 and that will assist Council in managing growth in
order to preserve those qualities of the MD that are important to our residents.
In addition, a growth strategy will assist the MD with:

Addressing Provincial planning requirements;

Negotiating with adjacent municipalities;

Addressing cumulative effects, sustainability and environmental issues;

Planning for efficient and effective infrastructure;

Providing direction for developers;

Creating economic opportunities;

Limiting fragmentation of our agricultural lands; and

Creating vibrant communities.
Project Goals:
There are several things that we hope to accomplish through the process of developing of a
growth strategy as well as through the strategy itself; these include:

Educating the public on the importance of planning for growth;

Incorporating public values into municipal policy;

Determining what qualities of the MD are most valued by our residents;

Beginning to describe, in qualitative terms, some strategies that will enable the MD to
grow in such a way as to preserve those qualities;

Capitalizing on existing opportunities and overcoming potential challenges;

Supporting conservation of the natural environment;

Supporting conservation of agricultural lands;

Building trust in municipal government with residents;
Out of Scope of the Project:
Several recent Growth Management Strategies in other municipalities have been extremely
detailed and prescriptive. They have attempted to identify specific growth nodes and specify
precise densities for development. We will not be attempting to identify growth nodes or
prescribe precise densities for individual areas in this plan. Also we will not engage in technical
evaluations of the servicing capacities of existing developments, attempt to address the
complexities of servicing or transportation strategies for specific portions of the MD nor
develop a plan that is highly prescriptive in nature.
This plan is intended to be descriptive and high level outlining strategies for managing growth
and protecting the things our residents most value while considering the realities of providing
infrastructure and services.
Phasing:
The project will be divided into two phases:

Phase one will be focused on both informing the public about the project and its benefits
and gathering information from residents of the MD to determine the important
characteristics of each district within the MD, opportunities and constraints that will
influence their future growth and the resident’s vision for the future.

Phase two will build on the information gathered in phase one to outline some strategies
to assist in achieving our resident’s vision for the future in each area of the MD.
Project Deliverables:
Phase 1: Building on the Past
A report that identifies the characteristics of the different districts that can be defined in the MD
and outlines the information gathered from residents regarding their district’s most important
features, the challenges they are facing, their needs to meet those challenges and their
aspirations for growth.
Phase 2: A Vision Forward
A plan for the future of the MD that builds on both the vision laid out in MDP 2010 and that
gleaned from the public consultation in Phase 1 of the project. The plan will lay out some
growth related goals, the opportunities that will assist with the achievement of the goals and
some challenges that might interfere. Finally there will be some strategies suggested to
facilitate the achievement of these goals.
Project Process:
Phase 1 Process:
1. Through an analysis of the historic settlement pattern, current dominant land uses and
development opportunities and constraints divide the MD into 4-6 distinct districts.
2. Engage the public to inform about the project and gather their input. This will be done
through a series of public open houses where staff will go out to the different areas and
engage the area residents in discussions about their district of the MD.
3. Use the information gathered to refine the district boundaries and to determine each
district’s defining characteristics (physical and intangible), the dominant activities on the
land, key opportunities and challenges and the resident’s aspirations for future growth.
4. Prepare a report on the public consultation process.
5. Present report to Council for review.
Phase 2 Process:
1.. Review and compile the aspirations for growth collected in Phase 1 from the residents of
each district in the MD,
2. Analyze each district’s aspirations for growth together with the opportunities and
challenges to develop some proposed growth related strategies,
3. Prepare a plan that outlines a growth strategy for the MD overall and for each of the
communities defined within it,
4. Present plan to Council for approval.
Phase 1 Activities and Tentative Timeline:
1.
Background and Material Development (February – May 2011):
 Brainstorm project objectives and methodology, (What is the end result of the project
that we desire, what questions do we need answered, how best to engage the public
to receive meaningful feedback etc…)
 Develop/collect a series of materials describing historical settlement pattern of the
MD (maps, photographs, stories).
 Based on historical information, current land use, environmental factors, social
factors and development opportunities and constraints develop tentative scheme for
dividing the MD into 4-6 distinct districts,
 Design project branding,
 Develop a project outline for approval by Council.
2.
Project Approval from Council (June 23rd, 2011):
 Ask for Council’s endorsement to proceed with the project and begin developing the
materials for the public consultation phase of the project.
3.
Material Development for Public Engagement Process (June – Sept, 2011)
 Re-use map of physical characteristics of the MD from MDP 2010 material.
 Re-use the map from MDP2010 depicting opportunities and constraints for
development in the MD.
 Develop a series of 4 to 6 DRAFT area maps which define the boundaries of the
districts of the MD that were endorsed by Council - It is understood that the
boundaries of these districts will be refined through the consultation process.
 Develop question sets for open houses and questionnaire for on-line survey,
 Determine if any incentives will be offered for participation (i.e. prize draw),
 Determine number of district sessions and locations and dates for each one,
 Plan refreshments for district sessions.
4.
Public Engagement (Fall 2011)
The Public Engagement process will have two parts: There will be a series of district
sessions that will be held throughout the MD in the different districts and there will be an
on-line survey available on the MD’s website.
The district sessions will be run in open house format, but will also involve 2 or 3
scheduled short presentations with facilitated discussions following.
We will produce a set of panels which we will arrange around the space. In between the
scheduled presentations/discussions residents can travel around the room to look at the
boards and staff will make themselves available to answer questions and also to ask
questions. It is hoped that the conversations that will occur in this informal way will give
additional insight on the important characteristics of each district from the resident’s
perspective as well as bring to light any potential areas of concern with the project in
general. The presentation material will be the same for all the communities with the
exception of one panel that will address the specific district where the open house is
being held. Similarly, the scheduled presentations will be essentially the same for each
district, with a couple of slides specific to the district as the presentation transitions into
a facilitated discussion.
The participants will be asked to complete an exit survey or invited to complete the
survey on line at their convenience. We would like to reward completed surveys with an
entry for a draw for a prize (to be determined by Council some suggestions for prizes
include: a load of gravel delivered, a load of compost or mulch delivered, rain water
collection barrels, composters … )
The Information that we would like to be able to glean from the public consultation
should enable us to address the following five general topics with respect to each
district:
 You and your land;
 Defining your district;
 The history of your district;
 The future of your district.
5.
Data Analysis (October-December, 2011)
Compile and analyze the information gathered in the public consultation process in
order to:
a. Refine the draft district boundaries that were presented to the public.
b. Determine each district’s defining characteristics (physical and intangible),
c. Outline the dominant activities on the land for each district.
d. Identify key opportunities and challenges for each district.
e. Define the district resident’s aspirations for future growth and preferred vision for the
future of their area.
6.
Report on Public Consultation (January - February, 2012)
Municipal staff will draft a report that describes what we learned.
This report will outline:
 The purpose of the consultation;
 The methods that were used to consult;
 The different district s that were defined;
 The characteristics of each district;
 Any important themes that may have become evident through the public
consultation process;
 Key opportunities and Challenges for each district;
 Aspirations for growth in the different districts.
7.
Present Report to Council for review (March, 2012)
8.
With Council recommendation publish the Phase 1 Report on the MD Website
Phase 2 Activities and Tentative Timeline:
To be determined subsequent to the completion of Phase 1.