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Regional plan still greeted with skepticism

Even though the province gave its full support to the Capital Region Board's (CRB) long-range growth blueprint, the plan is still meeting with some skepticism in Sturgeon County.

Even though the province gave its full support to the Capital Region Board's (CRB) long-range growth blueprint, the plan is still meeting with some skepticism in Sturgeon County.

Municipal Affairs Minster Hector Goudreau applauded the board last Thursday as he accepted the plan on behalf of the provincial government. He also congratulated the 25 municipal leaders who put it together.

"They have a plan. Moving forward it is supported by all of government, it is a plan that we hope other regions would look at and embrace."

The growth plan sets out a vision for a tighter region with communities closest to the capital experiencing more growth. Most of the communities in Sturgeon County, including Morinville and Legal, are not located in areas targeted for such growth.

The Sturgeon Valley area would also continue see acreage development, but it would have to be clustered into tighter forms, taking up less area with smaller lots.

Sturgeon County Coun. Karen Shaw, the county's alternate on the board, said she is concerned about how detailed and restrictive the plan became.

"I think the province didn't intend for the plan to drill down to this kind of level."

When the board was developing the plan, the county voted against most of the land use provisions.

Sturgeon included details about the board and its regional plan in county's recent satisfaction survey.

That survey suggested 52 per cent of Sturgeon residents support the county working with other municipalities, even at a cost to the taxpayers. Only 36 per cent support contributing to regional projects like LRT.

The survey also found out many Sturgeon residents know little about the CRB, with 69.6 per cent saying they aren't familiar with the group or its plan.

Shaw said the CRB has generally only been involved in planning issues; attitudes about the board may change if it starts costing residents money.

She doesn't want to see county residents pay for projects they won't use.

"We can't burden our taxpayers with unreasonable increases in taxes to pay for things like LRT to the airport."

Morinville could benefit

Morinville Mayor Lloyd Bertschi said even though his community is not identified as an area for growth, the community is going to still be able to grow.

He said the targeted growth areas have to develop under specific guidelines, mandating denser more transit-friendly development. Not being held to those requirements could be a boost to Morinville.

"We can design it to our standards. We are allowed to grow, we just don't have the restrictions on us that other do," he said. "We could bring on some products that the other communities would be hard pressed to develop."

Bertschi said with the province only committed to funding the board for another year and elections in the fall it could be tough for the CRB to keep together and implement the plan.

"You may not have the same level of co-operation and collaboration from new groups."

Bertschi added he would like to see the board receive full provincial funding because the board's creation was their idea.

"If they didn't set it up, then it wouldn't exist and it wouldn't need funding."

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