Important Update: We want to hear from you!
The Conklin Resource Development Advisory Committee (CRDAC) has submitted a request to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) to amend the Conklin Area Structure Plan to enable the expansion of the local housing inventory in the Hamlet.
The CRDAC has acquired five parcels of land in the Hamlet and plans to pursue subdivision of these parcels to create approximately 46 new housing lots over the next three to five years to assist in alleviating the current shortage of adequate housing in the community. Cenovus Energy has committed to investing $10 million annually for the next five years to fund the construction of new homes in six First Nations and Métis communities including Conklin. We will keep you posted on this Indigenous Housing Initiative on our website.
In 2018, the CRDAC contracted an assessment of the current state of housing in Conklin. This study identified that there are not enough homes available to ensure each Conklin resident has a safe place to live. A parallel study published by the Alberta Rural Development Network around the same time suggested that not only has population growth outpaced the rate of new housing construction in Conklin, in fact, the housing inventory declined between 2012 and 2015 exasperating the shortage of adequate accommodations in the community. At the time of these studies it was estimated that at least 45 new dwellings were needed to meet the immediate housing needs in the community. More information on the Housing Crisis including the reports are available for viewing.
Where we are today
In 2021, the CRDAC engaged Associated Engineering to assist in preparing plans to subdivide and service the parcels illustrated above. During this process, it was noted that the Conklin Area Structure Plan (ASP) places restrictions on the size of lots that could be subdivided.
A copy of the current Conklin Area Structure Plan (ASP) can be seen here Conklin Area Structure Plan (rmwb.ca) or by scanning the QR code
Through previous community consultations during the preparation of the current ASP in 2013, it was noted that most of the residential development in the community consisted of single detached and manufactured homes situated on lots averaging 1 hectare (2.5 acres) in size. The ASP further noted that residents valued the rural character of the community as represented by the large lot residential development pattern in the community. At the time the water treatment plant and sewage lagoon were both operating at full capacity restricting the development of full service lots in the community and reinforcing the appropriateness of encouraging the continuation of large lot development.
As a result of the information noted above, the decision was made to make the conservation and enhancement of the existing development pattern in the community a priority in the ASP. This was intended to be accomplished by restricting the size of lots zoned Hamlet Residential District situated along Pine Lane, Poplar Drive and Christina Lake Drive to a maximum of 0.4 ha (1 acre) despite that the RMWB Land Use Bylaw 99/059 enables full serviced (water and sewer) lots to be as small as 560 m2. The pro-posed development parcels owned by the CRDAC are all located within the Hamlet Residential Zone and fall under this policy area.
The situation in the Hamlet has changed since the current ASP was adopted as evidenced by the housing assessment reports published in 2018. As well, the previous water and sanitary sewer servicing limitations have also been alleviated. To ensure that each of the properties owned by the CRDAC can meet their full development potential as defined by the current land use regulations, a request to amend the ASP has been submitted. The proposed revisions to the ASP are summarized in the attachment provided below.
How you can get involved
An amendment to an ASP requires approval from the RMWB municipal council and is required to follow the bylaw amendment process established through RM policies and provincial legislation. Before the amendment can be considered by council, CRDAC is required to share the proposed revisions with community members and offer an opportunity for the each of you to pro-vide written and verbal comments concerning the proposed changes.
We want to hear from you! Virtual Meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. (MST)
In addition to this publication, the CRDAC will be hosting a brief virtual meeting to offer community members an opportunity to ask questions or further discuss the proposed amendments. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation followed by a question and answer session. To join the meeting by computer, please copy the link below into any web browser.
https://rb.gy/vopawa or by scanning the QR code using your mobile device.
To participate by telephone please call:
(639) 398-4528 Conference ID: 330 319 399
Please be sure to review the attached and complete consultation package that includes a summary of proposed amendments. This package will also be hand distributed to each household. If you have any questions about the proposed amendments or would like to provide written comments to be included in our submission to the RMWB please contact:
Bill Delainey, RPP
Associated Engineering (Sask.) Ltd.
Email: delaineyb@ae.ca
Phone: (306) 808-3047