Foothills Land Annexation

PROJECT UPDATE

Calgary City Council has approved a recommendation from Administration to immediately withdraw from the process of annexation Foothill County lands into The City of Calgary. This decision marks the immediate end to the technical investigation and public consultation associated with the annexation project.

The full media release can be found HERE.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The City of Calgary submitted a letter of Initiation to Foothills County, to initiate the process of annexation. The proposed annexation area is approximately 415 acres of land and part of the long-term growth area for Calgary, which is outlined in the 2017 Foothills County - City of Calgary Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). The IDP identifies specific areas for future growth for both municipalities and includes policies for annexation.

In June 2022, notification letters about this project were sent to Foothills landowners within and nearby the proposed annexation area.

The first phase of public engagement opened on April 11, 2023, and closed May 11, 2023. An open house at De Winton Community Hall (114 Macleod Trail E, De Winton, AB T0L 0X0) was held on Thursday, April 27 from 4 - 8 pm. A What We Heard Report was developed to report on what was heard from participants during Phase 1 engagement.

To view the What We Heard Report click here.

To take the Engagement Survey and provide your feedback visit Foothills Land Annexation | Engage (calgary.ca) and scroll to the PROVIDE YOUR INPUT section.

PROPOSED ANNEXATION MAP

PROJECT INFORMATION

ANNEXATION IN A NUTSHELL
The annexation process is provincially legislated under the Municipal Government Act and regulated through the Land and Property Rights Tribunal.
The annexation process involves negotiations between local governments, public engagement with property owners, a formal review by the Land and Property Rights Tribunal, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs. The Minister of Municipal Affairs brings forward the annexation orders to Cabinet. If approved or approved in part, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta signs the order. Further details about the annexation process can be found on the Land and Property Rights Tribunal website.
The City views the proposed annexation as an opportunity to further explore intermunicipal cooperation and build upon our cooperative working relationship with Foothills County.
In March 2021, Calgary Council directed the City of Calgary to proceed with annexation. This follows a 2018 Notice of Motion requesting that the City of Calgary investigate the potential to annex the proposed land area. These lands have been identified as a City of Calgary growth area in our mutually agreed upon Intermunicipal Development Plan with Foothills County.
The City of Calgary can accommodate these lands into a future urban-scaled development and is able to extend its services into the proposed area. However, further technical studies, like an environmental land assessment, population density analysis and capacity evaluation of the existing infrastructure needs to be conducted. Lands proposed for annexation will be evaluated for their technical and strategic merits and to inform the drafting of an annexation agreement between the municipalities. If the committee is successful in their negotiations, the draft annexation agreement would be forwarded to the respective Councils for consideration.
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- Phase 1 commences the formal annexation negotiation process and sets up the committee proceedings with elected representative members from each municipality.
- Phase 2 focuses on confirming the annexation area. Negotiations begin in this phase supported by technical studies, and public and landowner consultation.
- Phase 3 focuses on discussion of annexation provisions such as taxation, assessment and compensation provisions, etc. This is supported by further analysis and public consultation.
- In Phase 4 the Committee concludes its work by completing the draft annexation agreement and finalizing their decision. If the committee is successful in their negotiations, the draft annexation agreement would be forwarded to the respective Councils for consideration. The outcomes of this process and next steps will be shared with the public.
Annexation can be a misunderstood process. The below list highlights terminology that does not describe the annexation negotiation process.
- Land purchasing: The City is not purchasing or owning the parcels within the proposed annexation area. Annexation changes which municipality governs the area, but it does not change ownership rights.
- Land development: Annexation is not the same as land development. Annexation intends to accommodate growth and change over time, under the policies and growth areas identified in the Intermunicipal Development Plan. Land development is a longer-term outcome that is established through an Area Structure Plan, which strategically plans servicing in an area.
- Amalgamation: Amalgamation is where two or more municipalities, with shared boundaries, join to become one municipality. An example of an amalgamation is the merging of Black Diamond and Turner Valley. The City and Foothills County continue to operate as separate municipalities.
- Expropriation: Expropriation is where a municipality takes ownership of land that was previously held by landowners. The City is proposing annexation, not expropriation. Landowners will continue to be owners of their parcels through the annexation process.