EDMONTON – The City of Edmonton is moving ahead with its annexation process to take over land south of the city limits, despite much opposition from Leduc County.
The City is looking to acquire about 15,600 hectares of land south of its boundary at 41 Avenue SW, east and west of the QEII Highway.
“Strategically, it’s a very key economic area for development,” said Peter Ohm, Branch Manager of Urban Planning and Environment with the City of Edmonton. “While Edmonton is committed to growing up and in, we also need to grow out.
“Over the next 30 years, 2044, we anticipate that the city is going to grow to be well over 1.4 million people. And this particular annexation really is a 50-year annexation. It gives us a land supply for at least that long.”
The land is currently the property of Leduc County, which has been strongly opposed to the annexation as it’s been presented since receiving the City’s proposal in March.
Leduc County says the loss of so much land would reduce its tax base by 17 per cent, and would jeopardize the County’s existing services. The County says residents and businesses would also see tax hikes by joining the City of Edmonton.
“The annexation is not the appropriate process to address growth in the region,” said County Councillor John Schonewille. “Leduc County has met with the residents and ratepayers, we’ve received overwhelming support in our opposition in the annexation.”
But despite that push back, the City is moving ahead with the process. It will be holding three open houses later this month to meet with affected Leduc County residents and landowners.
“This will be our first opportunity to meet with them face-to-face to hear their questions and their perspectives,” Ohm explained Friday.
“Although we, Leduc County, do not support the City of Edmonton’s annexation proposal, we are satisfied that the City is reaching out to our residents and ratepayers to get their opinion,” added Schonewille.
With 55 per cent of Edmonton’s growth occurring in the southside, Ohm believes the City has a strong case for the proposed annexation.
“We are concerned that if we didn’t take this on that it wouldn’t be developed as efficiently and for the highest value possible.”
The City expects the entire annexation process to take about two to five years.
The open houses will be held on the following dates:
Mon, November 18, 5-8pm
Red Tail Landing Golf Club
7, 435 Airport Perimeter Rd
Edmonton Intl Airport
Tue, November 19, 5-8pm
Nisku Inn, 1101 4 St
Nisku, AB
Tue, November 26, 5-8pm
Four Points Sheraton
10010 12 Ave SW
Edmonton, AB
Maps of the proposed southeast and southwest annexation areas have been posted below:
Proposed_Lands_to_be_Annexed_Southeast.pdf
Proposed_Lands_to_be_Annexed_Southwest.pdf
With files from Tom Vernon, Global News.
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