Leduc refines proposed annexation area following recent growth study

LEDUC -- The amount of land that the City of Leduc plans to annex from Leduc County has been refined following the completion of their recent growth management study.

The GMS, which is one of many technical studies being completed as part of Leduc's planned annexation process, determined the total amount of land that the City will need to meet its obligations to facilitate its projected future growth. Leduc Mayor Lars Hansen says that following the study, it was concluded that their currently planned annexation will require less land than originally forecasted. 

"We've refined the initial annexation area, and that's the result of detailed technical analysis that looked at land supply, agricultural land, environment considerations, infrastructure, transportation, and long-term growth needs," said Mayor Hansen. "So that refined annexation area is smaller and more focused than what was initially proposed, and has reduced in size by 14.5 per cent." 

The proposed annexation seeks to expand the City of Leduc's border to the south and southeast of the municipality. As part of the growth management study, it was determined that the total amount of land required to support the city's projected growth is 3,584 hectares. 1,375 hectares of developable land are already available within the current city boundaries, while 2,209 hectares of land are required beyond the existing boundary. Mayor Hansen notes that official negotiations with Leduc County have yet to take place.

"We're looking forward to sitting down with Leduc County. They've indicated that they're not ready to sit down with us yet, but we're looking forward to hearing their perspective," said Mayor Hansen. "We're still on track for the overall annexation in terms of the timelines we had indicated before. That means we're anticipating submitting our application to the Land and Property Rights Tribunal in 2027."

A number of other technical studies for the proposed annexation are still ongoing, including a historical resource study, agricultural assessments, transportation and infrastructure studies, an environmental and natural areas assessment, and a fiscal impact assessment. Teaka Broughm, Director of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Leduc, says these studies should be wrapped up by the end of the year.

"We should be done the technical studies by the end of the year -- but, one of the things I'll put a caveat on is that the fiscal impact analysis will take into consideration the negotiations we have with the county," said Broughm. "So, it can't be finalized until we make some key decisions around tax protection, compensation, and just looking at it and making sure we understand the application moving forward, and that it's reflected in that study."

The fiscal impact analysis is currently in its draft form and will be shared in its entirety during the City of Leduc's third round of public engagement for the proposed annexation later this year.