Ponoka County begins MDP renewal process

PONOKA COUNTY -- Ponoka County has begun the process of renewing its Municipal Development Plan.

An MDP serves as a long-range planning and decision-making tool that serves as a policy guide for future infrastructure, services, and growth. This marks the first time in twenty years that the document will be updated, with its last changes coming back in 2006. 

"Over the course of the next number of months, we'll be working through some rough drafts of some of the changes," said Peter Hall, Chief Administrative Officer with Ponoka County. "We'll schedule more open houses into the early fall, around harvest time." 

Recent public engagement sessions have been ongoing over the past several weeks, giving county residents an opportunity to weigh in on what they envision for the future of the municipality. Hall says that some of the feedback they've heard is that residents wish to preserve the region's prime farmland while also allowing more flexibility for secondary suites.

"That was probably the single biggest ask -- people want the opportunity for their kids to live at home, or close to home, but not necessarily underfoot," said Hall. "There's not a lot of support for things like renewables and data centres on prime farmland, yet, people do see potential for them if they are in the right spot." 

With work on a preliminary draft and additional public consultation set to take place over the next several months, Hall emphasizes that crafting the renewed Municipal Development Plan based on community feedback will be their primary focus.