Municipal Government Act

The Municipal Government Act (MGA) is the legislative framework under which all municipalities and municipal entities across the Province of Alberta operate.

The MGA provides the governance structure for cities, towns, villages, municipal districts, specialized municipalities, and other forms of local government. The current MGA is one of Alberta’s largest pieces of legislation, containing 21 parts and more than 700 sections.

Upper Athabasca Regional Plan

Development of this plan will support land and natural resource management to achieve long-term economic, environmental and social goals.

IDPs and ASP

Intermunicipal Development Plans (IDPs) are statutory land use plans prepared in accordance with the Municipal Government Act (MGA) by two (or more) municipalities that share a common border.

Sunset Point voluntarily adopting joint plans called Inter-Municipal Development Plans (IDPs) with the Village of Alberta Beach and the Summer Villages of Val Quentin and Lac Ste. Anne County. These plans address a range of issues and common interests between the municipalities. The IDP will serve as an important decision making tool for the Mayor & Council, administration, and stakeholders.

Area Structure Plans (ASPs) are documents that have been approved by the Summer Village as bylaws. The ASPs provide a framework that articulates proposed land uses; population densities; sequence of development; general location of major roadways; public utilities in the area; and any additional requirements that the Council may require. An ASP is the first step in obtaining planning approval for a new community.

Summer Village planning staff work with stakeholders like community residents, landowners and developers to create these long-range documents.

Municipal Development Plan

The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is a long-term strategic plan for managing growth over the next 20 years in our region. The MDP sets the vision on how to accommodate this growth responsibly.

It will serve as an important decision making tool for the Mayor & Council, administration, and stakeholders. It is the goal of this MDP to protect and develop communities within the County in accordance with community vision while providing the necessary opportunities for maximizing the economic use of the limited land in the Summer Village, and providing for economic diversification within the overall context of well-planned growth, change and development.

Land Use Bylaw

The Municipal Government Act requires all municipalities in Alberta to adopt a Land Use Bylaw. The Land Use Bylaw must divide the municipality into districts (often called zones in other parts of Canada and the United States).

For each district, the uses of land permitted, or allowed only at the discretion of the development authority, must be described. The decision process must also be clearly outlined. That process must clearly determine how development permits are issued, and the number of dwellings permitted on a single parcel of land.

Policies

For a complete list of policies, please use the link below.

Subdivision

A subdivision authority is bound by the hierarchy of statutory plans when reviewing an application for a subdivision. If a subdivision authority is of the opinion that there may be a conflict or inconsistency between statutory plans, then it is bound by the hierarchy and relationship of plans in making its decision.

A subdivision authority is bound by the hierarchy of statutory plans when reviewing an application for a subdivision. If a subdivision authority is of the opinion that there may be a conflict or inconsistency between statutory plans, then it is bound by the hierarchy and relationship of plans in making its decision.

Development Permit

A development permit is a document that authorizes a proposed development to proceed (either with or without conditions) pursuant to the provisions of the Land Use Bylaw.

The Bylaw divides the municipality into several Land Use Districts (commonly called Zones or Zoning) and each of these Districts have land uses and development regulations specific to them. Contact Administration to determine what District you are in and whether your proposed development is permitted or discretionary.

Discretionary Permits

The following is a list of discretionary permits approved by the Development Authority: