Amendments to Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control Districts

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Parkland County is proposing text amendments to the Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control (DC) Districts to align with the province's strategy for catalyzing data centre developments in Alberta, and ensure the County is positioned to harness the associated economic opportunities.

Want to learn more? Join us for a public open house!

Parkland County's Development and Long Range Planning team will be hosting an in-person open house event to explain the proposed amendments and discuss them with the community. Join us to speak with project team members, share your thoughts and feedback, and ask questions.

  • Date: Thursday January 23, 2025
  • When: Drop in anytime between 4:00pm and 7:00pm (no pre-registration required)
  • Where: Parkland County Centre, 53109A HWY 779, Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1

Feedback collected during the open house will be compiled and shared as a 'What We Heard' Report.

Why is the County proposing these amendments?

Alberta’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centres Strategy was released in December 2024 to illustrate the province’s commitment to attracting responsible investment into this growing sector, and position our province as a global leader in data centre operations due to its natural resources, cold climate, competitive tax rates and business-friendly regulatory environment.

In order to align with the province's strategy for catalyzing Data Center development and ensure our region is positioned to harness the associated economic opportunities, Parkland County is proposing text amendments to Land Use Bylaw 2017-18. Amendments are proposed to the Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control (DC) Districts to allow investments into the County that take advantage of existing power generation and distribution infrastructure. The proposed amendments:

  • Enable a significant amount of potential tax revenue which will ensure the public receives high-quality services while keeping residential tax rates low;
  • Create both long-term and short-term job opportunities in the construction and technology sectors, increasing the diversity of the job market; and
  • Ensure the County is more resilient to inflation and diversify the County's Tax Base by accommodating new investment types.

The current DCs were created at a time where Data Centers were not a typical development type. As such, the County is now seeking to amend these DCs with consideration for accommodating these developments, to remain economically competitive with neighbours, and to align with the Province's Data Centre Investment Strategy.

  • These amendments will allow the COMPUTER, ELECTRONIC, DATA PROCESSING SERVICES as a permitted use in the Highvale and Keephills Direct Control District.

The County will seek to locate these developments in areas with the least impact on agriculture and country residential living while remaining operationally feasible.

Lands within the Keephills and Highvale End Land Use DC are ideal for data center development due to existing power generation and distribution infrastructure, distance away from residential subdivisions, proximity to high-capacity roadways, and minimal environmental impacts.

These developments are also compatible with reclamation plans for the mine sites, locating in areas accommodating of light industrial uses.

Policy Alignment

The Province’s strategy and its alignment with the County’s relevant Strategic Pillars

  • Alberta will harness its abundant natural resources and innovative energy infrastructure to support the development of high-capacity solutions for AI data centres while being focused on keeping utilities reliable and affordable for Albertans.
    • The Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control Districts contain areas that are compatible with energy generation, with historic infrastructure still existing.
      • Location will enable off-grid and grid-connected power solutions that are compatible with the energy demands of Albertans.
    • Highlighting where these developments are permitted in the current LUB will support a streamlined and predictable regulatory pathway for investors, supporting Parkland County's competitive advantage.
  • Leveraging Alberta’s natural advantages and fostering innovation in cooling systems will ensure efficient, sustainable, and environmentally responsible operations.
    • Parkland County is situated in Northern Alberta, benefiting from the cooling of long winters and reducing the need for expensive artificial cooling systems
  • Alberta’s government will work closely with local governments to attract investment and accelerate data center project implementation.
    • We are proposing these amendments to enable implementation and get ahead of provincial mandates.
  • Alberta’s government will conduct a comprehensive review of all regulatory timelines associated with data center development to reduce red tape and shorten timelines for investment decisions and construction readiness.
    • Current processes to approve data centers would have long timelines due to inadequate definitions and allocation of uses. Modernizing this section of the LUB will accommodate any potential developments and ensures that the County does not miss an opportunity for investments that support economic growth.

How the proposed amendments align with the Council Strategic Plan 2022-2025

  • To explore strategies that encourage new businesses to locate in Parkland County, with strategic emphasis on Acheson and the Wabamun area (B1)
    • Proposed amendments enable new and innovative businesses opportunities in the Wabamun area that are compatible with existing contexts.
  • To ensure that County Council is supported by a robust and current framework of bylaws, policies, and plans (D1)
    • Proposed amendments ensures that current bylaws and policies are competitive and accommodating of industry trends, enabling clear and consistent decision making.
  • PILLAR A Complete Communities To ensure that County infrastructure meets the needs of residents, businesses, and industry
    • Proposed amendments direct development to locations that have existing supportive infrastructure that will not impact the needs of existing residents, businesses, and industry.

How the Proposed Amendments Align with the Parkland County’s Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw 2017-14)

  • Policy 5.0.1 (a): The County encourages economic and employment diversification throughout the County where businesses will be supported by adequate infrastructure and transportation networks.
    • The proposed amendments enable economic and employment diversification by directing the establishment of a new industry in an area with existing utility infrastructure, high quality roadways, and compatible neighbouring land uses.
  • Policy 5.0.8 (a): The County supports the continued operation and adaptive reuse of power generation facilities within Parkland County as an important source of local employment opportunities.
    • The proposed amendments support adaptive reuse projects by co-locating computer, electronic, and data process services with existing power distribution and generation infrastructure. Co-location reduces the requirement for new utilities to be built to support these uses and allows for the ongoing utilization of existing infrastructure.
    • The proposed amendments are expected to support future job growth in the technology and construction sector.
  • Policy 6.0.1 (a): The County strongly encourages growth and development in the County’s hamlets where the appropriate infrastructure and transportation networks are available.
    • These amendments will accommodate development that would create a significant number of jobs in a region of the county that is undergoing transition from a historically coal-based economy to a more diversified economy. As development increases in this area, surrounding hamlets will be encouraged to grow and utilize the existing infrastructure and transportation network.
  • Policy 9.8.1 (a): The County will continue to promote and evolve the broadband network through the combination of tower and fiber expansions.
    • Computer, electronic, and data processing services require fast and dependable internet. Future development of this use will expand broadband fibre into this region of the County. Expanded broadband provides an opportunity for rural residents in the area to have the option to connect to fibre once a development is established.

Parkland County is proposing text amendments to the Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control (DC) Districts to align with the province's strategy for catalyzing data centre developments in Alberta, and ensure the County is positioned to harness the associated economic opportunities.

Want to learn more? Join us for a public open house!

Parkland County's Development and Long Range Planning team will be hosting an in-person open house event to explain the proposed amendments and discuss them with the community. Join us to speak with project team members, share your thoughts and feedback, and ask questions.

  • Date: Thursday January 23, 2025
  • When: Drop in anytime between 4:00pm and 7:00pm (no pre-registration required)
  • Where: Parkland County Centre, 53109A HWY 779, Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1

Feedback collected during the open house will be compiled and shared as a 'What We Heard' Report.

Why is the County proposing these amendments?

Alberta’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centres Strategy was released in December 2024 to illustrate the province’s commitment to attracting responsible investment into this growing sector, and position our province as a global leader in data centre operations due to its natural resources, cold climate, competitive tax rates and business-friendly regulatory environment.

In order to align with the province's strategy for catalyzing Data Center development and ensure our region is positioned to harness the associated economic opportunities, Parkland County is proposing text amendments to Land Use Bylaw 2017-18. Amendments are proposed to the Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control (DC) Districts to allow investments into the County that take advantage of existing power generation and distribution infrastructure. The proposed amendments:

  • Enable a significant amount of potential tax revenue which will ensure the public receives high-quality services while keeping residential tax rates low;
  • Create both long-term and short-term job opportunities in the construction and technology sectors, increasing the diversity of the job market; and
  • Ensure the County is more resilient to inflation and diversify the County's Tax Base by accommodating new investment types.

The current DCs were created at a time where Data Centers were not a typical development type. As such, the County is now seeking to amend these DCs with consideration for accommodating these developments, to remain economically competitive with neighbours, and to align with the Province's Data Centre Investment Strategy.

  • These amendments will allow the COMPUTER, ELECTRONIC, DATA PROCESSING SERVICES as a permitted use in the Highvale and Keephills Direct Control District.

The County will seek to locate these developments in areas with the least impact on agriculture and country residential living while remaining operationally feasible.

Lands within the Keephills and Highvale End Land Use DC are ideal for data center development due to existing power generation and distribution infrastructure, distance away from residential subdivisions, proximity to high-capacity roadways, and minimal environmental impacts.

These developments are also compatible with reclamation plans for the mine sites, locating in areas accommodating of light industrial uses.

Policy Alignment

The Province’s strategy and its alignment with the County’s relevant Strategic Pillars

  • Alberta will harness its abundant natural resources and innovative energy infrastructure to support the development of high-capacity solutions for AI data centres while being focused on keeping utilities reliable and affordable for Albertans.
    • The Highvale End Land Use and Keephills Direct Control Districts contain areas that are compatible with energy generation, with historic infrastructure still existing.
      • Location will enable off-grid and grid-connected power solutions that are compatible with the energy demands of Albertans.
    • Highlighting where these developments are permitted in the current LUB will support a streamlined and predictable regulatory pathway for investors, supporting Parkland County's competitive advantage.
  • Leveraging Alberta’s natural advantages and fostering innovation in cooling systems will ensure efficient, sustainable, and environmentally responsible operations.
    • Parkland County is situated in Northern Alberta, benefiting from the cooling of long winters and reducing the need for expensive artificial cooling systems
  • Alberta’s government will work closely with local governments to attract investment and accelerate data center project implementation.
    • We are proposing these amendments to enable implementation and get ahead of provincial mandates.
  • Alberta’s government will conduct a comprehensive review of all regulatory timelines associated with data center development to reduce red tape and shorten timelines for investment decisions and construction readiness.
    • Current processes to approve data centers would have long timelines due to inadequate definitions and allocation of uses. Modernizing this section of the LUB will accommodate any potential developments and ensures that the County does not miss an opportunity for investments that support economic growth.

How the proposed amendments align with the Council Strategic Plan 2022-2025

  • To explore strategies that encourage new businesses to locate in Parkland County, with strategic emphasis on Acheson and the Wabamun area (B1)
    • Proposed amendments enable new and innovative businesses opportunities in the Wabamun area that are compatible with existing contexts.
  • To ensure that County Council is supported by a robust and current framework of bylaws, policies, and plans (D1)
    • Proposed amendments ensures that current bylaws and policies are competitive and accommodating of industry trends, enabling clear and consistent decision making.
  • PILLAR A Complete Communities To ensure that County infrastructure meets the needs of residents, businesses, and industry
    • Proposed amendments direct development to locations that have existing supportive infrastructure that will not impact the needs of existing residents, businesses, and industry.

How the Proposed Amendments Align with the Parkland County’s Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw 2017-14)

  • Policy 5.0.1 (a): The County encourages economic and employment diversification throughout the County where businesses will be supported by adequate infrastructure and transportation networks.
    • The proposed amendments enable economic and employment diversification by directing the establishment of a new industry in an area with existing utility infrastructure, high quality roadways, and compatible neighbouring land uses.
  • Policy 5.0.8 (a): The County supports the continued operation and adaptive reuse of power generation facilities within Parkland County as an important source of local employment opportunities.
    • The proposed amendments support adaptive reuse projects by co-locating computer, electronic, and data process services with existing power distribution and generation infrastructure. Co-location reduces the requirement for new utilities to be built to support these uses and allows for the ongoing utilization of existing infrastructure.
    • The proposed amendments are expected to support future job growth in the technology and construction sector.
  • Policy 6.0.1 (a): The County strongly encourages growth and development in the County’s hamlets where the appropriate infrastructure and transportation networks are available.
    • These amendments will accommodate development that would create a significant number of jobs in a region of the county that is undergoing transition from a historically coal-based economy to a more diversified economy. As development increases in this area, surrounding hamlets will be encouraged to grow and utilize the existing infrastructure and transportation network.
  • Policy 9.8.1 (a): The County will continue to promote and evolve the broadband network through the combination of tower and fiber expansions.
    • Computer, electronic, and data processing services require fast and dependable internet. Future development of this use will expand broadband fibre into this region of the County. Expanded broadband provides an opportunity for rural residents in the area to have the option to connect to fibre once a development is established.
Page last updated: 13 Jan 2025, 11:54 AM