Rural event venue project

The purpose of the Rural Event Venue Project is to evaluate the possibility of adding a potential rural event venue use to the Land Use Bylaw. A rural event venue may fit within the objectives and policy of the County’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) on the basis of it being oriented to agri-tourism or nature-based tourism.

Planning and Development Services has received several inquiries in the past few years from residents and landowners regarding the potential for developing an event venue on rural land in Strathcona County. An event venue is not currently a listed use in any of the rural zoning districts of the County’s Land Use Bylaw.

Due to the high level of interest in a rural event venue use, and on the basis of a rural event venue use potentially being tourism-oriented, at the end of 2019, the County’s Planning & Development Services initiated this project to examine the possibility of adding a potential rural event venue use to the Land Use Bylaw (LUB) in accordance with the policies of the MDP. 

The Rural Event Venue Project was initiated in 2019. The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB) had also began work on the Regional Agriculture Master Plan (RAMP). As Strathcona County is a participating member of the EMRB it is bound by the direction contained within regional policy documents. In anticipation of RAMP impacting the potential development of non-agricultural uses within the rural areas of the metropolitan region, including Strathcona County, the Rural Event Venue Project was paused until RAMP was completed.  

The EMRB recently completed and approved RAMP, but it will not come into effect until such time as it receives provincial approval. The timing of provincial approval is unknown. In anticipation of provincial approval, the County is reviewing its current policies and regulations as well as the direction of the Rural Event Venue Project for alignment with RAMP. Once this review is completed, the public will be informed of the results through an update to the website and through the e-newsletter for this project (you can subscribe to the e-newsletter above.)

Land use considerations for a potential rural event venue that determine the scale and intensity of use as well as impact on adjacent landowners and County infrastructure include, but are not limited to:

• size of event venue buildings;
• frequency of events and hours of operation;
• provision of adequate on-site parking;
• provision of adequate servicing;
• number of patrons attending and the impacts including noise, light, or other nuisance impacts, particularly from any outdoor components of the events;
• increase in traffic;
• accessory uses such as overnight accommodation for event guests; and
• how it is directly associated with agri-tourism or nature-based tourism.

Agri-tourism means tourism with direct involvement between the tourist/consumer and the agricultural community.

Nature-based tourism means any tourism activity/experience directly related to natural attractions or the natural environment whether for relaxation, discovery or adventure. 

In looking at whether a use could be added to the rural zoning districts, the County is guided by the direction and policies of the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) which is the County’s overarching policy document that guides land use.

Although the MDP directs new commercial development to urban areas, it does enable consideration of agri-tourism or nature-based tourism in three rural policy areas: the Agricultural Large Holdings Policy Area (ALHPA), the Agricultural Small Holdings Policy Area (ASHPA), and the Beaver Hills Policy Area (BHPA), as shown on this map.

The primary intent of the Agriculture Large Holdings Policy Area is to support and promote the development of extensive agricultural operations on large unfragmented lands and to provide for limited commercial and residential uses that support these operations.

The primary intent of the Agriculture Small Holdings Policy Area is to allow for opportunities such as agricultural operations, small scale commercial and associated residential that supports the agricultural viability of the area.

Conservation of the Beaver Hills Moraine is the primary intent of the Beaver Hills Policy Area. The area is also intended to support agricultural operations, recreation, tourism and limited rural residential.

The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board (EMRB) is a growth management board, and a forum for regional collaboration and planning among thirteen municipalities, including Strathcona County, in the Edmonton region. With a mandate from the Government of Alberta, the EMRB coordinates responsible land-use planning and regional infrastructure investment. As Strathcona County is a participating member of the EMRB, it is bound by the direction contained within regional policy documents.

The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan is the formal land use policy document prepared by the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board and approved by the province. The Growth Plan provides a comprehensive and integrated policy framework for planning for growth tailored to the regional context. It provides guidance on responsible regional growth through compact and contiguous development that minimizes the expansion of the Region’s growth footprint.

The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board’s (EMRB) Regional Agricultural Master Plan (RAMP) provides a framework and policies to address the objectives for agriculture set out in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Growth Plan. RAMP divides land in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region into four policy areas with tailored policies to support the growth and continuation of all forms of agriculture.

RAMP was recently approved by EMRB and will come into effect pending provincial approval. As Strathcona County is a member of the EMRB, it is guided by regional policy such as RAMP.

The policies of RAMP may affect the potential for an event venue use to be considered in some of the policy areas of the County’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP). 

• Agriculture Large Holdings Policy Area (RAMP Policy Area 1)

RAMP Policy

• • Agriculture is the priority land use in this area.
  • Non-agricultural uses to be discouraged.

Potential impact on Rural Event Venue Project: Challenge of relating this use directly to agriculture as well as avoiding conversion of agricultural lands for the purpose of rural events.

• Agriculture Small Holdings Policy Area (RAMP Policy Area 1)

RAMP Policy

• • Reinforces importance of agriculture in this area.
  • Non-agricultural uses to be minimized to maintain agriculture as the priority land use.

Potential impact on Rural Event Venue Project: Challenge of minimizing conversion of agricultural lands for the purpose of rural events in order to maintain agriculture as the priority land use.

• Beaver Hills Policy Area (RAMP Policy Area 2)

RAMP Policy

• • Considers non-agricultural uses in this area.

Potential impact on Rural Event Venue Project: In comparison to the Agriculture Large Holdings Policy Area and the Agriculture Small Holdings Policy Area, there may be greater potential for rural event venues related to tourism in the Beaver Hills Policy Area.

Costs to an applicant that may be necessary to achieve an event venue in the rural area include, but are not limited to:

• Alberta Building Code requirements (designing a building for public/assembly occupancy, provision of fire water, washrooms, etc.);
• provision of adequate on-site parking; 
• site specific improvements to public roadways;
• provision of adequate waste and sewage disposal on site;
• preparation of technical studies (such as, but not limited to, geotechnical studies, Agricultural Impact Assessments, biophysical assessments and traffic impact assessments);
• mitigation of potential nuisance impacts from a venue;
• public engagement; and
• Land Use Bylaw amendment and permitting application fees.

In addition to a potential Land Use Bylaw amendment application, development permit and Safety Code permits (building, electrical, plumbing, gas) as required would need to be approved for any proposed event venue. In this regard, it is recommended that proponents discuss their proposal with a County Safety Codes Officer to determine potential costs of meeting the Alberta Building Code for an event venue use in the rural area as these may be significant.

In addition to any amendments to the Land Use Bylaw that may be required to allow for this, existing structures (such as barns, storage buildings, etc.) may require significant improvements to meet applicable building and fire codes to allow for public/assembly occupancy. In some cases, the infrastructure required to support a rural event venue use (water, wastewater, fire water) would not be available and private on-site systems (which may be costly) would have to be constructed to accommodate the use.