FAQs

Q. Why is this plan needed?

The purpose of the River Valley & Tributaries Park Concept Plan (RVTPC Plan) is to identify lands bested suited for potential trails, parks and environmental preservation areas within The City of Red Deer growth area.

The vision of a linear open space system for the Red Deer River Valley began 30 years ago and led to the development of Waskasoo Park, a system that now includes 994 hectares of parkland and 95 kilometres of trails, sports fields, recreation facilities, and cultural and nature centres.

The RVTPC Plan is intended to guide park development in the most suitable locations for the next 30 to 50 years and as the city grows. With a plan in place, The City can respond to pressures of growth in an organized manner to ensure that the Waskasoo Park System continues to meet Red Deerians’ park needs and expectations.

Q. Why was the proposed area chosen?

The City of Red Deer and Red Deer County have recently adopted an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) that identifies growth areas to accommodate new population and economic activity. The IDP area is comprised of four subareas:

•      City of Red Deer growth area
•      Red Deer County growth area
•      Agriculture and open space area
•      Collaborative planning area.

 The RVTPC Plan was developed with The City’s future growth area in mind, considering the lands identified in the IDP. This area was chosen to maintain consistency between plans while allowing the Parks Section to look at the big picture of how and where the Waskasoo Park System should grow. 

Q. What does ‘concept plan’ really mean?

A concept plan is not a regulatory document with the force of law. It does, however, show how future park development in the Red Deer region could be managed to meet the long-term goals of the community. The concept plan can be used to guide policy, planning, and design decisions related to park development over time.

Q. Who was involved in the plan development?

The planning process was guided by the RVTPC Plan Team, which was comprised of representatives from The City of Red Deer, Parkland Community Planning Services, Red Deer County, CARTS, Alberta TrailNet Society, Red Deer River Naturalists and Waskasoo Environmental Education Society.

 A stakeholder workshop was held in September 2008 to gather input from stakeholders to help shape and refine the plan concept and other recommendations. The process of study and consultation extended over 19 months, from July 2008 through March 2010.

Q. What is the timing for implementation? When will the park actually start growing?

The timing for implementation will be determined by how fast the city of Red Deer grows. It is anticipated that the plan will guide park development for the next 30 to 50 years. However, if opportunities emerge for The City to secure land for park use, The City will explore their options on a case-by-case basis and with those individuals immediately impacted by the decision.

Q. What are the next steps for the plan?

The next steps include:

1. Public input gathering:  This will be achieved throught the public open house, as well as a web portal.
2. Plan revision where necessary:  This will be determined through the public feedback process.
3. Joint Council adoption:  Because the plan has been developed collaboratevely between The City of Red Deer and Red Deer County, it is important that both Municipal Councils suppor the document.  This will ensure that the plan is used.

Upon its adoption, the RVTPC Plan will be used as a planning tool to be used to guide park develpment as Red Deer Grows.

Q. What are the steps for plan implementation?

Following official adoption of the plan by both Councils, The City will use the plan as a tool to guide park development. As opportunities emerge for land acquisition, The City will, on a case-by-case basis, evaluate whether land acquisition can be achieved. The plan will be most beneficial as development occurs to direct where the park system should be extended.

Q. Is this a park plan, or an environmental protection plan? What was the balance?

The RVTPC Plan is intended to be a park plan; however, environmental protection is closely linked to parks. Many of the existing parks in Red Deer have been developed and used with environmental protection in mind.
 
Parks ensure that the natural features Red Deerians value are protected from pollution and destructive activities in perpetuity. The RVTPC Plan focuses on the River Valley and surrounding tributaries, all of which hold significant environmental value to The City, the region and the province.

Q. When will the public be able to access these parks?

The RVTPC Plan does not give permission to any members of the public to access privately owned lands. Once The City has acquired land, ensured it is safe for use by the general public and identified how the land will be used, the public will be able to access it.

Q. What will the new parks cost?

It is difficult to determine what the total cost will be to implement the plan in full given the extended period of time associated with the plan. Best estimates of the total cost to implement the RVTPC Plan are approximately $191 million, over the course of several years. This includes land acquisition, design and eventual construction.

Q. What amenities are actually going to be in the park?

At this point, it is unknown what amenities will be built into the parks. The intention of the RVTPC Plan is not to focus on the amenities that will be built into the new park system but, instead, to indicate where parks should be developed as the city grows.
 
More detailed planning will take place as the park system is developed. The Recreation, Parks and Culture Department is always exploring new and exciting ideas of what can be built into the park system and is continually listening to public interest to determine what should be considered.

Q. Why were neighbourhood sites/sports fields excluded?

The RVTPC Plan is an overarching plan that will provide The City direction for where parks and open space should be considered as Red Deer grows. Neighbourhood planning, on the other hand, is much more detailed. The level of detailed planning needed for neighbourhoods is generally completed at the neighbourhood planning and development stage.

Q. When annexation occurs, who actually owns the land?

Annexation does not involve a change in land ownership; owners continue to own their property. In the case of The City annexing land from the County, the boundary of the city changes, so the property shifts from being located in the County to being located in the city.
 
Expropriation, however, involves a change in land ownership. Expropriation occurs when an owner is obligated to sell his or her land, at market value, to a municipality for the purpose of a specific major project (for example, expansion of a major roadway or the creation of a commuter train and stations within a city).

Q. What is the land acquisition plan?

Land acquisition will be completed on a case-by-case basis as opportunities for acquisition emerge.

Q. How is the City of Red Deer doing in terms of park space?

The vision of a linear open space system for the Red Deer River Valley was born 30 years ago. Much of that vision was realized in the 1980s through the development of Waskasoo Park, a system that today includes 994 hectares of parkland and 95 kilometers of trails, sports fields, recreation facilities, and cultural and nature centres.
 
The City has placed a high value on regional trails that link citizens to rivers and neighbourhoods to parks. These values are consistently reflected not only in plans for parks and trails but also in plans for roads, downtown redevelopment, new subdivisions and other community facilities.
 
The RVTPC Plan is intended to ensure that the City can maintain this high standard of parks and open space as the city grows. Currently, 13.1 per cent of the total land area in the city of Red Deer is dedicated to the Waskasoo Park – which amounts to 11.3 hectares for every 1,000 residents. When Red Deer reaches a projected population of 300,000, the total area dedicated to the Waskasoo Park would fall to 3.9 per cent of the city’s total land area, or 3.3 hectares per 1,000 residents, unless proactive parks planning is initiated prior to that growth.
 
The RVTPC Plan is critical to ensure that the high standards that Red Deerians hold for parkland and park development are maintained in Red Deer.