Town of Beaumont - Environmental Master Plan (EMP)
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Multi-sector (Plans)
Project value$110,800
Project Type
Plan
Sub Sector
Sustainable Communities
Grant amount$51,700
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Beaumont, AB
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
20,888
Project timeline
2012 - 2013
Project number
10395
Description
The Town of Beaumont, Alberta, is one of the fastest growing, youngest and most affluent communities in Canada. Situated within the Edmonton Capital Region, the town faces a number of sustainability challenges stemming largely from its commuter-based population. The town’s tax base (95 per cent residential and five per cent non-residential) means that residents are often required to leave the community for work, to purchase goods and for entertainment. Beaumont has already adopted a Strategic Plan which serves as the town's Integrated Community Sustainability Plan. The Strategic Plan identifies specific actions and timelines relating to community sustainability and includes the development of an Environmental Master Plan (EMP).
The EMP will be developed using The Natural Step Canada framework and will give the town a foundation from which to provide municipal services and operate facilities in a more environmentally sustainable manner; to provide guidance and incentives for residents to make similar changes in their daily lives; and to establish the priorities, targets, strategies and actions to accomplish these objectives. Key to the planning process will be a stakeholder group comprised of municipal environmental champions, representatives from schools, businesses and community groups, and residents. Focus groups, internet surveys and open houses will engage the community and shape the direction, projects and initiatives that will form the multi-year, multi-faceted EMP. As the plan is reviewed and implemented, community consultation will continue so that town administration and elected officials have a continual grasp on the community’s needs and desires as the town moves towards a more sustainable future. Among the sectors the plan will address will be transportation, brownfield, waste, water and energy.
The Environmental Master Plan will serve as reference for the revision and development of all related plans including the Municipal Development Plan, Land Use Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and General Design Standards, as well as the future Green Municipal Building Policy. The EMP will also allow for future synergies with other regional communities and their sustainable community plans.
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
City of Beaumont, AB