City Hall scales back its bid for Beaumont annexation

Edmonton has agreed to drop nine quarter-sections of disputed Beaumont lands from its annexation bid in exchange for a joint planning agreement.

City officials announced the new agreement Wednesday after all three affected councils — Edmonton, Beaumont and Leduc County — endorsed it.

Edmonton voted on the plan and its decision to back down in private Tuesday. It means Edmonton will get Beaumont’s support as its effort to annex Leduc County land goes before the province.

“It’s not about anyone winning or losing. … It’s easy to look at it that way, but what we did was come to an agreement,” said Edmonton Ward 10 Coun. Michael Walters, a member of the negotiating committee.

The agreement shows Edmonton’s commitment to collaboration, Walters said, and a desire to take the regional growth plan seriously. That plan sets out specific locations for higher density development, saving farmland and making public transit viable.

This deal has a complex history. First, Edmonton declared its intention to annex more than 15,000 hectares of Leduc County land south of the city up to the Edmonton International Airport.

Then, while Edmonton was negotiating with Leduc County, Beaumont announced its intention to annex nine hectares of the same land and submitted an application to the province. That annexation was approved before Edmonton finished its negotiations and submitted the paperwork.

Ticked off, Mayor Don Iveson announced Edmonton would try again to annex those same nine quarter-sections. He argued Beaumont’s bid didn’t make sense because sewage would need to be pumped uphill for the land to be developed.

Separately, Edmonton reached a deal to scale back its request of Leduc County land, leaving out the airport and other property and submitted its paperwork last September.

With Wednesday’s announcement, Edmonton will remove the nine quarter-sections near Beaumont from its bid.

The city is still waiting for the province to schedule hearings for the affected landowners. It’s hoping the annexation takes effect next Jan. 1.

The new agreement commits Edmonton, Leduc County and Beaumont to write joint land-use, transportation and serving plans for the area. The three have also committed to find a way to share the cost of upgrading and widening 50th Street.