Adjustments to the buffer zone around Edmonton International Airport will open up more development land in the suburban city of Leduc. The Alberta government has filed a regulation to trim the airport vicinity protection area (AVPA) by 30 per cent, citing aircraft technology advancements that make previous assumptions about noise exposures outdated.
The new rules respond to requests from both Leduc city council and the Edmonton International Airport to relax constraints on commercial and industrial development. Residential development will also be allowed in some once forbidden areas, but, as of May 2023, the city of Leduc will have to file a caveat on the title of lands approved for subdivision and residential development to formally notify prospective homebuyers of the flight path above.
“We are pleased that the amended regulation creates an environment where new opportunities for residential, commercial and industrial development in Leduc are possible,” says Leduc’s mayor, Bob Young. “This will have significant, positive long-term impacts on the city of Leduc and our ability to grow for decades to come.”
About 80 per cent of the municipality falls within the previous 40-year-old noise exposure forecast (NEF) map, which marked out gradients of expected aircraft noise across the vicinity. Tom Ruth, president and chief executive officer of Edmonton International Airport, likewise commends the updated NEF values, maintaining they’re further evidence in favour of 24-7 operations.
“Enshrining 24-7 airport operations in legislation provides certainty for international businesses to more likely choose our region for launching companies, as well as creating enhanced export opportunities for existing companies in our region,” he submits.
