Development Incentive Policy Advisory
Prepared for the Town of Stony Plain, Alberta

Policy advisory engagement supporting the modernization of the Town’s development incentive framework through research, stakeholder engagement, and comparative municipal analysis.

Engagement Context

The Town of Stony Plain undertook a review of its existing Commercial, Industrial, and Multi-Unit Residential Infill Policy to ensure it remained effective, competitive, and aligned with evolving civic priorities.

The Town sought to encourage housing diversity, support infill and redevelopment, strengthen its non-residential tax base, and improve the clarity and usability of development incentives for applicants and Administration alike.

UPL1FT Consulting Inc. was retained to support this effort through a structured policy advisory engagement, prior to Council consideration and adoption of an updated Development Incentive Policy.

UPL1FT was selected through a formal municipal Request for Proposals process to provide independent policy advisory services supporting the modernization of the Town’s development incentive framework.

Diagram illustrating the policy development process with five steps: existing policy review, incorporate best practices, engage stakeholders and staff, structured policy evaluation, and create council-ready framework, represented with icons and a spiral graphic.

UPL1FT’s Role

UPL1FT acted as an upstream policy and development advisor, supporting Administration through the evaluation and structuring of development incentives prior to Council adoption.

The scope of work included:

  • Review of the Town’s existing development incentive and infill policy framework.

  • Comparative analysis of peer municipal incentive programs and best practices.

  • Structured engagement with municipal staff, developers, and stakeholders.

  • Development of a clear incentive program structure aligned with local civic objectives.

  • Advisory support leading into Council consideration of a revised policy.

The engagement focused on policy clarity, administrative usability, and alignment with Stony Plain’s specific development context rather than generic incentive replication.

Diagram titled 'Upstream Policy Advisory Positioning Diagram' with three sections: 'UPL1FTZone, Policy Analysis and Decision Support,' 'Downstream, Policy Adoption,' and 'Downstream, Implementation.' Blue icons depict process stages, including policy analysis, policy transition, council consideration, and administration of incentives, connected by flow arrows.

 

“The structured evaluation approach provided a clear, defensible basis for discussing development incentives at Council, without positioning the work as a final recommendation.”
— Municipal Economic Development Staff
“The ability to adjust priorities by development type helped balance economic and community considerations without oversimplifying the policy discussion.”
— Town Administration
Flowchart of the integrated policy advisory framework development process with four steps: Policy and Market Research, Comparative Best Practice Review, Structured Stakeholder and Staff Engagement, and Council-Ready Policy Advisory. Each step includes subpoints such as baseline understanding, peer benchmarking, applied input, and framework for decision.

Methodological Approach

This assignment represented the first structured evaluation of the Town’s development incentive framework to integrate:

  • Policy and market research.

  • Comparative municipal best-practice review.

  • Structured stakeholder and staff engagement.

Research findings and engagement feedback were deliberately layered to test how existing policies performed in practice, where gaps existed, and how incentives could be better aligned to Stony Plain’s housing, infill, and economic development needs.

Policy Outcomes

Following this engagement, the Town of Stony Plain adopted Development Incentive Policy C-CAO-067 through its municipal governance and Council processes.

The policy establishes a structured framework for evaluating and administering development incentives across housing, infill, and business development priorities.

Public Policy Reference
Development Incentive Policy C-CAO-067 (Town of Stony Plain)

What This Engagement Demonstrates

This engagement occurred upstream of bylaw drafting and implementation, supporting policy-level analysis through comparative review and targeted research. The work informed Council-adopted outcomes and was delivered within established municipal governance processes without the release of a standalone consultant report.