Land Use Bylaw update
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Leduc County is a community that is always evolving and changing. With continued growth and development happening throughout the municipality, it is important we have a land use bylaw that meets the needs of our residents and the business community.
The County is undertaking a full review and update of our current Land Use Bylaw, which was adopted by Council in 2008. This review will:
- align the Land Use Bylaw with the county’s long-term direction from the Municipal Development Plan;
- align the Land Use Bylaw with regional and provincial policies, regulations and legislation that have come into effect since the bylaw was last updated;
- ensure that the bylaw is transparent, consistent and easy to read; and
- meet the needs of the community for the next 10 to 15 years.
Because of the complexity and size of this project, the review and update will be done in segments over three years. A final draft of the updated Land Use Bylaw is expected to be adopted by mid-2024.
Based on public input and feedback from Council received to date, the following key areas of interest have been identified as project priorities:
- Agriculture and appropriate agricultural uses
- Lakeside uses
- Cannabis-related uses
- Home-based businesses
- Rural wedding venues
- Shooting ranges
Although these key areas have been identified, Leduc County will review all sections of the Land Use Bylaw as part of this project.
| What is a land use bylaw? |
|
All municipalities in Alberta are required to have a land use bylaw. This bylaw is the primary tool used to regulate land use and development, and allows the county to issue development permits. Leduc County's Land Use Bylaw divides the municipality into districts, which primarily set rules for where development can happen, what types of development are permitted and what kind of activities can happen in the building or on the land. Districts can also include regulations about building appearance and design, landscaping, the height, size and location of buildings, parking, loading, fences or walls, signs and lighting. Having these standards contributes to healthy, safe, functional and appealing communities, and ensures that the location and forms of physical development within the community are compatible with each other. For example, having a house next to a park is a good idea, but having a house next to an industrial manufacturing plant is not a very good idea! |
| Why is Leduc County updating its bylaw? |
|
We need a land use bylaw that meets the needs of the municipality, our residents and the business community for the next 10 to 15 years. Now that the County has completed the update to our Municipal Development Plan (MDP)[2019], the Land Use Bylaw needs to be revised to make sure it aligns with the long-term direction of the MDP and other policies, regulations and legislation. To reach our goal of having a bylaw that is consistent, transparent and easy to understand, we want to review the existing bylaw to identify what's working and what's not. |
| What is the public's role in this project? |
|
Public participation plays an important role in this project. In the first phase of public participation, we asked the public for help to identify community land use and development needs, aspirations, concerns and issues in addition to providing input on further public participation opportunities. We are now planning for phase two, and will let you know as soon as details are available. |
|
What have you been doing since the first public participation period ended? |
|
Varying background work on the Land Use Bylaw update project has continued. We've compiled, reviewed and analyzed all of the input we received during phase one public participation; you can view the full what we heard report to see what was said and what we learned. We have also been actively reviewing the current Land Use Bylaw to identify key areas of the document that could be simplified in order to ensure the new bylaw is as user-friendly and understandable as possible. A review of the County’s existing agricultural districts and regulations against documents such as the Municipal Development Plan and Regional Agricultural Master Plan has started to identify key sections that need to be amended in order ensure the Land Use Bylaw complies with overarching and complimentary planning guidance tools. |
Leduc County's current Land Use Bylaw
WHAT WE'VE HEARD (SO FAR)
From March 1 to April 12, 2021, we asked for your help to identify community land use and development needs, aspirations, concerns and issues, and to provide input on public participation preferences.
We invited all County landowners to submit their feedback in a variety of different ways, and heard from a total of 65 individual respondents.
We summarized the feedback from the first phase of public participation into three overarching themes: land use and development, bylaw expectations, and future public participation preferences.
- Land use and development
- Respondents want protections in place to conserve natural areas and wildlife habitat, but also want more parks and outdoor recreation opportunities, like multi-use trails and water access.
- Respondents want development to be focused around existing industrial/commercial areas or municipalities.
- Respondents want stronger enforcement and penalties for unsightly properties and improper land use.
- Respondents want further clarity within the bylaw about growing cannabis, livestock on acreages, and smallscale agriculture.
- Respondents want to keep minimum and maximum lot size restrictions around watershed areas.
- Bylaw expectations
- Respondents want the bylaw to be straightforward and easy to read, with practical explanations and examples.
- Respondents want the descriptions of the different land-use districts to remain clear.
-
Public participation preferences
- Respondents want updates on the project via email, in the County Chronicle, or on the County’s website, but want information on public participation opportunities via email, mail, or on the County’s website.
- Respondents want clear, condensed and easy to understand information about the project.
- Respondents would prefer to participate online through surveys and comment forms, but are also willing to attend either in-person or virtual events.*
* at the time of this survey, public health restrictions around COVID-19 prevented in-person gatherings. Both in-person and virtual tactics will be used moving forward.
NEXT STEPS
Using the input we gathered from the public, we’ve started determining and prioritizing key areas of interest, and planning for future public participation opportunities. A road map of project priorities will be shared when available.
To stay up to date on the project, sign up for our e-newsletter or subscribe to page updates using the button below.
CONNECT WITH THE PROJECT TEAM
As this project is being completed internally, our staff are happy to receive any questions, comments or concerns you may have.
Upcoming events
Coming soon
Sign up for project updates
Want to stay up to date on the progress of the Land Use Bylaw update project? Sign up for our e-newsletter!
Related documents
Contact
Planning and Development
780-979-6180
Email the project manager
