Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader
The Town of Slave Lake’s proposed new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land-Use Bylaw (LUB) are one step closer to being adopted. Council gave second reading to both at its July 8 meeting, following a public hearing at which nobody spoke up either in favour or against them.
There were some people in the gallery, who had presumably shown up due to an interest in how the new MDP and LUB might affect development in the town, but they did not say anything.
The two documents are related, but different and serve different purposes. Both are required by the provincial Municipal Government Act, for municipalities above a certain size.
The MDP “sets out a long-term vision for the town’s growth and development,” says the report. “It identifies where future residential, commercial, recreational…” etc. plus setting out policies to guide infrastructure planning, environmental protection and so on.
The LUB provides the details on how to accomplish the vision of the MDP, on what types of development are allowed in each zone, what can and can’t be done.
One new thing in the LUB is FireSmart regulations have been added, for some zones. That will be for new developments, not existing ones. Another new thing is a ‘streamlining’ of the process, with 182 different uses being reduced to 90.
Also proposed is the consolidation of similar land use districts, “to simplify and streamline regulatory processes.” At the moment, there are 11 residential, six commercial and six industrial districts.
Another proposed change is in the administration of the LUB, so as to speed up approvals. The development officer will have more leeway in deciding which development applications need to be heard by the Municipal Planning Commission, and which ones don’t. The more straightforward ones likely won’t go to the MPC, which should reduce the time it takes.
But adjacent landowners will still be notified, council was told. And the appeal process is unchanged.
Commenting on the proposed changes generally, Mayor Francesca Ward said, “taking down barriers is very important. I think this will speed things up. It’s a signal Slave Lake is open for business, open for growth.”
Unlike most bylaw votes, council did not go directly to third reading. That was put off until Aug. 12.
Councillor Steve Adams, commenting on the importance of the two documents, said they affect everybody, “even though they might not realize it.”
Adams said he thinks the delay before giving final reading is a good idea, because it will give the public more time “to digest it.”
The entire document – all 280-odd pages of it – is online and can be found on the Town of Slave Lake website.
