Why is the MD rewriting the Land Use Bylaw?

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The existing Land Use Bylaw was adopted in 2004, and has been amended 54 times. The MD is evolving, and some of the regulations in the existing Land Use Bylaw don’t align with current ideals and aren’t flexible/malleable enough to embrace future change. The purpose of the review and rewrite is to make sure that the rules and regulations are reasonable, effective, and reflect the current context of the MD, as well as guiding future development in a way that fits the vision for the community.


In summary, the objective of the rewrite is to:


Align the Land Use Bylaw with the Municipal Development Plan

The Municipal Development Plan sets the long-term direction of growth and development within the MD. It outlines actions, in the form of policy, that the MD is to undertake to achieve the larger Vision, Goals, and Objectives of the MD. The Land Use Bylaw is a tool used to implement the goals of the Municipal Development Plan.


Modernize the Land Use Bylaw

Times change and places evolve. The rewrite will seek to modernize the Land Use Bylaw to match current trends, and set the regulatory framework for the future growth and development within the MD. It will be formed in a way that allows for adaptability and agility over time as development demands change and technologies emerge.


Make the Land Use Bylaw User Friendly

The Land Use Bylaw is used daily by landowners, businesses, developers, and the MD’s administration to assess if land use and structures fit into the neighbourhood or what possibilities developers have to use the land in different ways. By strategically organizing the contents, leveraging diagrams to convey complex ideas, and using “plain language”, the new Land Use Bylaw will reduce confusion, provide clear direction, and make the Bylaw/regulations enforceable.

The existing Land Use Bylaw was adopted in 2004, and has been amended 54 times. The MD is evolving, and some of the regulations in the existing Land Use Bylaw don’t align with current ideals and aren’t flexible/malleable enough to embrace future change. The purpose of the review and rewrite is to make sure that the rules and regulations are reasonable, effective, and reflect the current context of the MD, as well as guiding future development in a way that fits the vision for the community.


In summary, the objective of the rewrite is to:


Align the Land Use Bylaw with the Municipal Development Plan

The Municipal Development Plan sets the long-term direction of growth and development within the MD. It outlines actions, in the form of policy, that the MD is to undertake to achieve the larger Vision, Goals, and Objectives of the MD. The Land Use Bylaw is a tool used to implement the goals of the Municipal Development Plan.


Modernize the Land Use Bylaw

Times change and places evolve. The rewrite will seek to modernize the Land Use Bylaw to match current trends, and set the regulatory framework for the future growth and development within the MD. It will be formed in a way that allows for adaptability and agility over time as development demands change and technologies emerge.


Make the Land Use Bylaw User Friendly

The Land Use Bylaw is used daily by landowners, businesses, developers, and the MD’s administration to assess if land use and structures fit into the neighbourhood or what possibilities developers have to use the land in different ways. By strategically organizing the contents, leveraging diagrams to convey complex ideas, and using “plain language”, the new Land Use Bylaw will reduce confusion, provide clear direction, and make the Bylaw/regulations enforceable.