Bylaws Pending Approval

What you need to know

In accordance with Council Motion 200-2023, Administration has prepared amendments to the Town’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB) that will discourage Employee Housing in industrial districts. 

Proposed changes to the MDP include:

• Section 2.2, which currently outlines the pattern of growth for the community, including industrial growth,
• Section 5.3, which currently outlines strategies to increase the provision of employee housing community-wide, including where appropriate, in the industrial areas, and
• Section 12.1, which currently outlines industrial policies, including when housing is
  appropriate within industrial areas.

The proposed amendments change the language in the MDP from support if certain criteria can be met, to non-support for new development proposals in industrial areas to the north of the Trans Canada Highway, and more specific criteria for industrial areas to the south. 

Proposed changes to the LUB include:

• Employee Housing is proposed to be removed as a listed use, along with any use-related regulations, for the IND1 and IND2 Districts. By removing the use from the district, any approved employee housing units would be considered legal non-conforming uses and may continue to exist provided they remain as approved. There will not be an opportunity to apply for additional employee housing units on the same property, however.
• Rather than removing Employee Housing as a use from the TID and SB Districts outright, Administration recommends pursuing alternate methods to continue to allow some form of accommodation within these districts. 

Read Bylaw 2024-07 here.

Read Bylaw 2024-08 here.

Next Steps

On September 3, 2024 Council decided to postpone second and third readings of these Bylaws to November 5, 2024.

What You Need to Know

Road closures are regulated in Section 22 of the Municipal Government Act. In established areas of the Town, the road right-of-way (ROW) is often wider than what is required for physical transportation and utility access. Closure of this portion of the road would allow this underutilized land to be disposed and consolidated for a higher density development. 

There is a potential opportunity to close and sell excess ROW to adjacent property owners in exchange for either Vital Homes units, or financial compensation that could be directed to Canmore Community Housing (CCH). Adjacent property owners benefit from this transaction by increasing the developable area of their site. Working with a landowner in Teepee Town, a site has been identified as a logical site to pilot this approach. The developer is interested in building a multi-unit development on the site, with a focus on smaller, entry-level units.

Read Bylaw 2024-17 here.

Have Your Say

A public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, 2024.