Stirling Land Use Bylaw public hearing Oct. 16

Posted on October 3, 2024 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The public hearing for Bylaw 549-24: Land Use Bylaw will take place on Wednesday, October 16 at the Community Centre in Stirling, Alta.

“The Land Use Bylaw sets out the rules for what kind of building or activity can take place on private property and outlines the process for issuing Development Permits that give approval for new buildings and activities,” said Trevor Lewington, Mayor of Stirling.

Mayor Lewington says that the Village’s current land use bylaw dates back to 2008 but has been updated periodically since then. 

“This review process and comprehensive update of the bylaw was to take a broad look at required changes that reflect our community’s growth, modernizing requirements to better align to changes in provincial legislation and reduce red tape to make development of new housing easier,” said Mayor Lewington. “Using the Municipal Development Plan as a guide, this process will ensure the rules and opportunities to develop and use property are written to create a safe, healthy, vibrant and economically prosperous community.”

Stirling’s Municipal Planning Commission, Mayor Lewington explains, has been reviewing draft proposals from Administration as well as exploring changes based on applications that have come before the commission over the last 15 years.

Scott Donselaar, the Chief Administrative Officer for the Village of Stirling, says that the Village has actually undertaken updating and reviewing of all of the Village’s Statutory planning and development documents.  

“This started with our Intermunicipal Development Plan in 2019, followed by our Municipal Development Plan in 2022 and the next in sequence is the Land Use Bylaw,” said Donselaar. “The last iteration of the Land Use Bylaw was passed in 2008, and it has undergone a number of amendments since then.  With the two preceding plans having undergone updating and revising it was time for us to ensure conformity with the land use bylaw to the other two pieces of legislation and undertake changes which Council; Administration and our Senior Planner had identified as having good potential to make our primary development legislation up to date with current development needs and realities.”

At present, Donselaar says, Bylaw 549-24: Land Use Bylaw has currently received first reading.