Planning & Development Services
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
The goal of the Planning and Development Services Department is to achieve orderly, economical and beneficial use of land and to maintain the viability of the County's agriculture industry and ensure the sustainability of its rural communities and maintenance of its rural character, and to provide high quality sustainable services that enable residents and businesses to work toward their potential and provide an enhanced quality of life by balancing conservation of its natural environment with economic prosperity and lifestyle choice. The Planning and Development Services Department reviews subdivision and rezoning applications, development permit applications, Safe Codes applications and provides advice to County Council, the Subdivision Authority and the Development Authority.
The Planning and Development Services Department provides diverse services to the public by:
- Responding to ratepayer and developers inquiries about development;
- Operating the Subdivision Authority, Development Authority and Subdivision and Development Appeal Board;
- Undertaking long range planning through the preparation and review of statutory plans and the Land Use Bylaw;
- Processing applications for amendments to statutory plans and the Land Use Bylaw, subdivision and development permits;
- Issuing Safety Code permits (building, plumbing, electrical, gas & private sewage disposal systems) and providing related inspections;
- Investigating and providing enforcement services related to Land Use Bylaw infractions;
- Providing other hard services such as compliance certificates, business licenses and municipal reserve dispositions;
- Collaborating with the Province and other regional municipalities on planning issues.
The Planning and Development Services Department forms and applications are available for download on this website under Permits, Licenses & Forms.
Development is guided by Federal, Provincial and County statutory documents (laws) and Land Use Bylaw, and County policy.
The planning process in the Province of Alberta is governed by the Municipal Government Act and the associated Subdivision and Development Regulations. (Alberta Queen's Printer
)
The County's planning process is also impacted by the Capital Regional Growth Plan since all of Parkland County's plans must be consistent with the land use policy directions of the Regional Plan.
Parkland County's planning documents are:
Municipal Development Plan
Land Use Bylaw 20-2009
Acheson Industrial Area Structure Plan
Atim Creek North Area Structure Plan
Big Lake Area Structure Plan
Enwistle Business Park Area Structure Plan
Fifth Meridian Area Structure Plan
Glory Hills Area Structure Plan
Highvale End Area Structure Plan
Jackfish-Mayatan Area Structure Plan
Jackfish Lake Area Structure Plan
Lake Isle Area Structure Plan
Woodbend-Graminia Area Structure Plan
The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is a statutory plan that is the general, high level planning document that provides well founded policy direction for land use and development in Parkland County.
An Area Structure Plan is also a statutory document and provides more detailed policy direction for land use for a smaller, more specific area of the County. A copy of an Area Structure Plan can be purchased from the Planning and Development Services Department during normal business hours.
The Land Use Bylaw is the regulatory document that allows Parkland County to implement the policy direction of the Municipal Development Plan and Area Structure Plans. The County is broken into a number of land use districts and a list of permitted and discretionary uses is provided for each district. The Land Use Bylaw also contains regulations specific to certain types of development.