What is happening?

Parkland County is updating the County’s Land Use Bylaw (LUB) in an effort to streamline regulations and create clear and transparent decision-making processes for development in the County.

The update process began in the Spring of 2023 and is now nearing the final stages, with a draft updated LUB being readied for formal referral to Council and final public review.

Once the draft is complete (Fall 2024), the final Land Use Bylaw (Q1 2025) will go to a public hearing and proceed to consideration for approval and adoption by the Parkland County Council.

What does this process mean for my planning application?

For most types of planning applications, the LUB update process will have no impacts. For example, development permit and subdivision applications are not affected and are being accepted and processed as usual.

There are two types of planning applications, however, that are impacted by the final stages of the LUB update process. These are:

  • Redistricting applications
  • Applications for text amendments to the Land Use Bylaw

To save applicants time and resources, Parkland County Council will enact a temporary pause on accepting any new redistricting and text amendment applications from December 1, 2024 until June 1, 2025, or until the new Land Use Bylaw 2025 is adopted, whichever comes first.

Why has the County placed a temporary pause on redistricting and text amendment applications?

Parkland County has enacted this temporary pause to save applicants all parties time and resources.

How will the temporary pause save time and resources?

Redistricting applications and applications to change the text of the Land Use Bylaw require a full formal County Bylaw amendment process, including being accepted by a motion of Council.

From start to finish, it often takes 6 months or more to process and decide these types of applications.

As the finalization of the new Land Use Bylaw 2025 nears, we are now within a window where any new applications of this type may be either:

  • Unnecessary under the new Bylaw (meaning the applicant may have invested time and financial resources into a now-unnecessary process)
  • Still in process when the new LUB is adopted (meaning the applicants may be required to start a fresh application process to ensure their application is relevant to the new Land Use Bylaw).
  • Become invalid, ineffective, or superseded by the new Bylaw (also meaning the applicant may be required to start a fresh application process to ensure their application is relevant to the new Land Use Bylaw).

To protect applicants from investing time and financial resources into a process which may be rendered unnecessary, incomplete, or invalid when the new Land Use Bylaw is adopted, Parkland County Council has enacted a temporary pause on these types of applications from December 1, 2024 until either June 1, 2025 or the new Land Use Bylaw 2025 is adopted – whichever comes first.

But this may delay my planned development – what can I do?

Although you may not submit new applications for redistricting or text amendments during the temporary pause, there are still options available to you which may help progress your plans in the meantime:

  • Submit your request as an idea to be incorporated into the new Land Use Bylaw:
    • If you have a request for redistricting, or an idea for a definition or use class not included in the Land Use Bylaw 2017-18, please get in touch with the LUB ReDesign team at BuildingParkland@parklandcounty.com.
    • Your ideas and input can help inform the new Land Use Bylaw, ensuring that it is aligned with industry trends and our residents’ vision for the County.
    • If your idea is incorporated into the new Land Use Bylaw once it is adopted, you may not need to submit a redistricting or text amendment application at all.
  • Work to prepare a redistricting application during the temporary pause period:                   
    • You may still progress your plans during the temporary pause on applications by booking a pre-application meeting with our planning staff. They can work with you to help you identify what preliminary work can be done to make sure your application is ready for submission when the pause period concludes.

We understand that the temporary pause on redistricting and text amendment applications may be inconvenient for prospective applicants. However, the benefits of the pause outweigh the inconveniences by protecting you from investing time and money into a process that may have to be repeated all over again (at further time and financial cost) following the adoption of the new Land Use Bylaw.

For more information about the Land Use Bylaw ReDesign project, visit Land Use Bylaw ReDesign | Parkland County (yourparkland.ca).

For any questions about the temporary pause on redistricting and text amendment applications, or to discuss the addition of a use class or definition to the draft LUB, please contact Parkland County planning staff at  BuildingParkland@parklandcounty.com.