Subdivision

Surveyor contractors and consultants

Next steps after your pre-consultation meeting often include contracting with:

• An accredited Alberta land surveyor

• Alberta Planners

• Engineering consultants

We do not endorse any particular land surveyor. The surveyor must be a current member of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association.

Surveyor costs depend on the type and complexity of the plan. A tentative plan must be prepared by an Alberta land surveyor. We do not accept hand drawn plans. We recommend getting quotes from multiple surveyors before making a decision as costs vary between companies. Surveyors may also act as an agent on your behalf, submitting and coordinating the application process.

Duties of an Alberta land surveyor

An Alberta land surveyor must:

• Prepare a tentative plan to support the application. The plan visually shows the subdivision proposal, which provides the County with the required information to assess the subdivision application. This plan must be prepared by an Alberta land surveyor

• Survey the lands

Provide the final plan of survey to the County once the conditions of subdivision have been completed by the applicant. Once the County endorses the plan, the land surveyor submits it to Alberta Land Titles for registration

Costs for subdivision

County subdivision fees depend on the number and types of lots being subdivided. Your application will include other costs, including surveying, technical and engineering reporting and levies to be prepared for. A County planner can help you understand applicable costs in your pre-consultation meeting.

Timeline for subdivision

Once a subdivision application is deemed complete by the County, we have 60 days to issue a decision. This decision comes with a list of tasks or conditions that must be completed by the landowner before we can support the registration of the subdivision with land titles. The landowner has up to one year to meet these conditions.

Once the conditions have been completed by the landowner, contact your surveyor to submit the final paperwork to the County for final review and signature (or endorsement). This paperwork is then sent back to the surveyor for registration at Alberta Land Titles. This process can take as little as three months to multiple years, depending on the application and how quickly the applicant can complete the required conditions.

Appeal a subdivision decision

You can appeal the County’s decision with the applicable appeal board (Subdivision and Development Appeal Board or the Land and Property Rights Tribunal) if:

• Your subdivision application has been refused

• Your subdivision application was approved with conditions that are unacceptable to you

• The County refuses/fails to make a decision on an application for subdivision approval within 60 days of receipt of the application

Learn more about making an appeal [link to page: Subdivision and Development Appeal Board], including:

• How to file an appeal

• Fees

• SDAB agenda packages, minutes and decisions

Land and Property Rights Tribunal

The Land and Property Rights Tribunal hears subdivision and development appeals with provincial interest.

Do I have to ensure my septic system is up to standard?

All existing private sewage disposal systems located on both the proposed and remnant lots prior to subdivision must comply with the provincially regulated setbacks and standards in the Alberta private sewage codes and standards.

Alterations may include, but are not limited to, the relocation of a discharge line or replacement of a faulty septic tank or field, or it may require the installation of a new sewage disposal system. A private sewage disposal system permit is required for alterations or new system installations. We do not endorse any particular installer.

Contact a County safety codes officer at 780-968-8888 if you have any questions concerning private sewage disposal system standards.

Do I have to construct a new approach or upgrade an existing approach?

All existing legal approaches that exist in the title property prior to subdivision must comply with our Engineering Design Standards. Any new approaches that must be built as a condition of subdivision must be completed prior to endorsement of the subdivision in accordance with the standards.

Please contact a County development engineering officer by phone at 780-968-8888 or by email at lde@parklandcounty.com if you have any questions concerning approach standards.

What are municipal reserves and deferred reserve caveats?

Municipal reserves are used for public lands and facilities, such as parks, schools, libraries, fire halls, etc. Under provincial legislation, municipalities must take 10 per cent of any lands to be subdivided as municipal reserves.

Deferred reserve caveat

In the case of a rural setting, it does not make sense for the municipality to require the dedication of physical land. In this case, a deferred reserve caveat may be a condition of the subdivision. This is a document registered against the title of one or both of the properties, which identifies that the municipal reserves are owing, but have not been physically given to the County.

The deferred reserve caveat serves as a tracking document for municipal reserves and will be reviewed with each subdivision application, and it satisfies the subdivision condition. When a deferred reserve caveat has been registered, it does not apply to a specific portion of a parcel of land and the landowner has full use of the entire parcel of land.

Money-in-place

In the rare case where there are municipal reserves owing in an amount smaller than two acres, the County may require the reserves to be provided as money-in-place. This is where the landowner must pay market value for the municipal reserves.