Cold Lake, AB – In late February, Council adopted an updated version of the City’s Land Use Bylaw (LUB).

The previous LUB was created in 2010 and had been amended several times. The City of Cold Lake’s 2019 annexation, changes to the City’s Municipal Development Plan in 2021, and previous changes by the Government of Alberta to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) meant that the City’s Land Use Bylaw needed a larger overhaul. The revised LUB now takes into account the annexed lands, complies with the current MGA requirements, and modernizes the bylaw to account for new technologies and development trends.

A LUB is required to be passed by every municipality in Alberta. The purpose is to provide an overarching framework for land use by designating parcels of land under various zones, and spelling out permitted and discretionary uses for each zone. A permitted use is a land use, building or other structure that is allowed in a particular zone. A discretionary use is a land use, building or other structure that may be allowed in a zone after the City’s Development Authority takes into consideration a proposed discretionary use’s specific impact on neigbouring land. If a land owner wishes to develop land in a manner not currently allowed by the LUB, an application to amend the LUB must be made and passed by three readings of council.

From August through October of 2022, the City of Cold Lake’s administration gathered public feedback on the draft Land Use Bylaw from Cold Lake residents, businesses and developers and other stakeholders. With only two responses after significant public outreach, it was felt that the proposed revisions would be acceptable to all parties and that the bylaw was well drafted.  

“The whole bylaw has been completely reorganized and restructured,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “It needed an update since our City’s boundaries shifted in 2019 with the annexation, but it was also important to consider new trends, like the move towards green energy solutions for homes and businesses. The public should also find that the new Land Use Bylaw is easier to navigate: The wording has been made much clearer and it includes more graphics, so understanding the bylaw should be much easier.” 

The updated LUB also addresses several issues City staff identified, including several ongoing compliance issues, updates to the language used in the bylaw and updates to land-use classifications to better reflect their purpose. General regulations and requirements have also been defined more clearly, and other areas that have been touched on include increasing the time allotment for permit appeals.

“We want to thank the consultant and our staff for working so diligently on this project,” Copeland said. “It’s important for the public to know that these high-level plans do make a difference. They help to align everyone’s vision for the community and they can ensure that a community grows sustainably. Our old Land Use Bylaw saw some great changes to Cold Lake and took us a long way. It will be amazing to see where our community is when this new bylaw needs a revision.”

The revised Land Use Bylaw can be viewed by visiting the City of Cold Lake’s website at www.coldlake.com/bylaws

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