Secondary suites, home-based businesses and signage are among topics on the table as Turner Valley seeks public input to amend its Land Use Bylaw.
Proposed changes to various sections in the bylaw will be on display for public perusal at two open houses next week: Sept. 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in council chambers and Sept. 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Sheep River Library.
Gerry Melenka, Turner Valley planning co-ordinator, said council directed administration to amend the Land Use Bylaw to simplify the language, update sections that are outdated and address recent issues.
“There is definitely a need for cleaning up some of the rules and regulations in the bylaw and providing more clarity,” said Melenka. “These are all proposed amendments at this point. It’s more of a review than an update.”
Melenka said involving the public helps address areas of the bylaw that administration may not have considered.
“It’s an opportunity for people to say what else they want to see changed,” he said. “We don’t have time at the open house to go over every single change for the Land Use Bylaw. These will be ones that affect most people.”
Secondary suites are among areas requiring change, said Melenka.
“When we’ve taken applications for secondary suites we’re realizing there’s confusion with interpretation,” he said.
“Parking, stuff like that, that needs to be sorted out. It’s adding more clarity and provisions as to accommodating secondary suites and what that means.”
Melenka said he’s noticed a push towards secondary suites for more affordable housing in Turner Valley.
“We have a lot of single-family detached homes, quite a few semi-detached homes, four four-plexes and an apartment and we don’t have townhouses in Turner Valley,” he said. “Secondary suites can help provide another level of housing that’s a bit more affordable to some.”
Melenka is also seeking public input as administration works to revise commercial and industrial districts for uses not already included like markets, outdoor cafes, medical clinics, personal service shops and specialty foods.
“We had a couple of people approach us about these, but to accommodate them we have to rezone and it takes a couple months to go through the process and we never heard back,” he said.
“We want to take another barrier down that might deter people from coming into town and setting up shop.”
Melenka said administration would also like to amend the bylaw to allow for combined residential and commercial use.
“It’s not something we really support or suggest, the way the bylaw is written,” he said.
“It would incorporate the opportunity for a live-work environment and provide a district that incorporates that. There’s a little reference to mixed use commercial but it doesn’t speak to it very clearly.”
Home-based business is another area Melenka would like to see more clarity and flexibility around rules and requirements.
He said home-based businesses are currently defined as major and minor, but he would like to see them categorized in three levels with more clarity around signage and provisions.
Signage also needs to be addressed when it comes to commercial businesses, said Melenka.
“The bylaw is very limited for the types of signs and rules and regulations for signage,” he said. “We want to expand on the different types of signs that can be permitted.”
Parking, loading and signage are combined in one section of the bylaw. Melenka would like to see them separated.
“We’re considering adjusting parking requirements for businesses along Main Street and Sunset so if they don’t provide parking they can provide funding into an account for parking in another area,” he said. “Black Diamond has two parking lots on Main Street and it works really well for them. Maybe we need to go in that direction.”
Turner Valley’s Land Use Bylaw was created in 2003 and has had several amendments over the years.
Melenka said it’s time for more amendments and public input is important, said Melenka.
“If something comes to light and we have to take a hard look at or are off base on what were proposing we might regroup and come back to the public again,” he said. “Otherwise we’ll bring it to council for public hearing and first reading in the fall.”
While a rewrite of the Land Use Bylaw is required, Melenka said it can occur only following annexation and the revision of the Intermunicipal Development Plan, Intermunicipal Collaborative Framework and the Municipal Development Plan in conjunction with neighbouring Black Diamond.
