Land Use Bylaw Update

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The updated Land Use Bylaw has been approved.

The Land Use Bylaw is the most important municipal standards document for evaluating and approving development projects in Camrose. The Land Use Bylaw re-write was completed in 2016. Every year since 2016, annual consolidations are reviewed and approved by Council in order to deal with issues or inconsistencies as they arise. These are small changes to the regulations. The Land Use Bylaw continues to be a valuable and reliable tool. Every 5 years, a more rigorous review of specific sections should be conducted in order to ensure the overarching direction of the Land Use Bylaw is still serving the City of Camrose, developers, builders, and residents well.

There is more information under the "News Feed" tab below, you can ask questions at the "Questions" tab below and you can take the surveys by clicking the "Surveys" tab (when available). There are useful links to the right of this page about the project team, project lifecycle, important links and key dates.

Have your say

You can take the surveys to give us your ideas or ask one of our planners about the Land Use Bylaw Update by contacting us using the email address on the right of this page.

The Land Use Bylaw is the most important municipal standards document for evaluating and approving development projects in Camrose. The Land Use Bylaw re-write was completed in 2016. Every year since 2016, annual consolidations are reviewed and approved by Council in order to deal with issues or inconsistencies as they arise. These are small changes to the regulations. The Land Use Bylaw continues to be a valuable and reliable tool. Every 5 years, a more rigorous review of specific sections should be conducted in order to ensure the overarching direction of the Land Use Bylaw is still serving the City of Camrose, developers, builders, and residents well.

There is more information under the "News Feed" tab below, you can ask questions at the "Questions" tab below and you can take the surveys by clicking the "Surveys" tab (when available). There are useful links to the right of this page about the project team, project lifecycle, important links and key dates.

Have your say

You can take the surveys to give us your ideas or ask one of our planners about the Land Use Bylaw Update by contacting us using the email address on the right of this page.

The updated Land Use Bylaw has been approved.

  • Land Use Bylaw 3222-22 Approved

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    Throughout 2022, Administration worked with ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. to review and update Land Use Bylaw 2929-17, as amended. On December 5, 2022, Camrose City Council passed Land Use Bylaw 3222-22.

    January 1, 2023, is the effective date of Bylaw 3222-22. Some noticeable changes include the following sections:

    • Detached Secondary Suites (sometimes referred to laneway housing) are permitted on corner lots and lots with a lane;
    • A new permit process has been established for demolition of structure so that adjacent owners are aware of the planned work;
    • Updates to the landscaping requirements downtown;
    • Updates to the Special (Historic) Residential District such as setbacks, suites, and height reduction;
    • Establishment of a new Direct Control – Heritage District.
    • Changes to certain parking requirements;
    • Changes to certain signage requirements;
    • Alignment of sections with the Municipal Government Act;
    • Addition of Live/Work Units as permitted use, not as a discretionary use;

    The keeping of laying hens will still be strictly prohibited in the urban area.

    Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Aaron Leckie, Manager of Planning.


  • December 5, 2022 - Regular Council Meeting

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    On December 5, 2022, Council intends to further consider the updates to the Land Use Bylaw.

  • Cannot make it to the November 1 Open House?

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    If you cannot make it to the November 1, 2022, Open House at the Camrose Public Library, check out the project boards here: https://www.ourcamrose.ca/28612/widgets/126453/documents/91597

  • November 1, 2022 - Open House

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  • October 3, 2022 - Public Hearing and Second Reading of Bylaw

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    On October 3, 2022, at Regular Council, Council held the Public Hearing for the Land Use Bylaw. Council approved second reading of Bylaw 322-22 to adopt changes to the Land Use Bylaw. Council directed Administration to pursue further public consultation on proposed changes to the Land Use Bylaw related to Heritage and Character. Stay tuned for further updates.

  • September 6, 2022 Regular Council Meeting

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    On September 6th, Council received a report which included our five major recommended changes to the Land Use Bylaw.

    • Allowing up to 3 hens (no roosters) in a secured hen coop. Only one coop per lot and only allowed in rear lots.
    • Implementing Demolition Permits and notification to adjacent neighbours of an application.
    • Additional allowance of Live/Work Units
    • Applying changes to the Commercial and Industrial Land Use Districts
    • Allowing for Detached Secondary Suites on lots with a lane, and corner lots.

    Council gave first reading to Bylaw 3222-22 to adopt an updated Land Use Bylaw. A Public Hearing, and expected second and third reading are expected on October 3 at the Regular Council Meeting.

    If any of the items above require further discussion or clarification, please reach out!

  • August 15, 2022 Committee of the Whole

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    At the August 15, 2022, Committee of the Whole (COTW) meeting, Council provided the following direction on the 6 key areas of the Land Use Bylaw Review.

    1. Urban Hens

    • COTW advanced the regulations to first reading with no changes.

    2. Demolition Permits

    • COTW advanced the regulations to first reading with minor changes. Added the following text to 9.10.13:
    • Demolition, Deconstruction, or the removal of a structure over 10 m2 with Historic Designation or on Heritage Inventory shall also include, where reasonably available, the following information with an application:

    3. Live / Work Units

    • COTW advanced the regulations to first reading with no changes.

    4. Commercial / Industrial Districts

    • COTW advanced the regulations to first reading with minor changes. Removed the discretionary use evaluation criteria for “casino” in the industrial park.
    • The use was removed from the industrial land use district, to the discretionary use evaluation criteria should have also been removed.
    • Section 16.1.6(c) Casino:
      1. That the use shall not adversely impact the ability of permitted uses to be carried out within neighbouring industrial properties; and
      2. That there shall be a demand for this use in the area which it is being applied for; and
      3. That the use shall not limit the supply of industrial land in the City.

    5. Detached Secondary Suites

    • COTW advanced the regulations to first reading with minor changes. Removed the following text from 9.28.1:
    • A Secondary Suite may be permitted within a Duplex or Multi-Unit Development within a Duplex in the R2 Land Use District.
    • Administrative error. The reference above should have already been removed.

    6. Airport District Uses

    • COTW did not advance the regulations to first reading. COTW instructed Administration to restore the AIR District to the current regulations in LUB 2929-17.
    • That change has been made in the draft.

    The Land Use Bylaw update will come forward to Regular Council to consider first reading on September 6th, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

  • August 2, 2022 Presentation to Council

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    On August 2, 2022, ISL presented to the City Council on the proposed changes to the Land Use Bylaw. Administration will present additional details on the LUB changes to Council August 15th. It is expected the bylaw consideration will commence in September. The presentation can be found under the "documents" tab.

  • Engagement Survey Results

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    Thank you to all of the individuals who took the time to complete our Land Use Bylaw Update Survey. The survey closed on June 30, 2022 and the Planning and Development Department together with ISL tabulated the results. To view the results check out the document titled, Engagement Report under the documents tab on the right!

    To Summarize the results:

    Detached Secondary Suites - Survey participants were generally supportive of detached secondary suites, with 73% of participants indicating they “strongly support” or “somewhat support” the proposed changes.

    Urban Hens - Survey respondents were generally supportive of the proposed LUB changes regarding urban hens. 70% of those responding indicated that they “strongly support” or “somewhat support” urban hens.

    Demolition Permit - Survey respondents (57% of those responding) indicated that they “strongly” or “somewhat supported” changes to demolition permits as proposed. 31% of respondents neither supported nor opposed the proposed changes regarding demolition permits.

    Live Work Units - Survey respondents were generally supportive of live-work unit changes, with 61% of those responding indicating that they “strongly support” or “somewhat support” the proposed LUB changes regarding Live-Work Units.

    Airport District - 54% of survey respondents indicated they “strongly” or “somewhat supported” future non-airport uses. 35% of respondents neither supported nor opposed the proposed change.


  • Topics Under Review For Land Use Bylaw Update

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    The Land Use Bylaw guides all development applications and permit processes, and regulates the use of land within our community. Land use regulation ensures economic, orderly, sustainable, and attractive development of land within Camrose. One of the goals for this review was to make the document more user-friendly and functional for daily use. Some topics of specific review were:

    1. Urban Hens;
    2. Demolition Development Permits;
    3. Detached Secondary Suites;
    4. Live-Works Units; and
    5. Allowable uses at the airport.

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