CARSTAIRS - The Town of Carstairs' council has received the results of public engagement survey recently conducted as part of a project updating the municipality’s land use bylaw (LUB), which includes the proposed addition of new solar panel regulations.
Also known as the zoning bylaw, the land use bylaw guides day-to-day development activities in town.
The public engagement report was presented during the March 10 regularly scheduled council meeting.
The town’s current land use bylaw was last comprehensively updated in 2007, and while there have been amendments to the bylaw since then, there is a need to update procedures to align with current best practices and changes in regulation, says chief administrative officer Rick Blair.
As well, there is an opportunity make the land use bylaw regulations more flexible to respond to evolving development trends, he said.
The LUB review process includes public engagement through a virtual open house and an online survey.
The survey asked for public views on proposed amendments such as to parking requirements, accessory suites, home-based businesses, and solar panels.
Regarding accessory suites, it is proposed to create three separate definitions: secondary suite lane, secondary suite garden, and second suite internal.
Fifty-three percent of 15 respondents said the updates seemed appropriate, 33 per cent said they preferred the current accessory suite regulations, and 13 per cent were indifferent or not sure.
Regarding home based business, the current bylaw defines a home occupation as “any occupation, trade, profession or craft carried on by an occupant of a residential building as a secondary to the residential use of the building.”
The proposed update would include three definitions: home office; home-based business (class 1); and home-based business (class 2).
Fifty per cent of 14 responders said they prefer not to have home offices as a ‘use’ in town, 43 per cent said the update seems appropriate, and seven per cent were indifferent or not sure.
As well, 64 per cent said they prefer not to have class 2 home-based businesses as a ‘use’ in town, 29 per cent said the update seemed appropriate, and seven per cent were indifferent or not sure.
The proposed LUB update includes the introduction of new solar panel regulations: solar collector (freestanding) and solar collector (roof/wall).
Sixty-four per cent of 14 responders said they were OK with roof/wall solar panels but not freestanding solar collectors, 29 per cent said the updates seem appropriate and were in favour of both solar collectors, and seven per cent were indifferent or not sure.
Changes are also proposed to parking requirements, including having public and quasi-public uses as required by development authority, and schools as requested by the respective school board - currently it is one space per worker, and one space per 20 students.
Fifty-three per cent of 17 responders said they prefer the current parking minimums, 35 per cent said they were indifferent or not sure, and 12 per cent said the updates seem appropriate.
Some respondents also provided written comments, including one comment raising concerns related to ground water and surface water flow.
“There was a concern that new residential developments need to consider the impacts to water flow and drainage so as not to impact adjacent community,” the engagement report said.
The virtual open house, held from Feb. 12 to 28, received 277 visitors.
Carstairs CAO Blair told the Albertan the survey results will be forwarded to the project team overseeing the LUB update.
There is no definitive timeline for the LUB review to be completed, he said, noting a public hearing would be required to amend the bylaw.
