(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

THIRD READING POSTPONED

Sylvan town council takes step forward in updating downtown development process

Jan 14, 2025 | 4:34 PM

Following a public hearing, in the regular meeting on Jan. 13, Sylvan Lake’s town council passed second and third reading of one bylaw, and second reading of another that will change the development process in the downtown area.

The bylaws are related to the Sustainable Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan (SWARP) (Bylaw 1776/2018), which was approved by council in 2019. One recommendation of the plan is to replace direct control districts with more conventional land use districts with clear development regulations.

While drafting and reviewing these new districts, administration identified mapping issues in the SWARP, which have been proposed to be amended through Bylaw 1909/2024. Officials say SWARP is a statutory plan that takes precedent over the Land Use Bylaw and therefore must be corrected to ensure alignment with the new land use districts.

Second and third reading of this bylaw passed unanimously, as the changes need to be made before changes outlined in the following bylaw could be enacted.

Next, the public hearing tackled Bylaw 1908/2024, which puts the new recommended land use districts into effect.

THIRD READING POSTPONED

Sylvan town council takes step forward in updating downtown development process

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Officials explain in the council agenda that a lack of clear guidelines around the current direct control zones in the waterfront area has made the approval process seem risky to applicants, which discourages investment.

“You could put in an application, and it really depends on the will of the council of the day. That’s not the most planned or thoughtful way to do development,” explained Mayor Megan Hanson. “We want to give people some clear expectations on what could happen there.”

The Town adds the new districts have been developed to align with SWARP policies and provide specific development regulations for each area. The intention is to streamline the approval process for developments and the change would be completely funded through Housing Accelerator Fund dollars the Town received in 2024.

This item unanimously passed its second reading, however questions from council and members of the public prompted a postponement of third reading until more information can be provided. Hanson expects to see the item return in a few months.

The new districts and their general purpose are outlined in the Jan. 13 agenda as follows:

• Central Residential 1 District (RC1): Provides a residential transition area that accommodates a variety of housing types and provides opportunities for residential intensification.
• Central Residential 2 District (RC2): Provides a highly walkable area that accommodates residential intensification through a variety of housing types.
• West Village Residential District (RWV): Provides a high-density residential area that includes a variety of dwelling types in a neighbourhod within walking distance to the Waterfront Commercial District.
• Waterfront Commercial District (CW): Provides mixed-use development that encourages year-round activity and offers a wide variety of commercial opportunities.
• Civic Centre District (CC): Provides a civic and recreational area that’s supported by compatible mixed-uses and residential development.
• Marina Mixed Use District (MMU): Provides a district for residential and commercial uses that are compatible with the marina.
• Lakefront Direct Control District (LF-DC): Provides year-round tourism development along with a variety of recreational opportunities and public open space.
• Heritage Direct Control District (H-DC): Establishes a special purpose district that will help protect properties that have been identified as potential heritage resources within the town.

A more robust breakdown of each zone is available in the council agenda, although changes could be made before third reading.