Airdrie
Land Use Bylaw
Business Community Info Session
October 29th 2015
What is a Land Use Bylaw
 Required by the Municipal
Government Act.
 Sets development rights and
regulates the uses of land and
buildings within the City.
 Separates the City into zones
(districts) each allowing
appropriate land uses and
densities.
 Establishes standards and
processes that the City uses to
regulate development.
Why do we regulate?
 The Land Use Bylaw sets
reasonable expectations for
what can happen in your
community.
 Sets standards for types and
quality of development.
 Controls land use, scale, and
intensity land uses.
 Protects against incompatible
development and impacts from
one use/owner on another.
Our Project Goals
 Simplify Structure & Format
 Improve Readability, Access,
and Navigation
 Predictable and Transparent
process
 Inclusive and Flexible
regulations/standards
 Focus on Development Quality
 Allow for Innovative Design
 Address Impacts
Land Use Bylaw
Project History
 Built out of engagement from
AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan
(2012), Airdrie City Plan (2014)
 Planning for Prosperity
workshops held in 2012-2013
 Consultation draft of LUB
released in November 2013
 900+ engagements/comments
have been recorded (from
Consultation draft, recent
workshops, and individual
emails/discussion)
.
Land Use Bylaw
Today’s Session
 Overview of our new
Commercial and Industrial
Districts.
 Major topics addressed in the
new Land Use Bylaw.
 Group Q&A after this
presentation as well as Open
Floor / Mingling / Discussion.
 Staff is available for follow-up
appointments and willing to
organize focus groups if there
are specific areas of the LUB
to discuss further.
.
Land Use Districts
Mixed Use Districts
Urban, street-oriented development forms that provide a mix of
both residential and commercial (retail and service) uses.
 M1, Neighbourhood Mixed Use District
 M2, Community Mixed Use District
 M3, Downtown Core Mixed Use District
 Street oriented, high coverage, maximum front yard setback.
 Requires a Master Site Plan that addresses compatibility,
scale of development, access and orientation, and any
interface conditions.
 Allows development to earn additional density subject to good
planning, location, and site design.
.
Commercial Districts
More traditional commercial districts intended for shopping plazas
and stand-alone commercial buildings. Allows a range of
commercial uses, more vehicle-oriented service uses, and some
supporting residential development.
 C1, Neighbourhood Commercial District
 C2, Community Commercial District
 C3, Regional Commercial District
 CS, Service Commercial District
 Large commercial sites must show that they integrate well with
surrounding land uses, and provide good access for vehicles,
transit, and pedestrian traffic.
.
Industrial Districts
We intended to provide a range of industrial districts, allowing the
mix of commercial/industrial businesses in our current IB-1 while
providing opportunities for office parks and more focused
industrial development.
 IB-M, Mixed Business/Employment District
 IB-O, Office Park Employment District
 IB-2, Industrial Park Employment District
 IB-3, Heavy Industrial Employment District
 Landscaping regulations are more scaled-back than the
current requirements (10% of lot area). New LUB regulations
specifically address impacts, interface, and sensitive uses.
.
Other Provisions
& Regulations
Parking Requirements
 Made regulations for various uses more consistent
 Reviewed comparisons from several other Bylaws
 Reviewed industry standards on parking generation
 Higher standards where there is more flexibility/uncertainty
(i.e. multi-unit buildings with no specified tenants)
 May reduce parking requirements up to 25% in the
Downtown Core Mixed Use District (M3)
 Allowed alternative requirements to be proposed if
supported by a clear rationale/parking study
Landscaping Standards
 Updated requirements for number of trees and standard
sizes, as well as clarifying these standards and lining up
with current practice
 Provided alternatives for hard landscaping, and
enhanced/low water landscaping treatments to use to ear a
reduction in required area
 Provided standards for landscape buffers along roads and
adjacent to residential districts (for commercial and
industrial areas)
Development Securities
 Clarification provided in the LUB on what items need to be
covered under cost estimates and securities
 Letter of Credit required for up to 120% of the accepted cost
estimate (reduced from current LUB standard of 150%)
 Staff’s intent is to define and implement a graduated system
where less than the prescribed 120% may be accepted
(may be similar to how we manage Subdivision Servicing
Agreements, but needs legal review & input)
Master Site Plans
 Required for large-scale Mixed Use, Commercial, and
Industrial development.
 Necessary so that Planning Staff can assess the interface
with surrounding buildings/uses, and how the development
accommodates access, traffic, and parking.
Use-Specific Regulations
 Drive Through facilities –
introduced standards on
queueing lanes and interface.
 Home Businesses – split into
three levels based on intensity
of use and traffic/impact on
surrounding properties.
 Mobile Food Vendors
introduced as a use.
 Vehicle-Oriented uses –
guidelines introduced for
desired locations and site
design/orientation.
Development Approval Process
 Development Permit applications and requirements are
better defined, as well as supplementary information that
can be requested
 DP decisions and referral practices are outlined
 The LUB provides parameters around when variances
can/should be considered
 DP conditions are defined, particularly Planning’s ability to
regulate Discretionary Uses and place conditions related to
compatibility, the Purpose and Intent of the district,
Landscaping and environmental issues, impacts and
buffering (etc.)
Transition
Commercial/Industrial
Land Use Map
 Many districts will change
over to their equivalent in
the new LUB with absolutely
no issues.
 Includes IB-2, IB-3, and the
new CS district
(replaces C-C)
 Kingsview Industrial area
will be re-designated to the
new IB-M District
 Existing CMU areas
(Gateway & Kingsview
Market) will transition into
the new M2 District
.
Timeline &
Next Steps
Next Steps
Remaining Tasks
 Complete regulations on
Signage, Airport
interface/overlay, and Direct
Control Districts
 Complete Land Use Maps and
other Figures/Schedules
 Legal Review
 Internal (City Departments)
Review
.
Timeline
 3 December 2015:
Target date for informal/
information session with MPC
 February/March 2016:
Target date for presentations
to MPC and Council, Public
Hearing, and LUB Adoption
Sign Regulations
Sign Requirements can be very complex
and this is our largest section that still needs
to be completed
 We are looking at other Land Use Bylaws and
Sign Bylaws in Alberta to determine
appropriate standards
 Looking at separating signs into defined
“Classes” to make administration of these
standards easier
 Our goals remain: (1) ease of use, (2) ensure
quality development, (3) balance between
certainty and flexibility
.
Stay Engaged!
.
Q&A