Rocky View County is hosting an open house to seek public input on its proposed new planning application process.
The meeting will take place Sept. 14 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the County’s administration building, located at 911 32 Ave NE, Calgary.
The move comes as a result of a recently proposed screening process, which will rate the suitability of land use applications based on a checklist. The checklist will ask questions such as ‘does the proposal complement and enhance the surrounding land use in the area and is the proposal contributing to local social amenities appropriate to the end users of the development?’
“It’s supposed to give applicants a sense early on about the opportunities and challenges on the proposal and have council provide initial feedback on it,” said Chris Wolfe, municipal planner with Rocky View County.
If approved, the screening process will be directed towards large scale proposals. It would not include agricultural applications, subdivisions, development permits or business permits.
Under the existing system, council can’t discuss or modify applications at the first reading stage, although it is permitted to reject or approve them.
As a result, Rocky View’s staff must process all applications regardless of their merit.
The screening process would require applicants to submit details about their proposal. The merit of the proposal would then be evaluated based on social, environmental and economic criteria.
If the submission is accepted by council after the screening process, it would proceed to the standard application process that is currently in place. More information on the screening process is available at www.rockyview.ca
