An expired use of a downtown building was presented to council in hopes of bringing a technology services office downtown.
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The building, located at 4824 47 St. in Lloydminster, had its use expire after being vacant for a period longer than 12 months. If the property has a specific use and it stays stagnant for over 12 months, it would have to be reapproved.
“The use is coming before council as the current property has been vacant for over a year and the use approval has to be renewed,” said Terry Burton, director of planning and engineering.
The building was once used as the RM of Britannia office. The goal of bringing this item forward is to facilitate the relocation of a business technology services office to the downtown core.
Coun. Michael Diachuk opened up the question period asking the details of why this came before council.
“If this wasn’t, direct control (DC) would it come to us at all at this point? Or is it primarily because it’s DC,” he asked.
Burton pointed out that as a direct control district, the governance for the property is held by council.
Diachuk inquired for specifics within the updated land use bylaw.
“Is this one of the areas that will be changed or added or modified in our land use bylaw,” he asked.
“That’s correct. Well, there’s two things that will be governing this, the downtown area redevelopment plan (DARP), and the new land use bylaw, proposed land use bylaw, both of those ones have, DARP recognizes this area as mixed-use transition and the new proposed land use bylaw incorporates this as being neighbourhood commercial,” clarified Burton. “This use would be permitted.”
Discussion continued to focus on the proposed land use bylaw and how it would impact this use case.
“Would it have been quicker in the new proposed land use bylaw for them to get approval and then to start their development, and is that the goal of the new land use bylaw to cut some of that red tape?” asked Coun. Michele Charles Gustafson. “It would be in a commercial area, permitted use, with the overlay of the DARP, permitted use, that they could just apply, get done, move on.”
Burton says it being permitted would allow it to move through the system much quicker.
“Based on what I’ve seen within the new proposed land use bylaw that we have, both cases show this development or use as permitted. It’d fall through the development officers’ review, and obviously making a decision. Being permitted it flows pretty fast,” he said.
Executive manager of operations, Don Stang, says the proposed changes in the new land use bylaw would benefit development.
“The new land use bylaw, I think we go from seven direct controls down to two or three. That will benefit development in the future,” he said.
The item will return to council for decision at a future meeting.
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