Greenview Council Passes First Reading of Bylaw 25-1000 Land Use Bylaw

May 27, 2025 - Council took the initial step in adopting a single, updated Land Use Bylaw for the Municipal District of Greenview by providing First Reading to a new Land Use Bylaw (Bylaw 25-1000). The new bylaw replaces the previous Greenview Land Use Bylaw (Bylaw 18-800) and the former Town of Grande Cache Land Use Bylaw (Bylaw 799), providing a single platform for development across Greenview. The requirement for these changes began when Grande Cache became a Hamlet of Greenview, and Bylaw 25-1000 delivers on the goal to make land use regulations more transparent, more consistent, and easier to use across the entire municipality.

Administration, under Council direction and with input from the Land Use Bylaw Steering Committee, developed the draft bylaw with the goal of integrating Grande Cache, supporting rural landowners, reducing regulatory barriers, and expanding development opportunities. Public engagement was a key part of the process, with nine open houses held in January 2025, and feedback gathered in “What We Heard Reports” used to guide revisions.

Bylaw 25-1000 fully includes Grande Cache into Greenview’s land use framework and will avoid conflicts with future development plans. It improves rural policies by allowing more permit exemptions, supporting home-based businesses, and solving problems identified over the past five years by the Council and residents.

At the time of the first reading, only minor updates were made to the draft bylaw in preparation for approval of the first motion. These included:

• Permits Not Required - Accessory buildings which have a floor area of less than 15.0 m2 (161.5 ft2 ) within any Hamlet
• Provide a clearer diagram for Figure 6-1
• Revert CR-1 Livestock Animal Equivalents back to 50 fowl and 30 rabbits
• Add a definition for "weed(s)".
• Apply Wild Hog Fencing regulations to all districts allowing Hogs as livestock, Terminology changes from “solar farms” to “solar installations.”
• Addition of “Employee Accommodation” as a discretionary use on Crown land.
• Section 9.8 Direct Control (DC) Districts, Remove the “s” after the word “District.”

With these updates, the draft was deemed ready for Council consideration. The first reading was passed, initiating the formal approval process and allowing the bylaw to proceed for further readings and potential adoption.