After years of study, planning and discussion, the final piece of the Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) regional plan is being unveiled this week.

Public consultation on the draft P4G District Zoning Bylaw begins April 15 and winds up April 29. The two-week consultation is being conducted online (www.partnershipforgrowth.ca) and is aimed at gathering feedback from landowners and other stakeholders, according to P4G Director Neal Sarnecki.

“The zoning bylaw effectively implements land use designations based on the policy framework of the P4G Official Community Plan (OCP),” said Sarnecki in an interview. “What we’re doing is taking the guiding principles and policies in the OCP, and drilling down into what that means for individual landowners on the ground.

“In practical terms, it means looking at whether a proposed land use is consistent with future development as identified in the OCP.”

Currently, bylaws governing land use in the area immediately surrounding Saskatoon are outlined under the existing Corman Park-Saskatoon Planning District. The P4G Planning District will replace the Corman Park-Saskatoon Planning District, and also expand the district’s boundaries to include the areas adjacent to Warman, Martensville and Osler.

Sarnecki said the new planning district’s zoning bylaws are designed to be simpler and more clear-cut for landowners and developers.

“In the old bylaw, the current planning district has an overlay,” said Sarnecki. “The new P4G planning district will not be as complicated. The new bylaw will be a little longer, but it will outline specific standards for the type of land use being developed.

“The old bylaw laid out 12 types of land use; the new bylaw has over 40 types. The standards are easy to understand and very straightforward.  They will explain to landowners what they can do when it comes to development on their property.”

Sarnecki said an online open house on the P4G District Zoning Bylaw was held in September 2020.

“We’ve taken the information provided by the public during those consultations and incorporated that into the bylaw in draft form,” said Sarnecki. “Now we are going back and checking with everyone; saying here is how it fits together, and you can see how it applies to your land in particular.

P4G Director Neal Sarnecki

“We’re looking for more feedback on whether we’ve hit the mark or not,” he added. “We have mailed out individual letters to 1,700 landowners affected within the planning district, so that they will be aware of the consultations and can provide their input.”

The draft zoning bylaw is slated to be posted on the P4G website on April 15. A hard copy of the bylaw will also be available for public inspection at the RM of Corman Park office in Saskatoon.

Sarnecki said landowners are invited to send their feedback directly to the P4G office via e-mail or by phone.

At the end of April, the public feedback will be evaluated and the zoning bylaw will be updated.

From there it will go to the P4G Regional Oversight Committee, made up of elected officials from the five municipalities, for endorsement. The bylaw will then go to the RM of Corman Park council, where it will be subject to a public hearing. It must be passed by Corman Park council before it can be forwarded to the provincial government for final approval.

What is the Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth?

The Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) includes five municipalities: the RM of Corman Park, the Cities of Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville, and the Town of Osler. The P4G aims to provide a coordinated approach to growth in the Saskatoon region in order to accommodate a population of 500,000 in the next 20 years and a population of one million in the next 60 years. Long-term land use planning and servicing is designed to promote economic prosperity while supporting a high quality of life. Over the last several years, municipal officials, working within the P4G framework, have agreed on an Official Community Plan (OCP) for the region which lays out, in broad strokes, the overall regional plan for land use, population, transportation, utilities, services and finances. The P4G District Zoning Bylaw, currently up for public review, will translate the OCP’s broad policies and principles into specific land use designations.