By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
As of April 1, the RM of Corman Park has been granted subdivision approval authority as part of a provincial pilot, becoming the first municipality to be granted this power since 1997 and the only “rural” municipality with this authority.
During the planning committee meeting on April 14, Director of Planning and Development Doug Ramage presented a report on the subdivision approval authority, which was granted by an order of Minister of Government Relations Eric Schmaltz on March 25.
“The report in front of you today really represents a significant milestone for the RM of Corman Park, an achievement definitely worth recognizing,” Ramage said.
The Ministry of Government Relations is the subdivision approving authority for nearly every municipality in Saskatchewan, meaning they sign off on every application to divide land into lots and roadways, move property lines or subdivide property by removing “parcel ties.”
With this order, the RM assumes responsibility for subdivision approvals within its jurisdiction, including the Saskatoon P4G (Partnership For Growth) area.
Ramage said this designation has important economic development implications, as “certainty” is one of the most important factors in site selection for investors, developers and businesses.
“Over the long term, the local approving authority improves the RM’s ability to provide clear points of contact for applicants, more responsive communication during file review, stronger co-ordination between subdivision zoning and servicing matters, improved predictability for project timelines, and better alignment between land supply and market demand,” Ramage said.
“As the region continues to grow, municipalities that can move from passive administration to pro-active investment readiness will be best positioned to attract jobs, tax-based growth and long-term economic opportunity.”
In the report, Ramage noted council had approved an application to the Ministry of Government Relations last September for designation as an approving authority pursuant to Section 13 of the Planning and Development Act.
According to the actual Ministerial Order, the RM has been granted this authority until the end of 2027, though it may be extended with further orders.
It should be stressed that this approving authority does come with some complications. First off, the province is transferring 41 active subdivision applications to the RM that are at varying stages of review and must be assessed for completeness, status and outstanding requirements.
“That is very significant, because there is a lot of co-ordination and a lot of communication that has to happen within these approvals,” noted Chief Administrative Officer Kerry Hilts.
“We weren’t expecting that. It just kind of showed up as: now you’re approving authority, here you go.”
Ramage said this “fundamental shift” to a decision-making authority also means the RM will have to establish new workflows, documentation templates, communication processes and to update the planning fee bylaw to introduce cost recovery for processing subdivision applications.
For that reason, administration recommended that council approve an intake pause on new subdivision applications for up to 60 days.
“We’re not requesting a pause on development permits, building permits or discretionary uses. Those would continue as they are. We’re simply asking for a pause on any new subdivision applications only so we can establish what is required in the workflows to set this up successfully,” Ramage said.
An update to the Planning Fee Bylaw will also come before council at the meeting on Tuesday, April 28, in order to introduce subdivision application fees. This information was noted in an agenda for a special council meeting on Tuesday, April 21, where council will be dealing with a bylaw relating to the public notice policy.
Ramage concluded by stating that this designation is a “very meaningful accomplishment” for the RM, adding that it reflects growth, credibility and readiness for a higher level of municipal responsibility.
“It also creates an excellent opportunity to pair good planning with economic competitiveness,” he said.
Reeve Joe Hargrave acknowledged it took some time to be granted this authority, but as pointed out by Ramage, it has been “forever” since a municipality has been granted this authority.
He noted that not everyone is happy with the province’s decision, hinting this is likely why 41 subdivision applications at various stages of completion were given to the RM.
That said, “once we get our legs under us, this is going to be really good for the RM,” Hargrave added.
Division 4 Councillor David Greenwood expressed concern about the 60-day pause and suggested the RM should accept the subdivision applications of anyone submitting an application during that timeframe.
Other councillors expressed confusion or opposition to the recommendation, which was withdrawn by Greenwood after it was pointed out the pause is for up to 60 days and not necessarily that whole time period.
“We will (complete this transition) as soon as we can,” Ramage noted.