Strip clubs could become legal in Morinville under a new land use bylaw presented to town council last week.
Town council got its first formal look at its revised Land Use Bylaw at its regular meeting last week. The 175-page document, which has yet to be approved, sets the rules for what can be built where in Morinville. It will also be the subject of an open house this Thursday.
City planner Tim Vrooman said the draft bylaw features new rules for constructs such as solar panels, basement suites and cellphone towers and clarifies the rules for architectural and landscaping standards. It also aims to streamline the development process by giving development officers more power.
It also, for the first time, allows adult entertainment establishments to set up shop in town, Vrooman noted, "not to encourage [them] but to be proactive if one were to come forward." There are no businesses of this type in Morinville right now, according to town staff.
Such sites, which can include "adult mini theatres, strip clubs or shows, peepshows, erotic dance clubs, adult massage parlours, exotic lounges, adult novelty stores, adult print media, escort services and adult video stores," would only be permitted in the business and industrial park district, which is located between the railroad tracks and the South Glens district. They would also be subject to the approval of the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC).
Adult entertainment establishments would be restricted in size, the draft reads, and have be at least 200 metres from any homes and 150 metres from any school, church, park or daycare. They would have to have shaded doors and windows and could not have outside displays of nudity.
Many changes
The town's land use bylaw has traditionally divided land uses into permitted and discretionary categories, Vrooman said — development officers can approve permitted uses, but must refer discretionary ones to the MPC. The draft bylaw proposes to let development officers have the power to approve certain discretionary uses, such as show homes in new neighbourhoods, to speed development.
The draft also includes rules for secondary suites. These will be permitted in certain districts, Vrooman said, which should encourage their development. It also clarifies rules for day-care centres, drive-thrus, live-work units and mixed-use developments.
Also new are some expanded sign regulations. The bylaw creates rules for the use and form of 15 types of sign, up from seven in the current law, and explicitly bans digital signs that could cause distracted driving, Vrooman says.
The draft goes into great detail about parking spaces, listing the minimum number required for everything from cemeteries to shopping centres. In order to encourage sustainable transportation, Vrooman notes, it also requires new developments to have bike racks.
These changes make the bylaw more development and business friendly, said Coun. David Pattison, who sits on the MPC, and clear up a lot of confusion about parking and architectural controls.
"What I'm excited about is the alternate energy uses," he added, as solar panels and wind turbines are not currently addressed by town legislation.
The town will hold an open house on the draft Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Cultural Centre, said Greg Hofmann, the town's director of planning. The law comes up for first reading on Feb. 14.
"I can't think of a more romantic way to celebrate St. Valentine's Day than to present you with the Land Use Bylaw," he deadpanned to council.
Copies of the draft bylaw can be found at www.morinville.ca.
