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Sturgeon County moves to scrap Municipal Planning Commission

Superfluous and slows down process, says council
WEB Sturgeon County file
Sturgeon County heard the commission took about 235-per-cent longer to approve development permits than administration from 2016 to 2021, and was 20-per-cent slower at approving subdivision applications. FILE PHOTO/St. Albert Gazette

Sturgeon County council plans to scrap its Municipal Planning Commission to accelerate approvals for new developments.

County council voted unanimously Feb. 8 to prepare legislative amendments which, if approved later this year, would eliminate the county’s Municipal Planning Commission (MPC).

The MPC is a council committee consisting of five councillors. Meeting once every two to three weeks, it oversees all subdivision applications and rules on development permits and permit variances administration cannot approve on its own.

A 2021 review determined that Sturgeon and Leduc counties were the only two Edmonton-area governments to use a MPC to approve subdivisions, said current planning program lead Martyn Bell — the other 13 used administrators or an external agency. Sturgeon County, Redwater, and Lamont County were also the only ones to use a MPC for development permits and permit variances.

While the MPC could give council more oversight on contentious projects, Bell told council that the commission ended up supporting administration’s recommendations about 97 per cent of the time in the last five years.

Council heard the commission took about 235-per-cent longer to approve development permits than administration (34 days compared to 10) from 2016 to 2021, and was 20-per-cent slower at approving subdivision applications. The commission was likely slower because of its multi-week breaks between meetings — breaks that could stretch into months during elections and summer holidays.

Bell said these delays made the county less attractive to investors. With the county poised to see more development in the Sturgeon Valley, he recommended council scrap the MPC to speed up approvals.

Corporate services director Jesse Sopko also recommended council remove itself from the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board — a quasi-judicial tribunal that hears appeals on subdivisions and developments.

The board currently consists of two councillors and six public members. Sopko said this gave councillors the power to both make and rule on policy, creating potential bias, and prevented councillors from working with residents on matters that could come before the board.

Coun. Kristin Toms has served on the MPC many years and supports an end to it.

“I often found MPC was just an exercise in me approving administration’s work,” she said, with staff regularly going the extra mile to work with residents on applications.

Council supported Mayor Alanna Hnatiw’s move to hold off on proposed changes to the subdivision appeal board for at least six months to judge the effects of the MPC’s elimination.

Administration is set to bring forward changes to a lengthy list of bylaws to eliminate the MPC for consideration this spring. If those changes are approved, the commission will hold its last meeting just prior to council’s summer break.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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