During the March 8 Regular Council Meeting, Coaldale Council reviewed the 2020 year-end development statistics. Highlights of last year’s planning and development permitting activities include:
• 137 development permits issued
• 23 new homes built
• 8 new commercial/industrial developments approved
• 1 institutional development approved
• Total permit value: $10,642,400
While the pandemic certainly has its effects on development in general, Coaldale continues to perform well despite the setbacks brought on by COVID-19. As Coaldale’s residential and business communities expand, the Town is exploring strategies to increase efficiencies within the development process.
“Development and growth in the Town was solid in 2020, in spite of the pandemic,” said Cameron Mills, Manager of Economic Development. “Spring and summer saw a bit of an impact as there was a lot of caution in the market, but we saw a significant uptick in sales in the later months and as such 2021 is looking like it will be quite positive in terms of new investment.”
The Town has recently made it possible to submit permit applications online and is currently investigating the logistics of online payments, improving the overall convenience of the process. The Town is also going to explore adjustments to the Land Use Bylaw, in order to try to reduce the time it takes for developers to get approval, as well as potentially reducing the overall cost of review for the Town.
“The intent with these potential changes is to increase efficiency of the permit application process while still ensuring that the purpose of the permitting process is upheld,” said Spencer Croil, Director of Planning and Community Development at the Town of Coaldale. “For example, through analyzing the number and type of discretionary applications that have been processed, we’ve concluded that there are certain types that are consistently approved by the MPC without discrepancy. Given that taking applications to the MPC is significantly more expensive for the Town, and far more time consuming for potential investors, this might be a logical way to cut down on the use of staff resources and keep costs low for applicants. With that said, Council will of course have to balance that decision with ensuring that processes remain in place to protect broader community interests, which is part of what the permitting system is designed for.”
“The Town of Coaldale has made tremendous strides, particularly in the last few years, at improving its overall efficiency in terms of getting more done with less.” added Mills. “Our comparative analytics clearly show that we’re getting substantially more done than comparably sized municipalities at a fraction of the cost, which is something we take great pride in. Reviewing something like our planning processes is part of that equation, and it lines up seamlessly with what the Province is asking for in terms of reducing red tape. With that said, we acknowledge of course that the hunt for efficiency needs to be balanced with ensuring the right decisions are made, so that will be part of what our Land Use Bylaw review will seek to accomplish in the coming months."
Potential updates to the Bylaw that will be explored will include shifts of uses from the more onerous discretionary category into the permitted category, or potentially the creation of a new category of uses that provides for public consultation without the need for attendance at a once-per-month committee hearing, which is a system found in some other municipalities. The Town will also explore concepts like modifications to the industrial landscaping requirements, and more efficient advertising and communication methods designed to improve development turn-around times.
“We’re always trying to balance good business practices with the need for regulation,” said Croil. “Our goal is to consistently improve both efficiency and trust in the community while reducing red tape for those wanting to invest in our community.”