Country Residential and Hamlet Objectives and Policies

8.1 COUNTRY RESIDENTIAL and HAMLET OBJECTIVES

A. To provide for farm-related and non-farm related residential development in agricultural areas at low densities which will compliment but not supersede the agricultural and business function of the municipality.

B. To allow limited numbers of non-farm related residential development by specifying the financial and locational Policies in this OCP which will be mandatory for all multi-parcel proposals to comply with, in advance of Council agreeing to amend the Zoning Bylaw to allow the subdivision.

C. When any conflict arises between these Country Residential Objectives and the Agricultural Objectives in Section 6.1, it shall be resolved by Council giving priority to the Agricultural Objectives in making their decision.

D. The existing Villages of Middle Lake, Pilger, and St. Benedict are now outside the limits of the RM and each operates as separate Municipal Corporations. The latter two Villages each contain less than 100 residents and may choose to request that their Villages revert to a Hamlet or Organized Hamlet status. This is considered a “restructuring” under the procedure outlined in Division 3 of The Municipalities Act. If such requests were to be granted by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, it means that the former Villages would become part of the RM.

The RM does not intend to promote or initiate any such process, (since that should be initiated by the Villages themselves), but prefers to have an Objective and Policies in this Plan to prepare for the possible creation of new Hamlets in the RM. The primary Objective for this matter is to ensure that the RM Council and the residents of any existing Village which choose to make a restructuring request to become part of the RM, will have some Policies in this Plan to assist in the restructuring.

8.2 COUNTRY RESIDENTIAL and HAMLET POLICIES

A. Sprawled or linear developments and subdivisions should be avoided. Development and subdivision of irregular, non-rectangular parcels which are physically isolated from the balance of the Quarter Section by a road, railway or watercourse may be allowed, subject to conformity with this Part.

B. Applications for rezoning land to country residential land use will be considered by Council if the proposed development is NOT located on hazard lands. Applications for rezoning will be discouraged by Council, where the proposed development is located on hazard lands.

F. Council will NOT permit further subdivision of the original country residential lot, except at Councils discretion for minor lot line adjustments.

D. Single Parcel Country Residential Policy

D.1 A maximum of 1 rectangular-shaped residential subdivision may be allowed at Council’s discretion per Quarter Section or Equivalent, subject to Section 5.3.1(2) of the Zoning Bylaw. The requirements for adequate legal and physical access outlined in Section 3.17 of the Zoning Bylaw shall also apply.
D.2 In addition to the single Country Residential rectangular subdivision which may be allowed pursuant to the above subsection, one isolated, irregular, non-rectangular subdivision (cut-off parcel) described in Section 5.3.1(2) of the Zoning Bylaw, may also be allowed on a Quarter Section or Equivalent (see Zoning Bylaw definition) at Council’s discretion, subject to conformity with this Part. The requirements for adequate legal and physical access outlined in Section 3.17 of the Zoning Bylaw shall also apply.
D.3 The allowable size for a single parcel Country Residential parcel shall be specified in the Zoning Bylaw. At it’s discretion, Council may allow a variance of no more than 50% to the foregoing minimum or maximum size. In all cases where the maximum size of a proposed new parcel is allowed by Council to be increased, the remaining area of the Quarter Section or Equivalent must be at least 48.6 ha (120 acres).

E. Multi-parcel Country Residential Policies:

E.1 To avoid premature development, achieve efficient municipal servicing and ensure environmental protection, Council will require such country residential developments to locate on an “All Weather Road” as defined in the Zoning Bylaw in a contiguous and phased manner, as determined by Council. Council may require the developer to meet the following locational criteria with respect to multi-parcel country residential development:

* site suitability in terms of slopes, drainage and environmental sensitivity;
* avoidance of high quality agricultural land (Classes 1 to 3)
* avoidance of land use conflicts with intensive livestock operation;
* a minimum parcel size of 2.0 hectares (4.9) acres) and a maximum number of parcels per quarter section as may be determined by Council on a case-by case basis to avoid overcrowding;
* availability of a water supply;
* economical provision of municipal services; and
* assurance of developer investment in on and off-site development costs.

E.2 Subdivision for Multi-parcel Country Residential subdivisions will be considered on its merits by Council through a rezoning to a Country Residential District. Council shall use the following requirements and the procedure outlined in Section 10 in making a decision on an application for rezoning:

i) Only one cluster subdivision shall be allowed per Quarter Section. Rezoning shall be required;
ii) New residential clusters will only be allowed if they will either front on an all weather road which is located within 3.2 km of a Provincial Highway, or an existing municipal road within the same distance of a Provincial Highway can be reconstructed to be an all weather road at the sole expense of the developer. Council may choose to negotiate a servicing agreement with the developer, including but not limited to, road construction standards and possible shared costs;
iii) To reduce the cost of new or reconstructed roads and encourage clustered subdivisions to supply piped potable water, central garbage stations and central sewage facilities, Council may choose to rezone one cluster subdivision on a maximum total of 4 adjoining Quarter Sections at appropriate locations;
iv) The minimum size of the remnant of a Quarter Section or Equivalent after the subdivision of any proposed cluster must be 48 ha (120 acres) or the rezoning shall be refused by Council.

E.3 If alternate development sites (e.g. with better road access or on land with fewer or no land use conflicts) are available near the proposed development, Council may not allow the proposed development due to that less undesirable location.

F. Country residential land use objectives and policies may be implemented by means of instruments such as the establishment of a Country Residential District (CR) and provision for single parcel country residential parcels within the Agricultural District (A) of the Zoning Bylaw, the subdivision approval process, issuance of development permits and building permits, policies for the provision of information by the developer and for land considered unsuitable for development.

The foregoing Policies will also be considered in relation to SPI Nos. 6.10 (Residential Development) and 6.14 (Transportation).

G. The RM Council will participate in discussions considering a possible “restructuring” of a Village adjoining the RM, under the procedure outlined in Division 3 of The Municipalities Act. Council shall consider the need for amendments to this Plan to create new Objectives and Polices dealing with non-agricultural land use issues which may arise from any such restructuring. Such issues include but are not limited to, current and required capital works, potential land use conflicts and opportunities and constraints which may arise due to a potential restructuring.

The text of the Zoning Bylaw which accompanies this Plan contains a Hamlet District, which will be used by Council to consider new subdivisions or issuance of development permits and building permits for those uses after any restructuring has taken place. Although there is no land currently shown as a Hamlet District on the new Zoning Maps, Council may also amend these Policies and the uses and regulations of that District to accommodate other land uses following any such restructuring.

The foregoing Policies will also be considered in relation to SPI Nos. 6.5 (Inter-municipal Cooperation), 6.8 (Public Works), 6.10 (Residential Development) and 6.14 (Transportation).