Land Use Applications

Land Use Applications are received by Planning and Development periodically and evaluated for compliance with the Official Community Plan, Zoning Bylaw, Subdivision Regulations, and other policies and bylaws.  There are six types of Land Use Applications:

1) Neighbourhood Concept Plan Amendment

A Neighbourhood Concept Plan is a neighborhood-level land use plan that guides the development of a new neighbourhood in Saskatoon. It outlines the land uses, densities, transportation network, parks system, and community facilities intended for a neighbourhood as it grows. As a new neighbourhood is built out, circumstances often necessitate amendments to a Neighbourhood Concept Plan. Proposed amendments are vetted through a review and community engagement process prior to being considered by City Council for a decision.

2) Condominium

Property owners may apply to the City for approval for condominium status of new buildings or conversion of existing buildings. City approval is required to provide condominium status to a property, pursuant to The Condominium Property Act, administered by the Province of Saskatchewan. The application will be examined to determine conformance with The Condominium Property Act, City of Saskatoon Policy for Condominium Approvals, and Zoning Bylaw, and any other applicable policies and regulations. Comments from other civic departments and other government agencies may be requested where applicable.

3) Discretionary Use Application

All property in the City of Saskatoon is assigned a zoning designation. Within each zoning designation, specific land uses are either permitted, prohibited, or discretionary. A discretionary use is a land use that is generally consistent with the permitted uses in a zoning district, however, further review is undertaken to evaluate how the proposed use relates to the surrounding properties and uses. A discretionary use may be approved, approved with conditions or denied by City Council, and select discretionary uses may be approved by the City Administration.

4) Official Community Plan Amendment

The Official Community Plan provides the policy framework to define, direct and evaluate development in Saskatoon to a population of 500,000. The plan ensures that development takes place in an orderly and rational manner, balancing the environmental, social and economic needs of the community. Amendments to the Official Community Plan may be applied for and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure compliance with relevant policies and bylaws.

5) Rezoning Application

There are two types of Zoning Bylaw amendments:

a) Text Amendment: An amendment to the text of the Zoning Bylaw may involve adding a specific land use designation to a particular zoning district or changing the development standards within a zoning district to accommodate certain aspects of a particular use.

b) Map Amendment: An amendment to the Zoning Bylaw Map involves changing the zoning designation of a particular parcel or area of land to allow the development of a specific land use not permitted by the present zoning designation. Rezoning Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and evaluated for consistency with existing land uses, the City of Saskatoon’s Official Community Plan, the Plan for Growth, Local Area Plans, and other applicable bylaws and policies. A final decision on a proposed Zoning Bylaw amendment is made by City Council.

6) Subdivision

Property owners may apply to the City for approval to subdivide their property. A subdivision is used to divide the land into smaller parcels for the purpose of legally registering separate ownership titles for the parcels with the provincial Information Services Corporation. 

Below are reports containing details on land use applications received.