Discretionary Use Proposal

Pelumi Okumodi has applied for Discretionary Use approval to develop a Place of Worship at 3124 Millar Avenue in the Hudson Bay Industrial neighbourhood. This site is zoned IH – Heavy Industrial District under the Zoning Bylaw. The purpose of the IH District is to facilitate economic development through industrial activities that may have the potential for creating nuisance conditions during the normal course of operations. Places of Worship are considered a Discretionary Use in the IH District.

Location Map

Provide Feedback

Questions and comments on this proposal are invited at this time by contacting: 

Tyler Kopp, Planner 

tyler.kopp@saskatoon.ca

306.986.3639

Site Plan

What is a Discretionary Use?

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. As per Section 4.7.2 of the Zoning Bylaw, a Discretionary Use may be allowed either at the discretion of City Council or City Administration. Either approving authority can approve, approve with conditions, or deny a Discretionary Use application. The approving authority for a Place of Worship in the IH District is City Council.

The Planning and Development Department evaluates Discretionary Use applications on a case-by-case basis considering the site itself, as well as the surrounding context including nearby land uses. A Discretionary Use approval is applied to a specific site, not the applicant. Any change in size or intensity of the use approved would require a new Discretionary Use application.

What is a Place of Worship?

The Zoning Bylaw defines a Place of Worship as “a place used for worship and related religious, philanthropic or social activities and includes accessory rectories, manses, meeting rooms and other buildings.  Typical uses include churches, chapels, mosques, temples, synagogues and parish hall.”

Process for Reviewing and Approving a Discretionary Use Application

When a Discretionary Use application is received by the Planning and Development Department, it is circulated to internal Civic Departments to identify conformance or conflict with the Official Community Plan, the Zoning Bylaw, and any other applicable policies and regulations.  Departments that review the application include Planning and Development, Transportation & Construction, Environment & Utilities, Fire & Protective Services, and Building Standards.

Once the application has been reviewed by internal Civic Departments, public consultation on the application is undertaken.  Registered property owners typically within 150 metres of the subject site and the Ward Councillor are notified of the proposed Discretionary Use application as per the City’s Public Notice Policy.  When considered necessary, a public information meeting may be held to provide information to area residents on the Discretionary Use application, answer questions, and receive feedback.

Information collected from the internal review and public consultation processes will be considered Municipal Planning Commission before being forwarded to a Public Hearing where it will be considered by City Council.  At the Public Hearing, the application may then be approved, approved with conditions, or denied.