Discretionary Use Proposal 

A Discretionary Use application has been submitted from The Munchkin Mansion requesting approval to develop a child care centre with capacity for 90 children and 15 staff members at any given time at 431 Nelson Road in the University Heights Suburban Centre neighbourhood.

The centre will be located in the north east corner of the existing building and will occupy an area of approximately 5,131 ft². 7,200 ft² of fenced on-site outdoor play area along with exterior and interior renovations are proposed as part of this application. Expected hours of operation will be from 7:30 a.m to 5:00 p.m Monday to Friday. Prior to operating, the applicant will be required to obtain appropriate licensing and approval from the Ministry of Education, Early Years Branch.

This site is zoned M3 – General Institutional Service District under Bylaw No. 8770, The City of Saskatoon Zoning Bylaw. The purpose of the M3 District is to facilitate a wide range of institutional and community activities, as well as medium and high density residential uses, within suburban centres and other strategically located areas. Child care centres are considered a Discretionary Use in the M3 District. 

Location Map

Renderings & 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(1) 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.  Approval for Special Needs Housing in the M3 District is delegated to City Administration.

The Planning and Development Division evaluates Discretionary Use applications on a case-by-case basis considering the site itself, as well 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 Child Care Centre? 

The Zoning Bylaw defines a Child Care Centre as "an establishment providing for the care, supervision and protection of children, but does not include the provision of overnight supervision." 

Process

When a Discretionary Use application is received by the Planning and Development Division, 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 75 to 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 by City Administration.  The application may then be approved, approved with conditions, or denied.