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 Residential Care Home – Type II in the R1A District is City Administration.
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 Residential Care Home?
The Zoning Bylaw defines a Residential Care Home as a “licensed or approved group care home governed by Provincial regulations that provides, in a residential setting, 24 hour care of persons in need of personal services, supervision or assistance essential for sustaining the activities of daily living or for the protection of the individual”. Type II is defined as a “residential care home in which the number of residents, excluding staff, is more than five and not more than 15”.
