policyenthusiast
Senior Member
Some good-ish changes to the MGA, and one extremely bad one.
"Automatic Yes": One of our top asks of removing unnecessary development permit requirements for single-detached, semi-detached, and rowhouse units in permitted use zones is now reflected in legislation. The Minister of Municipal Affairs now has authority to create an "Automatic Yes" framework, and automated systems for processing development permits are explicitly permitted under the MGA.
Off-Site Levies Reforms: Municipalities are now prohibited from using off-site levies for operational costs, retail facilities, rolling appurtenance like vehicles and furniture, and above-code construction upgrades like premium energy efficiency standards. Charter school lands are also now exempt.
Transparent Permit Timelines: Every municipality over 15,000 residents is now required to publish real-time development permit statistics on their website — including average and median days to completion, and a comparison of actual timelines to what legislation requires.
Non-Statutory Studies: Municipal Affairs outlined there will be future regulatory changes to limit and increase transparency around non-statutory studies.
Non-resident Property Tax Sub-Classes: The legislation clarifies that a municipality cannot create a "residential subclass" for property taxes based solely on whether a resident lives there, if that owner is an Alberta resident. A vacancy tax could still be implemented if a property is owned by non-Albertan resident, a foreign entity or corporation.
And the bad: Community Design Codes: Government introduced new authority for the Minister to create Community Design Codes governing architecture styles, frontage, heights, landscaping, and parking.
There is absolutely, positively zero reason for the dipshits in the Legislature to supercede the decisions made by local councils and planners in their LUBs. And you just know they would only exercise this policy against Edmonton.
"Automatic Yes": One of our top asks of removing unnecessary development permit requirements for single-detached, semi-detached, and rowhouse units in permitted use zones is now reflected in legislation. The Minister of Municipal Affairs now has authority to create an "Automatic Yes" framework, and automated systems for processing development permits are explicitly permitted under the MGA.
Off-Site Levies Reforms: Municipalities are now prohibited from using off-site levies for operational costs, retail facilities, rolling appurtenance like vehicles and furniture, and above-code construction upgrades like premium energy efficiency standards. Charter school lands are also now exempt.
Transparent Permit Timelines: Every municipality over 15,000 residents is now required to publish real-time development permit statistics on their website — including average and median days to completion, and a comparison of actual timelines to what legislation requires.
Non-Statutory Studies: Municipal Affairs outlined there will be future regulatory changes to limit and increase transparency around non-statutory studies.
Non-resident Property Tax Sub-Classes: The legislation clarifies that a municipality cannot create a "residential subclass" for property taxes based solely on whether a resident lives there, if that owner is an Alberta resident. A vacancy tax could still be implemented if a property is owned by non-Albertan resident, a foreign entity or corporation.
And the bad: Community Design Codes: Government introduced new authority for the Minister to create Community Design Codes governing architecture styles, frontage, heights, landscaping, and parking.
There is absolutely, positively zero reason for the dipshits in the Legislature to supercede the decisions made by local councils and planners in their LUBs. And you just know they would only exercise this policy against Edmonton.
