Rocky View County is reviewing parts of its Land Use Bylaw to make the development approval process clearer, more consistent, and easier to navigate. The proposed amendments respond to feedback from residents and applicants, align with recent changes to building requirements, and aim to improve how certain types of development are classified and reviewed.

This work is part of the County’s broader Development Approvals Transformation Program, a multi-phase effort to improve how development applications move through the system. The program focuses on reducing timelines, improving navigation, creating more integrated processes, using tiered requirements that better match the scale and complexity of a project, and increasing transparency for applicants and the public.

Today, development is generally either “Exempt” from a development permit, meaning no planning review is required, or “Development Permit Required,” which involves steps such as public notice, internal and external review, and an appeal period.

The County is proposing a third option for certain routine, low-impact development, called Conditional Exemption. This would create a more streamlined review process between “Exempt” and “Development Permit Required.” While Table 2 of Part 3 of the Land Use Bylaw outlines current exemptions, an additional table is being added (Table 3) that will outline uses that require Conditional Exemption. The proposed Table and proposed land uses can be found here.

The uses proposed for this category would not undergo full development permit review, but would still be reviewed by the County to confirm they meet applicable Land Use Bylaw standards. Some of these uses had previously been permitted or discretionary uses, while others had previously been exempt uses. The uses included in Table 3 would not require noticing, nor would they be appealable decisions. They would, however, be conditioned to ensure compatibility and consistency with the Land Use Bylaw.

The uses proposed for this category include:

• Accessory Dwelling Units;
• Communication Facilities up to 20.00 meters;
• Construction Camps;
• Dwellings, Manufactured;
• Show Homes;
• Fascia and Community Entrance Signs; and
• Stripping, Grading, Excavation and Fill with certain thresholds.

This category reflects the program’s goal of creating a tiered approvals system, where simpler projects can go through streamlined review while more complex or higher-impact proposals continue to follow existing development permit processes.

The goal is to better match the level of review to the level of impact, reduce unnecessary delays for straightforward applications, and allow staff to focus more time on applications with greater community interest or complexity. This engagement asks for feedback on whether the balance is right, including the proposed tiered approach, the proposed uses for that tier, and related notification changes.