Safety Codes and Permits: Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Gas, Sewage
The Village of Arrowwood is an accredited municipality under the Safety Codes Act of Alberta. Being a small municipality, the village contracts Superior Safety Codes to provide permitting and inspection services and ensure compliance with legislation. Applications for permits can be made, HERE, directly with Superior Safety Codes.
For new development, be it a change of use, new construction or major renovation, a development permit will first need to be obtained directly from the Village of Arrowwood.
See below for more information on planning and development in Arrowwood. All application forms can be found, HERE.
Development Permits and The Development Process in the Village of Arrowwood
The Development Officer for the Village of Arrowwood is the Chief Administrative Officer. Please contact the Village Office to discuss all prospective development.
While the Development Officer can approve all “Permitted Use” applications, they retain the right to refer ANY application to the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) for decision. The Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) is appointed by the Village Council, consisting of two members of the Village Council and a Member-at-Large. This body will review and decide upon all “Discretionary Use” applications, as well as permit and determine any context specific “waivers” of standards that are otherwise required.
Decisions of the Municipal Planning Commission can be appealed to the Chinook Subdivision Development Appeal Board (SDAB) by the applicant, by adjacent landowners or other interested parties. This avenue of appeal is established under Bylaw 466 which can be found HERE. As a last resort, application can be made to the courts to overturn the decision of any Subdivision Development Appeal Board which, in this case, would be a lawsuit against the Village of Arrowwood once the Chinook SDAB has rendered a decision.
The Village of Arrowwood is a member-municipality of the Oldman River Regional Services Commission (ORRSC). This means that the village is a shareholder and part owner of this organization and, as such, appoints a representative to their Board of Directors. The services of this commission are necessary for compliance with governing legislation and a planner is assigned to Arrowwood to act on the village’s behalf. Over and above direct planning advice and direction, ORRSC also provides Arrowwood with a Geographic Information System (GIS), an Assessment Complaint Review Board, as well as managing the Chinook Subdivision Development Appeal Board.
More information on the services provided to Arrowwood by ORRSC can be found HERE, along with the contact information for Arrowwood’s Planner.
Land Use Planning in the Village of Arrowwood as per s. 638.2 of the Municipal Government Act
Provincial Realm
The Municipal Government Act (MGA), sets out the legislative framework for planning in Alberta and specifically Part 17 places the authority for land use decision making at the local level. Through the legislation, a municipal council is empowered with the authority to create and adopt statutory plans, establish planning approval committees, enforce conditions of planning approvals, and to ensure that the public is involved with planning at the local level. The Subdivision and Development Regulation is passed by Cabinet and outlines basic procedures and approval criteria for subdivision and development decisions at the local level. The Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) is the legal authority to implement the province’s Land Use Framework and provide direction and leadership in identifying objectives of the Government regarding land use, economics and the environment. As well, it creates policy that enables sustainable development and sets the stage for regional planning which includes seven regions.
Regional Realm
The South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) is a legislative instrument developed pursuant to section 13 of the ALSA. The SSRP uses a cumulative effect management approach to set policy direction for municipalities to achieve desired environmental, economic, and social outcomes within the South Saskatchewan Region until 2024. A community’s MDP must comply with the SSRP, which came into effect September 1, 2014.
Municipal Realm
The Plan does not exist or function in isolation at the local level. Over the years, a number of statutory and non-statutory plans and related studies have been completed to guide the growth and development of the community, including the Village of Arrowwood Land Use Bylaw (LUB), the Village of Arrowwood Municipal Development Plan (MDP), and the Intermunicipal Development Plan between the Village of Arrowwood and Vulcan County (IDP). These documents are listed below.
To summarize the order of legislative hierarchy, the MGA and ALSA set out the legislative framework for the SSRP. The IDP between the Village of Arrowwood and Vulcan County must align with the SSRP but takes precedence over the MDP for either municipality. The Village of Arrowwood must ensure that its LUB, as well as any amendments that might be forthcoming in the future, aligns with its MDP and all higher order statutory plans.
Village of Arrowwood Planning & Development Bylaws
The Subdivsion and Development Authority Bylaw, Bylaw 487, can be found HERE.Bylaw 487 Subdivision Development Authority
The Chinook Intermunicipal Subdivision Development Appeal Board Byaw, Bylaw 466, can be found HERE.Bylaw 466 Chinook Intermunicipal Subdivision Development Appeal Board
The Land Use Bylaw, Bylaw 451, can be found HERE.
Arrowwood Land Use Bylaw 451 October 2015 (consolidated to Bylaw 464)
The Map for the Land Use Bylaw can be found HERE.
Arrowwood Land Use Bylaw 451 October 13 2015 (Map Amended to Bylaw No 464)
The Amendments to the Land Use Bylaw from 2019 can be found HERE.
Arrowwood Land Use Bylaw 451 - AMENDMENTS
The Municipal Development Plan, Bylaw 465, can be found HERE.
Arrowwood Municipal Development Plan Bylaw 465 January 2019
The 2019 Background Report to the Intermunicipal Development Plan with Vulcan County can be found HERE.
Vulcan County & Village of Arrowwood Intermunicipal Development Plan Background Report 2019 January 2019
The 2020 Intermunicipal Development Plan with Vulcan County, Bylaw 477, can be found HERE. Vulcan County & Village of Arrowwood Intermunicipal Development Plan Bylaw No. 2020-021 and Bylaw No. 477, December 2020(1)