Planning & Development
The objective of the County of Northern Lights Municipal Development Plan is to describe proposed land uses, the manner of future development, and define areas suitable for an area structure or redevelopment project.
The County of Northern Lights Municipal Development Plan is comprised of the following sections: Introduction, Agriculture, Residential Development, Commerce and Industry, Environment, Transportation and Servicing, Hamlets and Rural Settlements, Inter-municipal Relations, Crown Land, Implementation, and List of Maps. View and Download County Municipal Development Plan
Land Use Bylaw
The purpose of the Land Use Bylaw is to control the use and development of land and buildings within the County. All development within the municipality requires a valid development permit unless such development is officially exempted in the Land Use Bylaw or Municipal Government Act (MGA). View and Download Land Use Bylaw
Development Permits
Development permits ensure municipal bylaw compliance and protects property owners from future legal and / or transactional issues. Development permit fees are based on the value of construction. Development Permits will not be issued without proof of New Home Warranty for new construction of residential development including modular and manufactures homes.
View and Download Development Permit Application.
New Home Warranty
As of February 1, 2014, every new home built in Alberta is protected under warranty, thanks to Alberta’s New Home Buyer Protection Act.
New homes (single detached family homes/duplexes/multi-family homes/condominiums/manufactured homes/recreational properties) include, at minimum, a warranty for:
- One year labour and materials;
- Two years for defects in labour and materials related to delivery and distribution systems;
- Five years building envelope protection, with a requirement for the warranty provider to offer the consumer the option to purchase additional years of coverage; and,
- 10 years coverage for major structural components.
Learn more about Alberta’s better warranty standards and get to know your role at http://homewarranty.alberta.ca
Subdivision Permits
A person wishing to create two or more lots from a single parcel of land must obtain subdivision approval from the County. For complete information: View and Download Subdivision Application
Dixonville Area Structure Plan
The original Dixonville Area Structure Plan, adopted in 1985, was prepared to guide future development within the Hamlet, to provide sufficient residential land for a population of 200 people, and to provide a highway commercial district to regain some of the service trade lost by the realignment of Highway 35. Due to the age of the existing document, the County’s interest to update and revise its existing planning documents, and recent requests from landowners within the Hamlet to be connected to municipal services, it was necessary to review and update the Plan.
The purpose of this update was to ensure that the ASP accurately reflects the County’s vision for Dixonville as a Primary Growth Hamlet, reflects Administration’s decision to expand the Hamlet’s boundaries, ensures that the ASP is consistent with the County’s other Statutory Documents and the Land Use Bylaw and provides a strong vision and goals to sustain the community and encourage growth within the Hamlet.
The following outlines the major changes that have been made to the ASP as a result of the review:
- Development of a vision, goals and objectives for future Hamlet development;
- The Plan area reflects the newly expanded Hamlet boundaries;
- Incorporation of Placemaking as a means of enhancing the Hamlet’s social environment through strategic improvement to the built environment. This includes strategies to create strong civic and commercial centres, creating a walkable community, allowing for a diverse residential character and encouraging design and collaboration among residents of the Hamlet;
- An updated Future Land Use Concept Map;
- The establishment of two forms of residential development: large lot and small lot residential areas;
- New policies allowing for commercial and industrial development to locate within the Hamlet and provisions to ensure they do not create a nuisance to the surrounding residential areas;
- New policies strengthening the natural areas and institutional facilities of the Hamlet; and
- The development of an existing and future servicing concept for the Hamlet and related policies.
The updated Dixonville Area Structure Plan is now consistent with other County plans. For a complete copy click here.
Development Officer: Gloria Dechant
Tel: 780.836.3348 Ext. 232
E-mail:dechantg@countyofnorthernlights.com