Member wants more oversight for MPC

What’s the role of the municipal planning commission — one member of the development oversight body wants to know.

Frank Devine, a local realtor who sits as a public member, moved Wednesday to table a proposed bylaw change giving additional approval power to planning staff.

That won’t be taken up again until the seven-member commission can meet to discuss responsibilities and duties of the body.

He told the Wednesday meeting that over the years, a move to streamline the application process for developers has meant more and more final decisions are being made at by planning office staff.

“I’m not sure that we’re fulfilling the mandate, and that may have developed over time,” he said. “I think we need to see what the ramifications are before voting to (recommend that council) change a bylaw.”

It will be taken back up at the next meeting on Dec. 13.

The proposed change would give planning officers authority to approve all subdivision applications. Currently, any residential plan that involves fewer than 10 lots can be OK’d by the general manager of planning, but larger ones must go to the commission for examination and approval. The MPC would still debate and vote on area structure plans, which precede subdivisions, and lay out the larger planning scheme.

Subdivision applications are dealt with differently across the province, said planning general manager Kent Snyder, but a local change could be beneficial to the private sector. It might also aid out-of-town developers who deal with office-only approval elsewhere.

“The (current) system is working and we don’t see this as critical,” said Snyder. “But it could speed up the application process by a couple weeks at least.”

The commission’s vice-chair, Coun. Darren Hirsch said City Hall’s mandate is to increase co-operation with private developers

“We’re trying to work toward a more co-operative relationship with private sector,” he said. “We’re trying to have quicker decisions and keep the integrity of the decision making process,” he said. “Increasingly (developers) are on the clock to get shovels in the ground.”

Devine said that transparency is an important issue.

“My concern is that City of Medicine Hat is the largest developer in the city,” said Devine. “I believe our role is to let the general public have input into what’s going on.”

Both Snyder and Hirsch said city land department proposals are subject to the same approval processes and standards as anyone.