City tables updated Official Community Plan
After extensive consultations the City of Swift Current has tabled their 2019 Official Community Plan.
The 72 page document is designed to be the blueprint for future growth of the community over the next 25 to 50 years.
It was officially presented at the April 8 Swift Current City Council Meeting, and notice of motion was given in regards to council’s intent to adopt this new plan.
“It’s like the planning bible for this community,” explained City of Swift Current General Manager of Planning and Growth Development Michael Ruus.
“This document really outlines all of the policy that we need to be following to move forward in that 25 year period, and creates tools for us to use in the implementation of that plan.”
The document contains policies, concept plans and neighbourhood use strategies in order to provide the strategy behind the future growth of the community. It outlines the goals in the areas of goals, people and places, environment, relationships, infrastructure and identity.
The 2019 document updates Swift Current’s last plan which was completed in 2003. Since that time, the community recorded a population growth of 18 per cent (increasing from 15,709 to 18,558 according to 2017 Sask Health data), and recorded $584 million in construction between 2004 and 2015.
The document also complies with the new regulatory framework set out by the province when it comes to land use planning.
“There were some cases of polices not necessarily being in line with the provincial direction, which we’re required to be. So that was the real impetus to get this project going.”
Ruus explained the next step is for the City to complete the updating of zoning bylaws, which are the main implementation tool to make this plan a reality.