MOOSE JAW — City council updated two bylaws recently to make it easier to own certain birds of prey and to allow commercial developments in the newest phase of the West Park subdivision.
During a recent regular meeting, council voted 5-2 to adopt updated bylaw 5724, Keeping of Animals Bylaw Amendment, and have the mayor and city clerk sign it. This was the third and final reading of the updated bylaw.
Councillors Dawn Luhning and Heather Eby were opposed; neither woman gave any reasons for voting against the updated bylaw.
However, during a discussion about this topic in October 2023, Eby said the animal bylaw is from 2012, and while some residents may have kept falcons, they did so without obtaining an exemption. Moreover, the bylaw lists other prohibited animals, so she didn’t want council to start approving requests since “a precedent is a precedent.”
“There are way too many unknowns for us and unintended consequences … ,” Eby added.
The updated bylaw removes hawks and falcons from the list of prohibited animals when a person is a licensed falconer, while it also addresses other suggested amendments. Specifically, it adds definitions for falcon, falconry, hawk and licensed falconer, while it specifies the type of enclosure falconers must have to house their raptors.
Zoning bylaw
Meanwhile, during the same meeting, council gave three unanimous readings to a zoning bylaw amendment that rezones a portion of parcel A, plan 102019115, extension 6 in West Park’s Phase 5A from R1 large-lot low-density residential district to R1A low-density residential and C1B mixed-used neighbourhood commercial districts.
These changes will accommodate future residential land use and mixed commercial use in this area.
As part of the update, city administration will not have to hold a public information session or install large format development signs to announce the changes because development in West Park has been happening since 2008.
Instead, city hall advertised the changes for two weeks in the Moose Jaw Express, sent notices by mail to homeowners within 90 metres of the subject property — no written responses were received — and posted a public notice with a copy of the draft bylaw on the City of Moose Jaw’s website.
West Park is in Moose Jaw’s northwest corner, while its development is entering Phase 5. The municipality owns parcels 5A and 5B, while West Park Development Corporation is the developer; the two entities have had an agreement since 2008.
The corporation recently submitted a subdivision application for phases 5A and 5B and a rezoning application for nearly 20 acres in parcel 5A. The applications would create 39 low-density residential development lots and one mixed-use neighbourhood commercial development lot — at first in Phase 5.
Furthermore, the corporation submitted an updated transportation impact assessment report addressing parcel 5B’s proposed access road off Ninth Avenue Northwest for commercial vehicles. The report also addressed a new pedestrian crossing at Westpark Drive and Ninth Avenue Northwest that connects the subdivision with Sunningdale so children can safely reach the school.
Also, the developer provided updated calculations about the expected wastewater capacity usage, while the city will work to confirm that capacity.
