(Submitted photo/Rob Lok, City of Melfort)

By Ben Tompkins

Official Community Plan

Melfort, Star City and Flett’s Springs discuss District OCP

May 8, 2023 | 4:15 PM

The City of Melfort and the RM’s of Star City and Flett’s Springs recently held an open house to outline key provisions proposed in the new District Official Community Plan (OCP).

Once finalized, the new bylaw (OCP) will provide direction to guide land use and development decisions within the planning district.

Professional planners from the consulting team were in attendance to discuss and explain what was being proposed, while also answering questions from concerned citizens.

An agreement with Crosby Hanna and Associates to take on the Melfort Planning District project was signed, back in April 2022, and the RM’s of Flett Springs, Star City and the City of Melfort have had conversations about the desire to update planning documents for a number of years.

The three parties have an ongoing and active relationship between them, and communication pathways exist between both the administrative bodies and the political leaders.

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“One of the key deliverables from the Melfort Planning District project is a modern framework for the RM’s and the City of Melfort to communicate and work together when land use and development matters are being considered,” said Rob Lok, director of community services for the City of Melfort.

“Having a modern and updated working agreement will support ongoing communication and provide processes for responding to development proposals.”

All three received a combined $62,898.75 in Targeted Sector Support (TSS) funding for this project, which will cover most of the $83,865 project budget.

“The Targeted Sector Support funding has made the Melfort Planning District project possible,” Lok added.

The proposed District OCP has objectives and policies for the protection of farmland, the accommodation of traditional agricultural activities, land use, subdivision and development, the advancement of agricultural economic diversification; and the accommodation of intensive livestock operations.

“OCP highlights include natural resources and the environment, biophysical considerations and hazards, agricultural land uses, residential land uses, commercial and industrial land uses, economic and tourism development, cultural and heritage resources, cooperation, transportation and infrastructure,” explained Lok.

Roughly 150-200 people attended the open house, with the biggest concern being that the OCP would reduce private development or land use.

According to Lok, this concern was discussed extensively and later determined invalid. Instead, he decided his biggest takeaway was the potential positives that could arise from the OCP.

“Updated modern policy documents that address the contemporary land use issues of the three planning districts, and a framework for how the RM’s and the city will work and communicate together on land use and development matters going forwards.”

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