Saskatchewan hands historic development authority to Corman Park

The Rural Municipality of Corman Park council is exploring the prospect of leaving the Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth or P4G. (Keenan Sorokan/CTV News)

A historic pilot project is putting more power in the hands of the influential rural municipality that surrounds the City of Saskatoon.

Earlier this month, the RM of Corman Park was granted approving authority by the provincial government, allowing it to make its own decisions about subdivision development without consulting the province.

“It brings the local approving decisions to our citizens and to our council,” Kerry Hilts, the RM’s chief administrative officer told CTV News.

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Corman Park is the first RM to receive this designation and the first Saskatchewan municipality in nearly 30 years to do so.

Until now, the province’s 10 largest cities were the only other bodies authorized to make major decisions affecting community growth, development and land use.

For the hundreds of others in Saskatchewan, any decision must be sent back to the province to approve or deny turning land into lots, roads or subdivisions. That review can take up to 90 days.

“From a development perspective, time is money, and to be able to come back and say that decision is made, we can get moving — that is just huge for us," said Hilts.

Its new authority has already made for plenty of extra work at the RM office, as the province handed over more than 40 applications it was already working on. Once that’s done, the new model is expected to provide a clearer and more efficient approval system.

“We have a planning department of about [roughly] 11, 12, 13 people. So, we’re ready.”

The expanded powers come as the rural municipality grows increasingly vocal about its dissatisfaction with its membership in the Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth. It’s a regional planning group consisting of Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman, dubbed the P4G.

On Tuesday, the Corman Park council’s planning committee recommended unilateral withdrawal from the partnership due to contrasting growth priorities and tensions around group decision making and the lack of a dispute resolution process.

But in a statement emailed to CTV News Thursday, a provincial government spokesperson indicated the decision to grant approving authority to the RM was based, in part, on its membership in the P4G.

Other factors included meeting criteria set out in the Planning and Development Act, the high level of subdivision activity in the RM, and its population of around 9,000.

“Note there are a number of terms and conditions that continue to apply: the RM requires a registered professional planner, all subdivision decisions must be consistent with all applicable law and planning documents, including the RM of Corman Park Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw and the processes outlined in the P4G District Planning Agreement,” the statement read.

Changes to the official community plan and zoning bylaw amendments still require ministerial review, according to the province.

“We encourage the City of Saskatoon and RM of Corman Park to continue to work together and with their P4G partners.”