After no one voiced opposition during an Aug. 19 public hearing, Rocky Mountain House town council passed second and third reading of its updated Land Use Bylaw (LUB) rewrite.

Aimed at modernization and cutting red tape, the bylaw includes updated rules around landscaping, erecting monuments, sea cans, and “soft-sided” buildings.

For example, a previous rule requiring 33 per cent of new trees on non-residential parcels to be shrubs or coniferous was rescinded.

Further red tape was cut allowing dwellings to be allowed behind non-residential properties. Previous rules restricted dwellings to the second storey.

Rules guiding the use of solar energy devices were added, as were guidelines such as noise mitigation for data processing centres.

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Notably, a change removing the requirement for a second storey or façade in the core commercial district was adopted. Town staff compared downtowns in places like Canmore and Sylvan Lake where the number of stories on buildings varies. A recommendation stated that requiring a second storey drives up the cost for a development; a decision that should be left to the owner.

You can view all the changes (highlighted in red) here.