Town of Redcliff September 22 council meeting highlights 

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Redcliff Town council gathered on September 22 to discuss key community matters. The agenda featured two public hearings on land use changes, the adoption of previous meeting minutes, and the approval of new town policies. Here’s a summary of the decisions made and what they mean for residents.

First, council held two public hearings.

The first hearing concerned a property at 1100 Broadway Avenue East. The proposal, outlined in Bylaw No. 1994/2025, sought to rezone a portion of the lot from a Special Urban Reserve District to a General Commercial District. After notifying adjacent landowners and advertising the hearing, administration received no written feedback from the public. The Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) had previously reviewed and approved the amendment. Following the hearing.

The second hearing involved a more debated proposal for a property at 1080 Highway Avenue NE. Bylaw No. 1995/2025 proposed changing its zoning from Commercial, Highway District to a Direct Control District. Unlike the first hearing, this proposal drew five written responses from the public. The MPC had previously recommended against the change, stating that the current commercial zoning is appropriate for the property. Council considered the public feedback and the MPC’s recommendation during the hearing.

Following this, the minutes from the September 8, 2025, council meeting were officially adopted. This brings several important decisions into effect:

• Water Service Upgrade: A cost-sharing agreement was approved for a water service upgrade at 702 Broadway Avenue West. The property owner will cover 75 per cent of the cost, as specified in the town’s Fees Rates and Charges Bylaw.

• Infrastructure Project Halted: The planned engineering and design project for infrastructure upgrades on the 800–900 blocks of 5th Street SE have been removed from the 2025 Capital Budget. Town administration had been asked to review the situation and propose a replacement capital project at an upcoming meeting.

• 2026 Budget Dates Confirmed: Council has set the dates for reviewing the 2026 budget. Capital budget discussions will take place on November 5 and, if needed, November 6, 2025. The operating budget will be reviewed on November 22 and 23, 2025. These meetings are open to the public.

• Council also gave its approval to two new policies. Policy No. 045, regarding the write-off of receivable penalties and balances, was passed. Additionally, Policy No. 063, which governs the sale of goods on municipal property, was approved as presented.

The September 22 meeting then continued with several bylaw readings, including the bylaws subject to the aforementioned hearings.

Bylaw No. 1994/2025, Amending Land Use Bylaw No. 1957/2023: Parry Williams Real Estate Ltd., on behalf of White Fox Group Ltd., submitted an application to rezone a portion of Lot 1, Block 1, Plan 0412179. The rezoning aims to facilitate a future subdivision and development permit application for a national retail service provider in Redcliff. The current zoning (Special, Urban Reserve District) is intended to protect land for future orderly development. The proposed amendment initially sought to rezone the property to C-HWY (Commercial, Highway District). However, after discussions with the applicant, it was determined that C-GEN (Commercial, General District) would better align with the developer’s long-term plans. The applicant has since requested this adjustment. Split zoning concerns were also addressed. Split zoning, which applies two distinct sets of regulations to a single parcel, is considered to be a poor planning practice due to enforcement challenges and regulatory ambiguities. To resolve this, the applicant plans to submit a subdivision application before finalizing the rezoning.

Bylaw No. 1995/2025, Rezoning for Care Facility Development: On  August 11, 2025, Larson Laing of Boring Ventures Ltd. submitted a Land Use Bylaw amendment application to rezone 1080 Highway Avenue NE. The rezoning is required to align the property’s zoning with its intended use as a large-group care facility. The property is located in Redcliff’s Gateway Neighbourhood, which the Municipal Development Plan identifies as a priority area for commercial growth. The plan envisions the Gateway Neighbourhood as a hub for traveller-focused services; diverse business opportunities; and improved connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. Rezoning this property aligns with the long-term vision of phasing out incompatible industrial uses and creating a more aesthetically pleasing entrance to Redcliff.

Bylaw No. 1996/2025, Annual Reserve Allocation: The Annual Reserve Allocation Bylaw, originally established in 2016, was reviewed to enhance the management of the Town’s reserve funds. During an earlier, meeting, administration proposed several updates to streamline reserve accounts and reduce the tax burden on residents. Key changes include renaming the Road Maintenance Reserve to the Transportation System Reserve for consistency with other utility functions. Another change incudes combining the Volunteer Appreciation Reserve, Community Celebration Reserve, and Community Initiative Reserve into broader reserves like the Operating Contingency Reserve and Tax Stabilization Reserve.

Bylaw No. 1997/2025, Access to Information and Protection of Privacy: With the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) being replaced by the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) and the Access to Information Act (ATIA), Redcliff council is updating its bylaws to reflect these legislative changes. The first reading of this bylaw took place on September 8, and it was brought back for second and third readings during the September 22 meeting.

Council also reviewed several important requests for decisions. Among them was an Encroachment Permit Application for a concrete planter that encroaches into the road-right-of-way on Broadway Avenue E by up to 0.90 meters. The Planning & Development Officer conducted a site inspection and found no concerns with approving the permit. Feedback was also sought from Operations and Planning & Engineering, with no objections received.

A proposal has been submitted to sell 201 Saskatchewan Drive NE on behalf of the Town. The property, acquired by the Town through a Tax Forfeiture title after the 2021 Tax Recovery Auction, is currently a vacant lot used for storage and surrounded by a perimeter fence. The land’s most recent assessment valued it at $128,000. If sold, the proceeds would be allocated in the following order: remedial costs related to the parcel, tax arrears, lawful municipal expenses, crown expenses charged against the parcel, and a 5 per cent administration fee payable to the municipality.

For more details on these and other discussion points during the meeting, visit the Town of Redcliff website at http://www.redcliff.ca.