Discretionary Use Proposal 

A Discretionary Use Application has been submitted requesting approval to develop a Garage Suite at 720 Albert Avenue in the Nutana neighbourhood. The proposed Garage Suite will be located in the rear yard of the subject property and conforms to all applicable development standards. Two on-site parking spaces are required and provided for. 

The subject site is zoned R2 - One and Two-Unit Residential District  under Bylaw No. 8770, The City of Saskatoon Zoning Bylaw. The purpose of the R2 District is to provide for residential development in the form of one and two-unit dwellings as well as related community uses. A Garage Suite is considered a Discretionary Use in the R2 District.

Location Map

Provide Feedback

Questions and comments on this proposal are invited at this time by contacting

Planner, Tanner Halonen
tanner.halonen@saskatoon.ca 
306-986-3699

Appropriate alternatives to public information meetings are being evaluated in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the response to this proposal, next steps in the engagement process will be determined. 

Renderings & Site Plan

What is a Discretionary Use? 

All property in the City of Saskatoon is assigned a zoning designation.  Within each zoning designation, specific land uses are either permitted, prohibited, or discretionary.  A Discretionary Use is a land use that is generally consistent with the permitted uses in a zoning district.  As per Section 4.7.2(1) of the Zoning Bylaw, a Discretionary Use may be allowed either at the discretion of City Council or City Administration.  Either approving authority can approve, approve with conditions, or deny a Discretionary Use application.  Approval for a Garage Suite in the R2 District is delegated to City Administration.

The Planning and Development Division evaluates Discretionary Use applications on a case-by-case basis considering the site itself, as well the surrounding context including nearby land uses.

A Discretionary Use approval is applied to a specific site, not the applicant.  Any change in size or intensity of the use approved would require a new Discretionary Use application.

What is a Garage Suite? 

The Zoning Bylaw defines a Garage Suite as “a building containing both a garden suite and an area used as a private garage and is accessory to a one-unit dwelling. It is located in the rear yard of a one-unit dwelling.”

Process

When a Discretionary Use application is received by the Planning and Development Division, it is circulated to internal Civic Departments to identify conformance or conflict with the Official Community Plan, the Zoning Bylaw, and any other applicable policies and regulations.  Departments that review the application include Planning and Development, Transportation & Construction, Environment & Utilities, Fire & Protective Services, and Building Standards.

Once the application has been reviewed by internal Civic Departments, public consultation on the application is undertaken.  Registered property owners typically within 75 to 150 metres of the subject site and the Ward Councillor are notified of the proposed Discretionary Use application as per the City’s Public Notice Policy.  When considered necessary, a public information meeting may be held to provide information to area residents on the Discretionary Use application, answer questions, and receive feedback.

Information collected from the internal review and public consultation processes will be considered by City Administration.  The application may then be approved, approved with conditions, or denied.