The City of Saskatoon’s Zoning Bylaw is so large that its review is divided into six different packages, six different stages.  It began in 2019 and work on the final package is now underway.  Planning Project Services Manager, Chris Schulz, explains that the goal is to keep current with trends in commercial, residential and community development.

He believes one of the most significant aspects of this package are a number of possible amendments to help enable sustainability initiatives. For instance, green buildings and roofs, landscaping treatments which integrate storm water management into them, adaptive reuse of previous developments, and infill,
They are also looking at parking standards, electric vehicle parking standards, and at dark sky compliant lighting.

Another element in package six is garden and garage suites in new neighbourhoods. Schulz says they are legal across the city, but only the older neighbourhoods are allowed to have two stories, which means the ability to put a suite on top of a garage. In other areas, the suite would have to be connected to the side of the garage or it could be a one-story garden suite. He suggests that in neighbourhoods like Brighton, Kensington and Willowgrove, they are re-introducing back lanes, so a second story garage suite may work there.

Package six is expected to be presented to City Council in June, and then the final step is to repeal the old bylaw and replace it with the new one, which would include all six packages.