Planning News
Public Hearing Notice
Hearing to Adopt Amendments to Municipal Planning Strategy & Land Use By-Law
Beginning at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, a public hearing will commence on the amendments to the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law.
MoDG residents may choose to send Council a written submission for consideration in advance of the public hearing. The deadline for written comments to be submitted to the Clerk’s Office is 3:00 p.m. on the day of the hearing, Wednesday, April 3, 2013 through the following methods:
By mail: Municipal Clerk, PO Box 79 Guysborough, NS B0H 1N0
In person: Municipal Clerk’s Office , 33 Pleasant Street, Guysborough, NS B0H 1N0
By fax: (902) 533-2749
By e-mail: acunningham@modg.ca
Participants wishing to speak at the public hearing must adhere to the following guidelines:
1. The public hearing is scheduled to begin Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 4:00 pm. The public hearing will continue until all speakers on the list are heard by Council. Each speaker will have a maximum of five minutes to share their comments with Council.
2. All speakers must sign up on the first day of the public hearing. The speaker signup sheet will be available at the Municipal Office one half hour prior to the start of the public hearing at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2013.
3. You must add your own name to the list on a first come first served basis. No one else can add your name to the list for you.
4. In order to ensure that you are present when your name is called, you should be in attendance at the public hearing until you have made your comments to Council.
5. Following the close of the public hearing, Council will begin their deliberations on the Plan and By-law.
Please click the following links to view the associated mapping.
MODG_Canso_only_LUZ_Mar_8_2013.pdf
MODG_Canso_only_GFLUM_Mar_8_2013.pdf
PURCHASING MUNICIPAL PROPERTY
From time to time the Municipality of the District of Guysborough offers property for sale by public tender that is not required for a municipal purpose. For example, in Little Dover the Municipality has a parcel of land identified as the “Little Dover Subdivision” that has been set aside for residential development and lots are available for sale upon request from an interested individual.
Sale of Municipal Property is usually as a result of a request by a resident to purchase a particular parcel of land that is assessed in the name of the Municipality. The Municipality has a specific policy that must be followed when requests are received by the public to purchase property however the first step is for an individual is to identify a particular parcel of land that they are interested in purchasing.
Sale of municipal property is usually done by way of a public tender in the local newspaper however in rare circumstances Council may waive policy and sell a parcel of land directly to an individual. This usually only happens if the parcel of municipal land is undersized and it abuts the applicants property and it is in the best interest of the Municipality to sell this property directly to that individual.
If the Municipality decides to sell a parcel of land to an individual there are several costs, in addition to the purchase price, that the purchaser is responsible to pay. These costs include but are not limited to the following:
• HST on the purchase price
• the expenses of the Municipality in searching the title and migration of the property
• the expenses of the Municipality in arriving at the valuation of the property which could include an appraisal if required
• the expenses of the Municipality in having the property surveyed if necessary
• the cost for advertising
• the expenses of the Municipality to have the deed prepared including deed transfer tax on the sale and recording fees
For additional information on the Municipality’s policy on purchasing municipal property, please contact Ms. Deborah Torrey, Development Officer at (902) 533-3705, Extension 222 or email dtorrey@modg.ca.
LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENTS TO INCLUDE CANSO NEARING COMPLETION
November 26, 2012
The Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MoDG) has now received a new draft amended Generalized Future Land Use Map and Zoning Map which includes the community of Canso. Municipal Staff are currently reviewing this mapping to ensure that it reflects the same type of zoning that was in place in Canso under the former Town’s Land Use Bylaw. In the next couple of months opportunity will be provided for residents, community and business leaders to receive and discuss information on the proposed amendment. In June 2012, exp Services Inc. held an open house/public meeting in Canso which provided residents with an opportunity to provide input in advance of the required first reading and Public Hearing which will take place early in the New Year. The date for this first reading and Public Hearing will be set by Council in the next few weeks.
Please note that as soon as a date has been established for the Public Hearing a notice will be placed in the Guysborough Journal and on the Municipal Website advising of the date and time of this important meeting. In the meantime, if any residents, community or business leaders would like to provide comments, discuss any concerns they have with zoning of their property or planning in general within Canso please feel free to contact the undersigned at your convenience.
As previously noted, MoDG’s existing land use plan is very similar to Canso’s current plan providing for a variety of residential, commercial, industrial and recreational type uses. However in addition to those uses, MoDG’s plan allows for other types of zoning including Natural Resource Zoning (mainly applied to Crown lands), Environmental Protected Zoning and provision for both small scale domestic and large scale wind turbines. Canso will only see minor changes, if any, to the existing zoning under the current bylaw for that area with the majority of the area being zoned Residential with the exception of existing commercial and industrial uses.
For more information on MoDG’s current land use plan, please visit our website at www.modg.ca. If you have any questions or comments please feel to contact Deborah Torrey, Development Officer at (902) 533-3705, Extension 222 or email dtorrey@modg.ca.
Sable Wind Environmental Assessment Registration Submitted
July 6, 2012
On July 4th, 2012 the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, in partnership with Nova Scotia Power Inc., filed the Environmental Assessment Registration Document for the Sable Wind Project with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment. A complete environmental assessment is required in accordance with Part IV of the Environment Act for projects like Sable Wind. You can find a link to this document on the Municipal Website.
Members of the public who are interested in reviewing the Environmental Assessment Registration Document and providing their comments on this proposed undertaking must do so no later than Friday, August 3rd, 2012 to be considered in this review. The Department of the Environment are asking that comments be provided via email where possible.
For more information, or to submit your comments, please visit the Department of Environment’s website at www.gov.ns.ca/nse/ea and click on the link for “Sable Wind”. Written comments can also be submitted to the following address:
Environmental Assessment Branch
Nova Scotia Environment
PO Box 442, Halifax, NS, B3J 2P8
On or before August 3rd, 2012 the Minister of Environment will decide if the Sable Wind Project will be granted conditional environmental assessment approval.
Sable Wind Final EA Registration Document.pdf
Appendix A.pdf
APPENDIX B.pdf
Appendix C.pdf
APPENDIX D.pdf
APPENDIX E.pdf
APPENDIX F.pdf
APPENDIX G.pdf
Appendix H Part 1.pdf
Appendix H Part 2.pdf
Appendix H Part 3.pdf
APPENDIX I.pdf
APPENDIX J.pdf
APPENDIX K.pdf
APPENDIX L.pdf
APPENDIX M.pdf
APPENDIX N.pdf
APPENDIX O.pdf
APPENDIX P.pdf
Winter Construction Plans?
December 2012 Update
If you are considering a new project this Winter that involves a new construction, addition, renovation or even a demolition drop by the Municipal Office to discuss your project with the Building/Planning Staff.
The Municipality of the District of Guysborough requires a Building/Development permit for almost all types of construction to ensure compliance with both the National Building Code of Canada and the Municipal Land Use Bylaw.
What is a Development Permit and why do I need one?
A Development Permit is required to determine whether your proposed project is permitted under the Municipality’s current zoning regulations in accordance with the Municipality of the District of Guysborough Land Use Bylaw. In reviewing your application the Development Officer will consider things such as:
• the shape and dimensions of your lot;
• the distance from the lot boundaries, dimension and height of the building or structure you are proposing to build or enlarge;
• the distance from the lot boundaries and size of every building already on your lot;
• parking requirements and proposed location and dimensions of those spaces;
• the proposed use of the lot and any building or structure; and
• any other information deemed necessary to determine whether or not the proposed development conforms to the requirements of the Land Use Bylaw.
What is a Building Permit and why do I need one?
A Building Permit is required to determine whether your proposed project meets all requirements of the National Building Code of Canada as well as the Municipality’s own Building Bylaw. In reviewing your application for a Building Permit, the Building Inspector will require the following information:
• the size and shape of your proposed development;
• a floor plan of your proposed development providing enough information to ensure the plan complies with the Building Code;
• a plan prepared by an architect or engineer for large projects such as commercial/industrial buildings and residential structures over three stories in height;
• a site plan showing the location of your proposed development including distances from your property lines;
• the value of your proposed development;
• a copy of your driveway approval from Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal where applicable;
• a copy of your approval from Department of Environment for On-site Sewer where applicable; and
• any other information required to determine compliance with the National Building Code of Canada and the Municipality’s Building Bylaw.
There are exceptions to these requirements. A Building Permit is NOT required for new buildings 10 m2 (107.6 ft2) or less in total floor area, fences less than 2 metres (6.56 feet) in height or for non-structural repairs under $2,500 however you may still require a Development Permit to determine compliance with the Municipality’s Land Use Bylaw.
So if you are thinking about a new project please drop by the Municipal Office or give our Building/Planning Staff a call to discuss your project now to prevent any unnecessary delays in your building plans this Winter.
For more information please visit our website at www.modg.ca/permits or give us a call at (902) 533-3705, Extension 235 for Building Inspection and Extension 222 for Planning and Development.