City of Brandon Looks to Update and Improve Zoning By-law

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Planning, Property & Buildings Department is seeking public feedback as it looks to update and improve Brandon’s wide-ranging Zoning By-law for the benefit of its customers and the wider community. While the City of Brandon Zoning By-law received a significant overhaul in 2016, the Department has since discovered some additional changes that, if made, would allow for a smoother process for land use and development approvals.

A number of changes are being proposed for the Zoning By-law, including reducing commercial and industrial building setbacks, reducing residential front yards in new neighbourhoods, and expanding off-site parking allowances beyond the Downtown HUB to all areas of the community.  A comprehensive list of changes being proposed for the by-law can be found on the City of Brandon website here.

“Through the process of working with customers on development proposals in the past few years, we’ve found a number of areas within the Zoning By-law where we feel we can increase flexibility and reduce processing times,” notes City of Brandon Chief Planner Ryan Nickel. “Our Zoning By-law is a ‘working document’ that should be responsive to both community and development needs and be updated when the need arises. We hope that our public will let us know if we are on the right track with such proposed changes to ensure the by-law remains reflective of the needs and wants of the local community.”

Local developers and other interested stakeholders seeking more information about the proposed by-law changes are invited to arrange one-on-one meetings with Planning, Property & Buildings staff between March 5th and March 9th. A public open house will also be held Tuesday, March 13th, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. within the Brandon Design Studio space of the Brandon Cultural Resource Centre at the A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex (638 Princess Avenue – Entrance B). Planning, Property & Buildings staff will facilitate a group discussion from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Department staff will then consider all feedback received as by-law amendments are drafted later this spring, with the intent to have such amendments given final approval by Brandon City Council this summer.