Development Permits
Are you planning on developing on your Wheatland County property? Depending on your exact plans, you may need to apply for a development permit. There are different development permits, based on what type of property you are developing.
Which one best describes your situation?
Rural Residential Development
If you are building a home or adding a residence to your existing rural property please complete “Form A”.
Rural Accessory Structure Development
This application form will fast track your accessory building/structure if you are on a rural property. Please complete “Form B” if you are building a garage, shed, barn, or any structure over 100 sq ft, including farm structures.
Rural Commercial / Industrial / Rural Business / Community Service / Public Utility / Recreational Development
This application form is required when you want to start an Industrial, Commercial, Recreational, or rural business on a rural parcel. Before filling out “Form C” you may want to consult with staff for further requirements.
Hamlet Residential/Accessory Structure Development
If you are building a dwelling or adding a garage or shed to an existing residential parcel within a Hamlet, please complete “Form D”.
Hamlet Commercial/Industrial/Mixed-Use/Community Service/Public Utility/and Recreation Development
This application form is required if you are starting or running a commercial or industrial parcel in a Hamlet. An application form is also required is you are looking to have a mixed-use building, recreation facilities/areas, a new or expanding any community services such as a community hall. This for would also need to be completed if any accessory structures are required for the above uses in a Hamlet. You may want to consult with staff for further requirements before completing “Form E”.
Natural Resource Extraction Natural Resource Extraction
If you are proposing to start a new gravel pit or expanding an existing gravel pit “Form F” will need to be completed and submitted to the development department. This application is also for the removal, extraction, excavation, stock piling, processing and transmission of raw materials off a property for ongoing commercial purposes. Resources and raw materials may include peat, sand, silt, shale, gravel, clay, marl, limestone, gypsum, other minerals precious or semi-precious, timber and coal. Please be sure you have the appropriate zoning of the parcel prior to applying for a development permit.
Signs
This application form will identify which type of signs require a sign application both within a Hamlet and in a rural setting. For further information please refer to the Land Use Bylaw Section 7.18 or contact staff for assistance.
Development Adjacent to Provincial Highways or Canals
For development permit applications within 1600 metres (one mile) of a provincially controlled highway (secondary or primary), you must contact the Alberta Transportation for a roadside development permit. Development permit applications adjacent to a canal require prior approval from the Western Irrigation District (WID).
Stripping and Grading
Stripping and grading involve moving and/or stockpiling soil. All stripping and grading activities require a permit.
Note: For some development permits, Alberta Transportation, Alberta Environment, or other provincial bodies will need to be consulted.
Accepting Soil onto Agricultural Land
As high rates of development occur west of our County, excess soil is being offered to landowners. Wheatland County Agriculture and Environment has prepared a fact sheet that outlines risks associated with accepting such soil onto agricultural lands and methods of mitigating them. It is intended to help support Wheatland County’s agricultural producer in protecting themselves and their neighbours from any unforeseen consequences that may occur. Producers must be vigilant when accepting any bulk soil onto agricultural lands to ensure that productivity is not impacted and weeds and pests are not introduced. We must work together to ensure that the high quality agricultural land base in Wheatland County is maintained.
Book a Pre-Application Meeting
Before submitting an application for a development permit, come in to see us. We can help you decide which application to use, and we can walk you through the process, to save you time. We are happy to help! Submit an online meeting request.