Open house features updates to development, zoning and active transportation

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This article was published 28/01/2025 (463 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The foyer at Steinbach City Hall was packed on Jan. 15 as local ratepayers took a peek at the proposed updates to the community plan and zoning bylaw and reviewed the proposed active transportation plan.

City planner Lacey Gaudet said the official community plan and zoning bylaws will not see any major changes.

“By legislation, every five years we have to do a review of both the official community plan and the zoning bylaw,” she said.

The active transportation plan is new to the city, with work beginning on this one in February, 2024.

“We have great existing sidewalks and pathways already but we don’t have a plan overall as to how we can connect all these existing pathways,” she said. “We do have some holes and we do have some gaps so the plan is to create an overall master plan so over the years with development, with construction, with city capital projects we can add to those pathways and sidewalks and eventually have a massive network.

The transportation plan was created by Urban Systems in conjunction with city residents.

With a goal of encouraging more people to walk, bike or roll in Steinbach it includes a mapped out transportation network.

Community consultations revealed a need for more safe crossings of Highway 12 and Highway 52, revealed satisfaction with existing paths but also noted a lack of sidewalks in many newer developments.

Maps showing proposed multi-use paths, sidewalks and shared streets were also on display.

A final active transportation plan is expected to be presented to council in spring.

The official community plan and zoning bylaw has been updated by WSP in a process that began in April, 2023.

Formal adoption process and the public hearing are expected to take place in March to June of this year.

Mapping changes have taken place to adjust the boundaries of the central business district and transitional district policy areas to take into account the footprint of the Southeast Event Centre.

A policy statement has also been added to include the possibility of public transportation.

It also prohibits the use of private wells for buildings that are connected to or have the potential to connect to municipal water systems.

The zoning bylaw was reorganized in a bid to reduce overlap and make it simpler.

Setback requirements have been introduced for land near the landfill and lagoon.

New classifications including data processing centre, industrial multi-use, solar energy generating systems and emergency residential shelter have been added.

Details from the presentations are available on the City of Steinbach website.