Discretionary Use Permits

All properties in the RM of Aberdeen are assigned a zoning designation. Within each zoning designation, uses can be permitted, prohibited, or discretionary. If the use is discretionary, a Discretionary Use Permit must be obtained. To apply for a Discretionary Use Permit, we require the Discretionary Use Application Form be filled out correctly and all necessary supplementary information about the proposed use be submitted to the RM Office. The fee for the Permit is $200 and is required at the time of the application.

Once all required information has been received, it is presented to the RM Council for review at the next regularly scheduled Council Meeting. After reviewing the application, council will set a date for a public hearing. All property owners within a minimum of one mile of the property noted on the application will receive notification of the application and the date of the public hearing. All property owners notified will be given the opportunity to submit written concerns prior to the date of the public hearing. The public hearing is open to all who wish to attend and all will be given the option to voice any concerns they may have. Once the Public Hearing has concluded, the RM Council shall evaluate the application and the concerns raised during the Public Hearing. After the evaluation is complete, the council shall vote to approve or reject the application at the next scheduled Council Meeting.

More information regarding Discretionary Use applications and permitted uses in the different Zoning Districts can be found in the Zoning Bylaw.

The following uses are discretionary in a CR1 & CR2 district:
Commercial Uses:
(1) Bed and breakfast homes.
(2) Personal care homes.
(3) Home-based business - No home-based business in this district shall include auto body repair or repainting operations & no heavy construction, industrial equipment, or supplies shall be stored on any site for a home-based business in this district.

The following uses are discretionary in a CR2A district:
Commercial Uses:
(1) Bed and breakfast homes.
(2) Personal care homes.
(3) Home-based business.

Recreational Uses:
(1) Integrated recreational facilities, limited to an equestrian facility or a golf course including a clubhouse, driving range and other associated facilities.

The following uses are discretionary in a CR3 district:
Residential Uses:
(1) Multiple-unit dwellings.

Commercial Uses:
(1) Bed and breakfast homes.
(2) Personal care homes.
(3) Home-based businesses.

Recreational Uses:
(1) Integrated recreation facilities, limited to an equestrian facility or a golf course including a clubhouse, driving range and other associated facilities.

The following uses are discretionary in an A district:
Agricultural Uses:
(1) Intensive livestock operations.
(2) Intensive agricultural operations.
(3) Manure disposal for an ILO.

Residential Uses:
(1) Single detached dwellings as a principal use.
(2) Dwelling units as an accessory use.
(3) Mobile home courts.

Commercial Uses:
(1) Agriculture servicing and contracting establishments.
(2) Grain elevators.
(3) Gravel pits and gravel crushing operations.
(4) Machine shops and metal fabricators.
(5) Golf courses.
(6) Campgrounds.
(7) Tourist camps.
(8) Outfitter base camps.
(9) Tourism base camps.
(10) Vacation farms.
(11) Bed-and-breakfast homes.
(12) Personal care homes.
(13) Custodial care facilities.
(14) Residential care facilities.
(15) Home based businesses and farm based businesses.
(16) Kennels.

Other Discretionary Uses:
(1) Institutional camps.
(2) Airports and private airstrips.
(3) Solid and liquid waste disposal facilities including soil farms for the rehabilitation of contaminated soils.

The following uses are discretionary in a CRMU district:
Commercial Uses:
(1) Bed and breakfast homes.
(2) Personal care homes.
(3) Home-based business.
(4) Repair services.
(5) Welding shops.
(6) Auto body shops.
(7) Cabinet makers.
(8) Carpentry and millwork including storage.

Industrial Uses:
(1) Buildings and outdoor storage areas for agricultural implements, recreation vehicles and marine equipment, automobiles, commercial vehicles and business equipment.
(2) Buildings and outdoor storage areas for construction and heavy machinery storage.

The following uses are discretionary in a C1 district:
Industrial Uses:
(1) Agricultural equipment, fuel, and chemical supply establishments, but excluding bulk fuel sales and storage.
(2) Transportation, trucking and freight handling establishments.
(3) Commercial and industrial warehouse, supply depot and storage establishments.
(4) Construction trades establishments.
(5) Indoor storage rental facilities.
(6) Warehouses and storage yards.
(7) Bulk fuel sales and storage.
(8) Agricultural product processing.
(9) Welding and machine shops.
(10) Livestock auction facilities.
(11) General industrial uses.
(12) Manufacturing and processing plants.
(13) Mineral extraction.
(14) Petroleum or mineral processing facilities.
(15) Machinery or automotive salvage and storage yards.
(16) Abattoirs, hide defleshing, tanning facilities and stockyards.

Residential Uses:
(1) Dwelling units accessory to principal uses, as part of principal buildings, for the use of caretakers, owners or managers.

Other Uses:
(1) Solid and liquid waste disposal facilities including soil farms for the rehabilitation of contaminated soils.

All home-based businesses and farm-based businesses shall be subject to the following development standards:
(a) The use is clearly ancillary to the use of a farm as an agricultural operation or the dwelling unit as a private residence.
(b) The operator of the business is a resident of the dwelling unit and, in the case of a farm-based business only, up to two non-resident employees may be employed at the site. Any employee shall be directly under the hire and management of the operator of the business. Where the business is of a building or service contractor, additional employees may be involved only at the client building site.
(c) No variation in the residential or residential farm character and appearance of the dwelling, ancillary residential building, or land shall be permitted, except for permitted signs.
(d) The permitted use shall be valid only during the period of time the property is occupied as a residence of the applicant for such permitted use.
(e) All permits issued for home-based businesses shall be subject to the condition that the permit may be revoked at any time if, in the opinion of Council, the conditions under which the permit was originally issued are no longer met.