The Development Compliance Team is responsible for enforcing regulations as set forth in the Strathcona County’s Land Use Bylaw (LUB). 

Common categories of LUB enforcement include: 

• Unauthorized Developments: those that are neither ‘Permitted nor Discretionary Uses’ of a Land Use District 
• Development without permit: Developments carried out without a valid Development Permit. 
• Non-compliance with the conditions of a Development Permit. 

The goal of Development compliance is to emphasize compliance through education. Once a complaint is registered and an investigation commenced, attempts will be made to educate the property owner to achieve compliance.

Did you know?

Development Permits are required for the following, as stated in the Land Use Bylaw (LUB): 

Site grading  

• Is a discretionary use in all districts
• The addition to or the extraction of topsoil or fill in excess of 40m3 in all districts 
• No water course or drainage easement can be affected and water can not be directed onto an abutting parcel or, adjacent lands can not be deprived of water as a result of altering drainage 
• None of the topsoil or fill being brought onto the site can be contaminated with construction rubble or any hazardous substances 

Tree clearing 

For areas greater than 1,000 m2 in the Agricultural: General (AG) district and greater than 500 m2 in all other districts 

Accessory buildings

More information on accessory buildings.

Home businesses 

More information on home businesses.

Secondary suites

More information on secondary suites.

Signs

As per section 5.20 of LUB 6-2015. More information on signs permits and regulations.

Parking 

As per Section 4.34 and 4.35 of LUB 6-2015, on-site parking shall not be located in a required front yard or flanking side yard except: 

4.3.4. Within a residential Zoning District in the Urban Service Area or within a Hamlet, on-site parking shall not be located in a front yard or flanking side yard except:

• a) where a driveway provides access to on-site parking a single vehicle may be parked in front of each on-site parking space (i.e. garage stall or equivalent);
   
• b) where a driveway leads to a garage in the rear yard, the driveway may be widened to allow for one front yard parking area with a maximum width of 6.0 m;
   
• c) where there is a single driveway leading to a garage, the driveway may be extended to a maximum width of 6.0 m to provide a front yard parking area for up to two vehicles; or
   
• d) in a manufactured home park.

4.3.5. Parking in the front or flanking side yard as outlined in 4.3.4, shall be confined to the on-site driveway or parking area and have a durable dust-free hard surface of concrete, asphalt or similar material. Vehicles shall not be parked on grassed or landscaped areas.

Outdoor storage 

• Outdoor Storage is not permitted in residential, most commercial, agricultural and Country Residential land use districts 
   
• This is the accessory storage of equipment, goods, and materials in the open air where such storage of goods and materials does not involve the erection of permanent structures or the material alteration of the existing state of the land. Typical uses include but are not limited to pipe yards or vehicle or heavy equipment storage compounds. This does not include recreation vehicle storage. 

Land, buildings, or signs in Strathcona County can only be developed or used in conformity with uses permitted in its district and all the regulations in the LUB except for legal non-conforming uses or as approved by a Development Officer or the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB). 

No person shall commence or cause or allow to be commenced, or carry on, or cause to allow to be carried on, any development unless a development permit has been issued pursuant to provisions of the LUB.