Council has voted to amend the City’s definition of a health clinic to allow businesses like physiotherapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and other similar uses to operate in Light Industrial Zoning Districts like South Industrial Drive.
Council unanimously approved the decision at their Monday, Feb. 24 meeting. The City has consulted with three businesses who are considering moving into Light Industrial areas, but couldn’t because of the current zoning laws.
City of Prince Albert Community Development Director Craig Guidinger told council the current bylaw was “relatively restrictive” because it included actual examples of types of businesses in its definition, something that “isn’t a standard practice.”
The issue was the subject of a public hearing on Feb. 24, but no one spoke for or against it during the meeting. Guidinger told council that administrators have not received any feedback—positive or negative—about the proposed change.
At least one business has already filed a successful application to move into South Industrial Drive. Hillside Physical Health and Fitness needs new premises by the summer as their old location is being redeveloped.
There is already one gym operating on South Industrial Drive, but because Hillside offers physiotherapy treatment they were previously classified as a health clinic. With the new bylaw in place, physiotherapy now falls under Personal Services. That means they can relocate pending council approval, which they also received at Monday’s meeting in a separate vote.
The amendment generated a lengthy discussion about how it would impact other areas of the community, like Prince Albert’s downtown.
Guidinger said council cannot deny discretionary permits just because they don’t want businesses leaving a certain area. He added that Light Industrial areas like South Industrial Drive are becoming more popular.
“We’re finding the businesses do like more space and do like parking with what the South Industrial Drive allows for,” Guidinger said during the meeting. “If you were to ask me ‘has this potentially drawn businesses out of certain areas of the City’ I would say it’s tough to measure that, but it’s certainly likely.”
During a question and answer period, Guidinger said many businesses are drawn to South Industrial Drive because it offers more space with more parking. He said the area has changed from what it was intended to be 20 years ago, and the City needs to manage that evolution.
“South Industrial Drive, for the most part, is built out and it’s developed,” he told council. “I think it has attracted types of businesses that could have in the past located downtown and that is an unintended consequence of those types of decisions.
“That being said, a think South Industrial Drive is completely built out. There aren’t any vacant lots that I believe are for sale, so I think the impact (of) a decision like this has already been made. The businesses are allowed. They’re thriving. They’re operating already, so I think the way to manage these types of uses through zoning would have been a number of years ago.”
Changing the bylaw will not have an impact on Methadone clinics, Guidinger said, since they must go in a pharmacy, and pharmacy locations are governed under a different bylaw.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
