If you are planning to lease or a commercial property for a business, you should be aware that the City of Calgary has different zoning requirements for the type of business which you are going to set up in different geographical locations.
Although the area where you might to locate your business might exclude your particular type of business, you also have the ability to have the parcel of land re-designated.
Each commercial zone within Calgary has a wide range of commercial applications, but each commercial zone has been designated with a specific purpose which can range from being primarily used by pedestrians or by motor vehicle use.
These zones are also affected by city ordained regulations and city by-laws. They are also influenced by the particular district that the commercial business will serve. Some examples might include a particular neighbourhood, the community at large or the entire region itself.
There are two types of business operations which considered in these zones.
They include:
Permitted Business Operations – This type is relatively self explanatory. If your business clearly falls into what type of business is permitted, you will not have a problem in getting approval for your business.
Discretionary Business Operations – This classification is a bit more complicated. It means that the business you want to operate isn’t listed or entails a type of operation which is not normally performed by your type of business. You will need special approval from the Calgary Zoning Board. Getting reviewed and approved can take up to several months in these types of circumstances.
The Board will have to review the area in question and may even have to seek the permission from your commercial neighbours to ascertain if they object to the business you want to operate.
Calgary is currently broken down into 11 distinct commercial districts. These districts include 2 neighbourhood districts, 2 community districts, 3 corridor districts, 1 office district and 3 regional districts.
Your zoning restrictions in the area where you want to locate your business are relatively easy to research. All you have to do is to research the Land Use Map which you can find on the City of Calgary website.
If the land you wish to use involves a titled parcel of land you will have the contact the city and request a ‘Confirmation of Land Use’ letter which you can request by fax or email from:
plngbldg@calgary.ca.
You also get this letter in person at:
Third floor, Municipal Building
800 Macleod Tr SE
Customer Service Counter
You can also get more detailed information on areas which are designated as medium density land use zoning, along with low density. Special restrictions may also apply to secondary units. You will also need to get any appropriate development and building permits for your business.
In any event, before you proceed with your business enterprise you must ensure that you can operate the type of business you plan to run in any particular zone.
Photo by sowrey
