Subdivisions

Under the Municipal Government Act, before the Land Titles Office can register a Plan or any other instrument creating a subdivision, the subdivision must be "approved" by a Subdivision Authority.

1. If a person owns a quarter section, a part quarter section, a Lot or Block on a Plan and wants to sell a portion of that property to another person, or if a person wants to sell off most of the property and keep a small portion for themselves, a subdivision is required.
2. If a person owns a quarter section, a part of a quarter section, a Lot or a Block on a Plan and the person wants to sell several portions of that area, a subdivision is required.
3. If a person owns several Lots or Blocks on a Plan and wants to create more Lots or Blocks, a subdivision is required.
4. If a person owns a titled area which is split by a road, a railroad, a river, or a lake, and the person wants to divide the titled area using the road, railroad, river or lake as a boundary, a subdivision is required.
5. If a person owns, in one title, several Lots on a Plan registered prior to July 1, 1950 (prior to Plan 1966 HW) and the person wants to divide the Lots into separate titles, a subdivision is required.
6. If a person or two people own two titled areas (parts of quarter sections, Lots, or Blocks) and they want to change the boundaries of the titled areas (a boundary adjustment), a subdivision is required.

To apply for a subdivision, the landowner or an agent authorized to act on the landowner's behalf shall submit the following:

1. A completed application form, signed by the landowner and/or agent. Where an application form is not signed by the landowner, a letter from the landowner authorizing the agent to apply for the subdivision shall accompany the application form;
2. The fee due at subdivision application, payable to Municipal Planning Services (2009) Ltd. (Note that G.S.T. is payable);
3. A copy of a sketch plan (1 copy if the sketch plan is 11" x 17" or smaller, and 2 copies if the sketch plan is larger than 11" x 17") showing the following:
   • The legal description, boundaries, dimensions, and size of the existing parcel of land as described on the existing certificate of title;
   • The location, registered plan number and dimensions of any road widening, utility or railway rights-of-way’s, easements, or existing parcels exempt from the titled area;
   • The location, dimensions, boundaries and size of the proposed parcel(s), clearly outlining the area to be subdivided;
   • The location of any buildings or structures and any existing water wells, sewage disposal or pump out sites;
   • Existing and proposed roads which will serve the proposed subdivision;
   • The location of existing and proposed approaches serving the proposed parcel(s) and remainder of the titled area;
   • All drainage channels, streams, rivers, lakes or large sloughs located on the titled area; and
   • If the proposed lot(s) are to be served by individual wells and private sewage disposal systems, the type and location of any existing or proposed wells and private sewage disposal systems, and the distance from these to existing and proposed buildings and existing and proposed property lines.
4. One photocopy of a Title Search for the subject land, validated within 30 days of the submission of your application. Do not submit your original Duplicate Certificate of Title.Title Searches can be obtained from your nearest motor vehicle registries office. (If you cannot obtain a Title Search, please submit an additional $12.60 ($12.00 + $0.60 G.S.T.) and Municipal Planning Services will obtain a Title Search for you.).
5. EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2012 - Information about abandoned oil and gas wells.If abandoned oil and gas wells ARE NOT LOCATED on the subject property, a map from the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) showing the area and a statement from the applicant that there are no wells in the subdivision area are both required. If abandoned wells ARE LOCATED on the subject property, a list and map identifying the locations of abandoned wells within the area (including surface coordinates) and written confirmation from the applicant that the licensee responsible for each well has been contacted and the exact well location confirmed, must accompany the application.

Applications are not considered complete until the above information has been provided. Please ensure that you have completed the application form accurately and clearly identified the existing and proposed land uses in the spaces provided.

Where applications are for land with severe topographic limitations, or where applications are adjacent to a body of water, a map showing contour intervals may be required.

If the application is to create four (4) or more new parcels and is not to be served by municipal piped sewage disposal services, a report certifying that water table levels and soil permeability on the site satisfy Alberta Environmental Protection's guidelines for the type of development proposed may be required.

If the application is to create a sixth or subsequent parcel on a quarter section and is not to be served by municipal piped water supply or cisterns (with trucked water), a report to satisfy Section 23(3) of the Water Act will be required.

For information on abandoned oil and gas wells, applicants are advised to contact the AER at 1-855-297-8311.

Should this or other information be required, you will be contacted directly by Municipal Planning Services. You will be notified by letter when your application has been accepted, and also when a decision has been made.

For more complex applications (multi parcel subdivisions) applicants often hire a professional, to determine the likelihood of success, or for assistance in refining the proposals so that the chance of approval is increased. A pre-application meeting can often be arranged with the Subdivision Authority to discuss issues related to a proposed subdivision. Use of professional services may actually reduce the overall subdivision or development costs to the landowner.

Municipal Planning Services requires two separate fees in order to fully process a subdivision application. An initial application fee covers the cost of process the application to the point of making a decision on the proposed subdivision. If an application is approved, and the applicant continues with the process of subdividing the land, a final fee at the time of endorsement is required. The fees has been split into two instalments because the fees are non-refundable and, if your application is not approved, this reduces some of your costs.

The basic subdivision application fee (paid upon initial application), and the endorsement fee (paid upon final endorsement of your Plan), are both determined by the specific number of parcels resulting from the subdivision. There are two application fee structures: one for a subdivision resulting in three lots or less, and one for a subdivision resulting in more than three lots.

GST is payable on all required fees.