Saskatoon safe consumption sites won't see zoning changes from City

The City of Saskatoon says safe consumption sites in the city will not require the city rezone the land the site sits on.

The Riversdale Business Improvement District (RBID) submitted a letter on Mondayto the city at asking that definitions for consumption sites be reviewed during a Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services meeting.

"An injection site or a consumption site is much different and the functions around it different than a dentist or an osteopath or a chiropractor," said RBID executive director Randy Pshebylo.

"We had embarked on a bit of a meeting with planning to define that."

AIDS Saskatoon was given Health Canada in August approval to run a safe consumption site in a building on the corner of Avenue P Northand 20th Street W.

The facility is designed to give people a safe place to use drugs, and is seen as a key factor in combating the crystal meth, opioid and HIV numbersin the city.

At a meeting last year, city administration reported that the safe consumption site would be considered a medical clinic for zoning purposes.

On Monday, administration said it's not up to the city to determine what is or is not a medical facility. Instead, it's up to the province and federal government.

"[Safe consumption sites] are regulated and they have to comply with federal and provincial regulations," said Lesley Anderson, director of planning and development for the City of Saskatoon.

Right now, the city is in the middle of a three-year review of its zoning bylaws, with some zoning changes rolling out this year.

While the city is reviewing zoning cases in relation to medical facilities, only practices that don't staff medical professionals (e.g. Reiki, aromatherapy) are involved in the review. Safe consumption sites would not fall in that definition.

"We wouldn't be intending to go into that realm where we'd actually consult with the Ministry of Health as we're not looking at changing the actual medical professions listed," said Anderson.

Councillor Ann Iwanchuk moved that RBID and other groups be consulted when working through the zoning definitions for medical clinics.

Councillors also voted to move budget considerations for a Streetscape Master Plan for the area north of 20th Street W.to 22nd Street W.to the 2021 budget deliberations.

In a letter, RBIT noted opportunities were being lost due to the Master Plan's absence. The plan could include a bike lane that would link River Landing to Caswell Hill through Avenue C, as well as boulevard trees and increased on-street parking.