FSJ council considers zoning bylaw amendment for UFA tank farm

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John city council is looking to amend a zoning bylaw to permit the accessory use of a tank farm. 

City staff presented the Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2636, 2026, for first and second readings only at the July 13 regular council meeting. 

The city received an Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning amendment application from United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Limited (UFA) to develop a tank farm, an above-ground bulk fuel storage facility, at 7408 Alaska Road North. 

Although the initial application was not accepted, city staff worked with the applicant and the revised request respects the existing OCP land-use designation. 

The request seeks to add an accessory use of a tank farm, which complements and expands the applicant’s service capabilities. 

The development will expand UFA’s current operations to include bulk fuel storage and delivery services, enabling direct delivery of fuel to agricultural and commercial customers in the region. 

The report said because the tank farm is an accessory to the principal use, it will start with three tanks and expand over time to seven tanks to serve the current and anticipated needs of the business. 

The proposed development would be constructed at UFA’s existing Fort St. John cardlock site, which has been in the community since the late 1990s.

The report said this project aligns with OCP objectives, including ease of accessibility, visibility and location. 

The report said the zoning amendment process allows the council to modify existing zoning laws and regulations to accommodate changes in land use, promote development or address community needs. 

The city council also directed staff to research tank farms in relation to the current Zoning Bylaw and provide recommendations for amendments to the zoning regulations. 

Councillor Gord Klassen said he believes the council needs a report on the amendment’s implications before the process begins, possibly before a public hearing. 

The city’s director of development services, Jennifer Decker, said city staff were working to process the application so a longstanding local business can add storage to its site. 

“They had quite a tight timeline; they’re hoping to meet with this application and so staff were proposing to move this through and then have the direction to dig into this topic,” she added. 

Councillor Trevor Bolin said, “Our zoning bylaws and zoning regulations have not been updated enough to allow for this kind of project.” 

“So, instead of having temporary use permits coming to us and all these different things, this is an opportunity for us to move forward with what should already be happening. In the meantime, staff behind the scenes are working on fixing what needs to be amended in our zoning bylaw.” 

A public hearing on these proposed amendments has been scheduled for July 27, 2026, at 6 p.m., in the City Hall council chambers. 

To read the full report, see below.