Zone In: August 16 Public Hearing + New Blogs on UCRH and RF5

Hello and welcome to Issue #10 of Zone In, Situate’s newsletter on what’s happening at Edmonton City Council public hearings on land development.

The next City Council public hearing is coming up tomorrow, August 16. Read on for the summary of what’s on the agenda and what Council approved at the last public hearing on July 5.

 

THE ‘WHY’ BEHIND ZONE IN

We created Zone In for two reasons: to make it quicker and easier to find out what’s happening at City Council public hearings, and to make it easier to show your support for rezoning applications (because a little bit of support goes a long way).

Our newsletter focuses on applications related to infill and urban redevelopment; Situate’s client files are highlighted in orange.

 

JULY 5, 2022 PUBLIC HEARING RECAP

Let’s start with a recap of what happened at the July 5 public hearing. The agenda had a total of 23 items: three items were road closures, two items pertained to industrial lands, five items were in the developing area (new neighbourhoods), and twelve items were in the redeveloping area (mature neighbourhoods). One of the items in the redeveloping area was to rezone a portion of a Real Canadian Superstore site so the zoning would be uniform, and is not profiled here.

The road closures, industrial items, and three of the five items in the developing area were approved unanimously.

Item 3.7/3.8 was an application in the developing area and was selected for debate. It was an application to rezone a 0.67 hectare site in Charlesworth located between 34 Street SW (an arterial road) and 36 Street SW and south of Charleswood Drive SW (a collector road). The application was submitted by Green Space Alliance on behalf of a private landowner and proposed to rezone the site from the CNC (neighbourhood convenience commercial) zone to CB1 (low intensity business) zone. Of note, new one-storey commercial buildings on the site are currently under construction and the rezoning would allow for a broader range of commercial uses within the new buildings. The rezoning would also allow for slightly greater massing and flexibility for future development and redevelopment. The rezoning was in alignment with the City Plan’ goals to create 15-minute districts that allow people to access their daily needs at a range of local destinations, services, and amenities.

There was one speaker in favour (the applicant) and two speakers in opposition. The speakers in opposition were primarily concerned with privacy, building height, and the setback distance between buildings along the southern boundary of the site and the residential lots (with single detached houses) located adjacent to the site’s southern boundary. Councillors in support of the application noted the rezoning would result in a modest increase in intensity and that a sensitive transition to the residential area can be achieved. Of note, Councillors emphasized the importance of locating diverse commercial uses within neighbourhoods to support the City Plan’s goals for 15 minute districts. The item was approved by Council with a vote of 12 to 1 (Councillor Rice in opposition).

The notable infill files were Item 3.10, Items 3.13/3.14 (dealt with together), Item 3.15, Item 3.16, Items 3.17/3.18 (dealt with together), Items 3.19/3.20 (dealt with together), Item 3.21, and Item 3.22. The following provides an overview of the items.

Item 3.10 was an application to rezone a 897 square metre lot in Kenilworth on the corner of 83 Avenue and 71 Street. The application was submitted by Divine and David Inc. and proposed to rezone the site from the RF4 (semi-detached residential) zone to the RF3 (small scale infill development) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of small scale multi-unit (row) housing. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but it aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas. There was one speaker in favour and none in opposition. The item was approved unanimously.

Item 3.13/3.14 was an application to rezone two lots with a total site area of 1,384 square metres in Glenwood on the corner of 98 Avenue and 157 Street. The application was submitted by Tamon Architecture Inc. on behalf of a private landowner and proposed to rezone the site from UCRH (urban character rowing housing) to RA7 (low rise apartment) zone. The rezoning would allow for low-rise multi-unit housing. The rezoning required an amendment to the Jasper Place Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) to change the land use designation from G3 Transit Oriented Housing to G4 Multi-family Housing. The site is located approximately 400 metres from the future Glenwood/Sherwood and Jasper Place LRT stops and is within the 156 Street Secondary Corridor.

There was one speaker in favour (the applicant) and two speakers in opposition (including the Glenwood Community League president). The debate primarily centered around alignment with City Plan, proximity to the future Valley Line West LRT, spot amendments to the ARP, and compatibility of the RA7 zone in the neighbourhood interior. The speakers in opposition were primarily concerned with the quantity of spot amendments to the ARP, and the transition between the RA7 zone and surrounding low density development in the RF1 zone–they stated that the current UCRH zone is better for transitioning to lower density development.

Councillor Stevenson as well as Administration noted several important considerations regarding the alignment of ARPs and City Plan. They noted that City Plan was not in place when the ARP was adopted, plans evolve over time, City Plan takes precedence where the ARP is not consistent with it (note: this hierarchy is established in the Municipal Government Act), and that as district planning occurs, current plans that are not in alignment with City Plan will likely not be updated. Councillor Stevenson also asked Administration for clarification about the building height differences between the UCRH and RA7 zones. Administration clarified that four storeys would be achievable under RA7 instead of three storeys under UCRH, and that the RA7 zone has greater setbacks.

Councillors in support noted that the rezoning aligns with City Plan’s direction for secondary corridors and increasing density within existing neighbourhoods, particularly when located close to the future LRT. Councillor Knack, the ward Councillor, noted that Glenwood Community League has historically been receptive and supportive of infill within the community. With an intention to consider the concerns of residents and the community league, Councillor Knack noted that while rezoning probably does make sense with City Plan direction, he would prefer to wait for district planning to be complete. The item was approved by Council with a vote of 12 to 2 (Ward Councillor Knack, Councillor Rice in opposition).

Item 3.15 was an application to rezone a 4,224 square metre lot in Idylwyde on 82 Avenue, just east of 83 Street. The application was submitted by Harmandeep Singh on behalf of Smoke & Vape 82 and proposed to rezone the site from CNC (neighbourhood convenience commercial) to the CB1 (low intensity business) zone. The rezoning would allow for additional low intensity commercial, office and service uses. The site is approximately 100 metres from the Bonnie Doon LRT stop and is within the Whyte Avenue/75 Street Secondary Corridor. There were no speakers in opposition or in favour of the rezoning, but the item was selected by Councillor Rice for debate. The debate primarily centered on cannabis related uses, which are provided for in the CB1 zone but not in the CNC zone. The item was approved by Council with a vote of 12 to 2 (Councillor Principe, Councillor Rice in opposition). 

Item 3.16 was an application to rezone a 766 square metre lot in Dovercourt at the corner of 141 Street and 124A Avenue. The application was submitted by Ndura Developments and proposed to rezone the site from the RF1 (single detached residential) zone to RF3 (small scale infill development) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of small scale multi-unit (row) housing. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but it aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas.

There was one speaker in opposition to the rezoning whose concerns were primarily related to parking and the increase in density. Councillor Rutherford (the ward Councillor) noted that the neighbourhood is predominantly single detached dwellings (83%), the rezoning aligns with City Plan to increase density in existing neigbourhoods, and that the RF3 zone is a sensitive density increase. Councillor Rutherford also noted that the maximum build-out of the site is considered when evaluating rezoning applications. Administration further noted that at the development permit stage, the dimensions of a site often limit the number of principal dwellings and how many garden/garage suites are achievable compared to what is allowed in the zone. The item was approved unanimously.

Item 3.17/3.18 was an application to rezone a 697 square metre interior lot in Central McDougall on 106 Street, just north of 108 Avenue. The application was submitted by Span Architecture on behalf of a private landowner and proposed to rezone the site from the RF1 (single detached residential) zone to RF3 (small scale infill development) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of small scale multi-unit (row) housing. The rezoning required a map amendment to the Central McDougall/Queen Mary Park Area Redevelopment Plan to redesignate the site from single family housing to row housing. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors but it is approximately 600 metres from the Kingsway/Royal Alexandra Hospital Transit Centre/LRT Station and aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas. The item was approved unanimously without debate.

Item 3.19/3.20 was an application to rezone a 0.23 hectare lot Downtown located on 100 Avenue NW, west of Bellamy Hill. The application was submitted by Dialog on behalf of ProCura and proposed to rezone the site from the RMU (residential mixed use) zone to a DC2 (site specific development control provision) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of a mid-rise residential building that is of a similar scale and form to development permitted by the existing RMU zone, but with an additional density of approximately 75 units. The rezoning also required an amendment to the Capital City Downtown Plan to redesignate a portion of 100 Avenue from a neighbourhood street with a commercial emphasis to a residential street. The site is located within the Centre City district, which is the central node of the metropolitan region where additional residential density is encouraged. The item was approved unanimously without debate.

Item 3.21 was an application to rezone a 12.9 hectare site in Malmo Plains located east of 122 Street between 51 Avenue (a secondary corridor) and Whitemud Drive on the former site of Michener Park, which was a University of Alberta residential housing complex. The application was submitted by Stantec Consulting Ltd. on behalf of the University of Alberta Properties Trust and proposed to rezone the site from the AJ (alternative jurisdiction) zone to AP (public parks) zone, PU (public utility) zone, CB2 (general business) zone, RA7 (low rise apartment) zone, and RA8 (medium rise apartment) zone. The rezoning would allow for low to high density residential, commercial, park, and stormwater management facility uses. A non-statutory master plan, the Michener Park Redevelopment Master Plan and Design Guidelines was prepared by the applicant to establish the land use framework for the site. The Master Plan was reviewed concurrently with the rezoning application. The site is partially within the 51 Avenue secondary corridor and aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development. The item was approved unanimously without debate.

Item 3.22 was an application to rezone three sites in North Glenora. Two sites (6,448 square metres total) are located on 136 Street, between 109 Avenue and 109B Avenue. The third site (2,846 square metres) is located on the corner of 135 Street and 109 Avenue. The application was submitted by Der & Associates Architecture Ltd. on behalf of Regency Developments. The application was originally submitted in 2021 but it was referred back to Administration at the August 31, 2021 Public Hearing to work with the applicant to engage with North Glenora residents and the community league. The application proposed to rezone the site from the DC2 (site specific development control provision) zone to the RA7 (low rise apartment) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of low rise multi-unit housing with some commercial opportunities at the ground level. The RA7 zone contains reflects contemporary amendments to the Zoning Bylaw whereas the old DC2 zone does not. The site aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas and is located near the Westmount District node and the Westmount Transit Centre.

There was one speaker in favour (the landowner) and one speaker in opposition to the rezoning. The debate primarily centered around direct control zones versus standard zones, suitability of the proposed low-rise density, relevant planning considerations (uses, not users), housing affordability, preserving the history of the existing townhouses (including a heritage resource on the City’s Inventory), replacing the existing townhouses with apartments, and engagement with current tenants. 

The lengthy debate is difficult to capture in one or two paragraphs so we have included some of the highlights. Councillor Salvador noted that rezoning from a DC2 to standard zone indicates that the standard RA7 zone is flexible and clarified with Administration that as part of the Zoning Bylaw Renewal, the intention is to move away from DC zones. Councillor Knack noted concern for the affordability of the current housing and how that may change for the new developments. Councillor Salvador also noted that the current zoning could result in a higher-cost housing due to the parking requirements in the DC2 regulations (the landowner noted that the removal of parking requirements was a main reason for rezoning). Councillors Knack, Paquette, and Salvador noted that the application is challenging and complex, and encouraged the applicant to engage and collaborate further with the existing buildings’ current tenants. Councillor Knack (the ward Councillor) acknowledged the proposed rezoning’s alignment with City Plan, but noted concern for the current tenants and reiterated the importance of engaging with the tenants who are concerned about the redevelopment of the properties. The rezoning was approved by Council with a vote of 8-3 (Ward Councillor Knack, Councillor Principe, Councillor Rice in opposition).

Side note: if you’ve ever wondered about the pros and cons of standard zones versus direct control zones–check out our blog post “Should I Use a Standard Zone or a Direct Control Zone?“

AUGUST 16, 2022 PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA OVERVIEW

The August 16 public hearing agenda has a total of 29 items: two items are road closures, four items pertain to industrial lands, ten items are in the developing area (new neighbourhoods), and thirteen items are in the redeveloping area (mature neighbourhoods). 

The notable infill files are Item 4.1, Item 4.18, Item 4.19, Item 4.20, Item 4.21, Item 4.22, Items 4.23 and 4.24 (to be dealt with together), Item 4.25, Items 4.26 and 4.27 (to be dealt with together) and Items 4.28 and 4.29 (to be dealt with together). 

Item 4.1 is an application to rezone a 605 square metre lot at the corner of 144 Street and 106B Avenue, two lots south of 107 Avenue (a secondary corridor). The application was submitted by Situate on behalf of TruCapital Real Estate and originally proposed to rezone the site from the RF1 (single detached residential) zone to the UCRH (urban character row housing) zone. The UCRH zone would have allowed for the development of small-scale ground-oriented multi-unit (row) housing in alignment with City Plan policy for secondary corridors, without the need for a large rear setback variance at the development permit stage (check out our UCRH blog post for details on why). After a lengthy debate at the June 22, 2022 public hearing (check out Zone In #9 for the summary), Council referred the file back to Administration to return with the RF3 zone at the August 16 public hearing. Similar to the UCRH zone, the RF3 rezoning would allow for the development of small scale multi-unit (row) housing in alignment with City Plan policy for secondary corridors. However, it will require a large rear setback variance at the development permit stage to achieve four row house units. You can listen to Chelsey’s thoughts on the UCRH and RF3 zones on IDEA’s latest podcast episode, here.

 

 

Item 4.18 is an application to rezone a 687 square metre lot in Sherwood on the corner of 95 Avenue and 153 Street. The application was submitted by Green Space Alliance on behalf of a private landowner and proposes to rezone the site from the RF1 (single detached residential) zone to RF3 (small scale infill development) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of small scale multi-unit (row) housing. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but it aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas.

Item 4.19 is an application to rezone a 717 square metre lot in Forest Heights on the corner of 98 Avenue and 79 Street. The application was submitted by a private landowner and proposes to rezone the site from the RF4 (semi-detached residential) zone to RF3 (small scale infill development) zone. The rezoning would allow for small scale multi-unit (row) housing. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but it aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas.

Item 4.20 is an application to rezone a single corner lot in Glenwood at the corner of 100 Avenue and 159 Street. The application was submitted by Green Space Alliance and proposes to rezone the site from the RF1 (single detached residential) zone to RF5 (row housing) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of ground oriented (row) housing. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but the Jasper Place Area Redevelopment Plan designates it as “active edge housing,” which encourages row housing.

Item 4.21 is an application to rezone a 1,926 square metre site in Strathcona on the corner of 99 Street (a secondary corridor) and 90 Avenue. The application was submitted by Beljan Developments on behalf of Sharbro Construction Ltd. and proposes to rezone the site from DC2 (site specific development control provision) to a new DC2 provision. The rezoning would allow for the development of mid rise mixed use building, with five more units than the current DC2 allows. The site is located within the 99 Street Secondary Corridor, and the proposed zoning aligns with the policies of the Strathcona Area Redevelopment Plan. 

Item 4.22 is an application to rezone a site in McQueen located at the southwest corner of 142 Street and 109 Avenue. The application was submitted by Clarity Development Advisory on behalf of Yardstick Technologies and proposes to rezone the site from the US (urban services) zone to the CB1 (low intensity business) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of low intensity commercial, office and service uses, with opportunities for residential above the ground floor. The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but it aligns with City Plan policies that encourage the development of small commercial sites that contribute to the livability of the area by allowing for greater access to a wider mix of uses.

Item 4.23/4.24 is an application to rezone a 2,100 square metre site in Central McDougall at the corner of 109 Avenue and 107 Street. The application was submitted by Green Space Alliance on behalf of a private landowner and proposes to rezone the site from a DC2 (site specific development control provision) to a new DC2 provision. The rezoning would allow for the development of up to 13 residential units in three separate row housing buildings. The rezoning requires an amendment to a map in the Central McDougall/Queen Mary Park Area Redevelopment Plan to redesignate the site from “single family residential” to “row housing.” The site is not located within any nodes or corridors, but it aligns with City Plan policies that support infill development in all residential areas.

Item 4.25 is an application to rezone the historic Hangar 11 site in Blatchford, on 109 Street and 117 Avenue. The application was submitted by T3 Development Inc. to rezone the site from DC1 (direct development control provision) to a new DC1 provision to allow for the adaptive reuse of the Hangar building, while maintaining the key heritage features. The new DC1 will allow for a mix of commercial uses and up to 316 residential units. The site is located within the Blatchford-NAIT-Kingsway Major Node, and the proposed rezoning also conforms to the policies of the City Centre Area Redevelopment Plan.

Item 4.26/4.27 is an application to rezone a 701 square metre lot in Queen Mary Park at the corner of 111 Avenue (a primary corridor) and 117 Street. The application was submitted by a private landowner and proposes to rezone the site from and proposes to rezone the site from the RF1 (single detached residential) zone to RF3 (small scale infill development) zone. The rezoning would allow for the development of small scale multi-unit (row) housing. The rezoning requires an amendment to a map in the Central McDougall/Queen Mary Park Area Redevelopment Plan to redesignate the site from “single family residential” to “row housing.” The site is located within the 111 Avenue Primary Corridor.

Item 4.28/4.29 is an application to rezone a large site in Central McDougall, comprising most of the lands bounded by 105 Avenue NW, 106 Street NW, 106 Avenue NW and 101 Street NW. The application was submitted by Stantec on behalf of Katz Group and proposed to rezone the site from a DC1 (direct development control provision) to a new DC1 provision, and to create a new zone called the CMUV (central McDougall urban village) zone that would apply to most of the site east of 104 Street. The rezoning would allow for a high-density, mixed-use urban village. The rezoning requires an amendment to the Central McDougall/Queen Mary Park Area Redevelopment Plan to amend three maps and adjust the implementation of the Redevelopment Levy. The site is located within the Centre City node. 

All of the infill files have support from the City of Edmonton Administration and align with City Plan.

 

HOW TO SHOW SUPPORT

 

If any of these applications grabbed your attention as something you like, or that you’d like to see more of in Edmonton, let Council know—your support can make a big difference.

Send a quick email to Council at city.council@edmonton.ca and city.clerk@edmonton.ca with the subject line “SUPPORT re: Item #.##, August 16, 2022 Public Hearing” and body text along the lines of “I am an Edmontonian who supports the City Plan goals of creating a more livable, sustainable and compact city with attainable housing options for all Edmontontians. For that reason I fully support the above referenced project.” The City recommends that submissions be sent by 4:30PM the day before the public hearing (today). Submissions sent thereafter will be shared with Council the morning of the public hearing.  

 

HOW TO WATCH PUBLIC HEARINGS

 

If you really love infill and municipal politics, tune in and watch the public hearing live on the City’s YouTube channel! The action starts at 1:30 PM on Tuesday August 16.

 

NEW BLOG POSTS ON RF5 AND UCRH ZONES

 

We often get asked about Edmonton’s different row housing zones, and what the benefits and drawbacks of each of them are. As part of our How To series of articles, we’ve written new blog posts about what you can do in the RF5 (row housing) and UCRH (urban character row housing) zones. In the RF5 article, we talk about the advantages and disadvantages compared to the RF3 zone. In the UCRH article, we talk about this relatively new zone and the advantages and disadvantages compared to the RF3 and RF5 zones. 

 

IN DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

 

Situate’s founder and principal, Chelsey, appeared recently for the second time on In Development, the Infill Development in Edmonton Association’s podcast. She talked with the hosts about what has been happening in the infill community in the past few months, innovative infill zones (including her thoughts on the UCRH zone), and Mexico City’s missing middle development. Check out Episode 18 here!

 

THAT’S A WRAP

 

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The next City Council public hearing is Tuesday August 30. Watch your inbox for our next issue!