WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST #YEG PUBLIC HEARING
The March 11 public hearing had a total of twelve applications (twenty-two agenda items), including six infill applications. 
Of the six infill files, four passed without debate:
➡️ changing an industrial part of Ritchie to a business area for shops and offices (from IM medium industrial to BE business employment) 🏭🛍️,
➡️ making Central McDougall denser: a large scale rezoning application brought forward by Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT successfully rezoned to a high intensity version of the new Mixed Use (MU) zone, with a height of 75 metres and FAR of 7.0 🏢🌳, and
➡️ over in Blatchford, the City’s two applications to rezone for medium scale housing, parks and open space flew through Council with no debate at all (which is interesting given the pace of development in Blatchford over the last decade, and particularly now in the midst of a population boom).
The application by the Katz Group to extend temporary parking lots in Central McDougall to 2028 was discussed and then postponed to April 2 ⏳.
ASTER: COUNCIL TACKLES ZONING CHANGES AND TRAFFIC CONCERNS 🚗🏡
The only infill file that Council discussed was in Aster. Most of us wouldn’t consider Aster within the “redeveloping area” because it’s currently farmland, but technically it’s “infill” because it’s located inside the Anthony Henday ring road. The application rezoned a bunch of farmland to a variety of small and medium scale residential zones 🏘️.
🗣️ Council’s discussion focused on traffic management and safety🚦, as well as the loss of green space. The application was approved with a vote of 9-3, with Councillors Janz, Rutherford and Wright voting against it.
MEMORABLE QUOTE
“I’m still not going to support this because as mentioned by the speakers in opposition, wetland or not, it’s still green space. There’s still animals using this tree stand. I just, you know, have talked a lot personally and in my position as a councillor about the need to maintain and protect green spaces. And I really hate this conversation saying that any green space is insignificant because I think all green spaces are significant. So with that I personally won’t be supporting this bylaw in front of us today. Thank you.”
– Councillor Rutherford
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WHAT’S UP AT PUBLIC HEARING ON TUESDAY
The April 2 public hearing has a total of nine applications (fourteen agenda items), including five infill applications.
The infill files include:
➡️ In Meyokumin and Ottewell: The City of Edmonton is applying to rezone from the RSF (small scale flex residential) zone to the PSN (neighbourhood parks and services) zone to allow for small parks 🌳🌸,
➡️ Malmo Plains: an application to change the zoning from the RM h23 (medium scale residential) zone to the CG (general commercial) zone to allow for retail and service growth 🛍️,
➡️ Woodcroft: an application by Brentwood Community Development Group to rezone their large residential site in Woodcroft from the current mix of RSM h12 and RM h16 zoning to a new direct control zone to allow for up to 750 residential dwellings in buildings ranging from three to ten stories 🏗️🏡,
➡️ Blatchford: an application from the City of Edmonton to amend the BRH Blatchford Row Housing zone to allow for more height, reduce the minimum lot width, and remove zone-specific amenity area regulations, and lastly…
➡️ Central McDougall: the ICE district parking discussion will be back. 🚗📋
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
👀 We’ll have an eye on the rezoning application in Woodcroft, as it’s a big change for the neighbourhood and is sure to generate a lot of interest 🏘️🌆.
WATCH IT LIVE
Tune in to the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 2 starting at 9:30 am on the City’s Youtube channel.
INTERESTING WATCH
Councillor Michael Janz thinks more parking lots should become housing. Check out the idea in his YouTube video: What if a solution to the housing crisis is in big box retail stores? 🌃📺
NEWS FROM THE CITY
The City of Edmonton might reduce the size limit for commercial spaces in residential zones from 300 square meters to 200 square meters. A report is heading to the Urban Planning Committee meeting on June 18, 2024: if you’d like to review the report, hit reply to this email and we’ll send it to you. For other questions or comments, contact Michelle Neilson at michelle.neilson@edmonton.ca by April 9, 2024.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Interested in urban planning? Join us at the Connection 2024 Conference, where our very own Chelsey Jersak will be co-leading an infill tour. For more details about the conference and to register for an early bird ticket, visit Connection 2024 Conference.
READER FEEDBACK
Arjay thanks for reading this far! We send this newsletter in the hopes of making it easier and more fun to understand (1) what’s going on at #yeg city council public hearings on land development and (2) zoning, infill, and the land (re)development process in general. If there’s a topic you’d like to know about let us know and we’ll do our best to write about it!
DISCLAIMER
Zone In is created by Situate Inc. and is for informational purposes only. The content in Zone In is not to be construed as planning, zoning, real estate or any other professional strategy or advice.
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