Some Edmonton mature neighbourhoods could see 100-unit infills under provincial order, city warns
Administration says following the ministerial edict as written would revert just under half of RS-zoned homes to RF1 or RF3, lifting height limits and unit caps in several areas.
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Some mature Edmonton neighbourhoods could see buildings of up to 100 units under a provincial order on infill, city administration has warned council.
Administration told council Tuesday that if the city follows the provincial order as written, just under half of Edmonton's current RS-zoned residences would revert to RF1 or RF3. RF3 removes the eight-unit limit and massing limits council added after public feedback, and RS zoning permits small-scale commercial uses such as a coffee shop on a vacant lot, which the old zoning would remove.
Neighbourhoods that could see 10-metre-tall, 12-unit buildings on 600 square-metre lots include Mill Woods, Callingwood, Sweetgrass, Blue Quill, Twin Brooks, Cumberland, Westridge and Belmead, among others. Mill Woods is affected across the entire neighbourhood. Mature neighbourhoods previously zoned RF3, which would lose restrictions on mid-block units, could see 16-plexes or 100-unit buildings depending on lot size. Westmount, Grovenor, Bonnie Doon, King Edward Park and portions of Garneau are named among them. Developers could still seek rezoning for row houses or multi-unit housing, but would have to go through the public hearing process.
Mayor Andrew Knack said the letter of the law would increase development rights in many communities, with larger height limits and in some cases no unit cap. "Did the minister intend to increase the height in communities? I'm guessing not, because that's the order in council, but yet they clearly didn't think it through because that's what it would actually mean," Knack said.
On Wednesday council voted to present two options to the minister of municipal affairs, with Ward tastawiyiniwak Coun. Karen Principe dissenting. Option one is to proceed exactly as written in the order in council. Option two is a hybrid option discussed in camera, which Knack said would give the minister an off-ramp. Council has asked for written confirmation of the minister's preferred option. Knack said a letter-of-the-law approach could not meet the compliance deadline because multiple zones would have to be created. "I'm not here to do their work for them," he said.
The Government of Alberta has directed the city to amend its Zoning Bylaw by a set deadline, focusing on the RS-Small Scale Residential Zone to make uses, density and height comparable to the provincial policy statement on inf
