Edmonton councillors blast Cartmell for failed infill motion
Coun. Tim Cartmell attended Thursday's public hearing into zoning bylaw changes remotely. So, the mayoral candidate didn't see in person how some of his fellow city councillors took victory laps in the wake of his failed motion to put a temporary halt to infill projects.
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Cartmell's motion to place a moratorium on density-increasing infill projects in mature neighbourhoods was shot down in council Monday night. It was ruled out of order because it likely contravened the Municipal Government Act, based on legal advice council had received.
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During Thursday's continuation of city council's public hearing into proposed zoning bylaw changes, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi moved that the legal advice be made public. Coun. Karen Principe, who will be running as part of Cartmell's Better Edmonton party, questioned the move, but Sohi stressed the need to be transparent with the public on the issue.
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The document was dated June 26, four days before Cartmell made the motion. It stated: 'The province sets the standards for building construction and the municipality works within those parameters to issue building permits, inspect construction and administer enforcement. Under this hierarchy, the City of Edmonton does not have the authority to enact a moratorium on building permits. That authority would rest solely with the province of Alberta.'
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Coun. Aaron Paquette said the document shows that Cartmell went ahead with the motion, and rallied support from the public, knowing full well that infill moratoriums are outside of the municipal government's purview.
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'No matter how finely a councillor wants to cut the baloney, it was still legally ill-advised to even consider that motion,' said Paquette. 'And, after eight years of experience, you'd hope someone would know that — especially if they are running for mayor.
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'Imagine if we paused all the construction. That's not just developers, that's homeowners who want to build their homes again on the same properties. If you can imagine the sheer volume of people who would be affected, that could easily lead to class-action lawsuits for which Edmontonians would be on the hook.'
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CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
‘So f***ing rude … f**k you': Edmonton councillor swears at colleague as infill debate spills into summer break
A debate on infill got heated at Edmonton City Hall on Friday. CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson reports. Edmonton city council got heated late Friday afternoon when conversations around zoning bylaw pushed back the summer break. It was the third day of public hearings on the topic, with all sorts of supporters and detractors weighing in on how to add density in the growing city. City council was set to break next week, but the public hearings saw more than 150 Edmontonians register to speak – leading council to consider an extension. Both Ward sipiwiyiniwak Coun. Sarah Hamilton and Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell said they would not be able to attend due to pre-planned trips based on the approved break. Things got heated shortly after when Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright suggested they could have anticipated a delay. 'From what I understand … this is a normal course of business with things ramping up, and I would think that maybe the incumbents would have been aware of that,' Wright said. 'I wasn't, but I've been able to adjust my schedule for the most part.' 'Point of order,' interrupted Hamilton. 'That was so rude, Mr. Mayor. That was so f***ing rude. F**k you, Jo-Anne Wright. F**k you.' Both Wright and Hamilton withdrew their comments shortly after. Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford, who also had travel plans booked, expressed disappointment and concern over the extension and the possibility multiple council members would be absent. 'This is one of the most important topics that Edmontonians expect us to have, and the councillors that do not attend will be questioned as to why they are not prioritizing this,' Rutherford said. 'So I think it is putting us in a terrible position.' In the end, city council voted 9-4 to return on Tuesday. In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, Hamilton said 'it was not the more parliamentary language' but that last-minute schedule changes are difficult for staff and council. 'The cruel attack on her (Wright's) colleagues for having personal commitments that are not easily changed betrays her ignorance of how constructive governing bodies are actually run,' she said. Wright spoke to media after the meeting ended and apologized for the exchange. 'I'm sorry that it happened,' Wright said. 'If I had done something to sort of encourage that, or comments that I made, I do apologize for that. 'But, I'm still concerned that we aren't going to have everybody on council at our public hearing to continue this.' A lot of public feedback The week of public hearings came 18 months after the city's new updated zoning bylaw came into effect. Supporters say infill projects under the new bylaw are increasing the housing supply and bringing new residents to aging neighbourhoods, where they support local businesses and boost the tax base. 'All of these mature neighbourhoods were designed to accommodate a much greater population than what they have,' Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said on Friday. 'Bus service is available, fire service, police service, recreational facilities … why would we not utilize the existing services and programs that we have in place and be more fiscally and sustainably and also environmentally responsible?' Those opposed say too-tall infills are being dropped into communities without considering if they fit in the neighbourhood, with towering multi-unit homes breaking up blocks of single-family bungalows. 'People are caught by surprise when an eight- or 10-unit building goes up right next door,' said Kevin Taft, who registered to speak on Friday. 'In McKernan right now, there are 16 applications to zone to higher density, that's in addition to all kinds of plexes,' he added. 'That's too fast. People can't accommodate that and it's unnecessary.' Kelly Petryk spoke at the hearings on Monday and Thursday. She said she isn't opposed to infill but doesn't think it's being done right – pointing to four fourplexes currently being built on a lot next to her home. 'My situation has been dubbed the 'Crestwood situation',' she said. 'It's a small crescent, (it) was one lot, now it's two. It didn't have the required frontage to be split. It has been split, and now there are 16 units going on.' 'Crestwood situation' A large infill project will see 16 units built on what was a single lot in Crestwood. The build prompted neighbour Kelly Petryk to sign up to share her thoughts on Edmonton bylaw during a lengthy public hearing in July 2025. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton) Petryk called what's happening next to her house a 'cautionary tale' and she is calling for better building guidelines and more effective public consultation. 'Are we ready to risk destroying neighbourhoods and say, 'Oh gosh, well, I guess that didn't work. Let's go back and figure it out?'' she said. 'I'm really frustrated at the realization that we're a guinea pig and we're just going to wait and see and figure out what happens.' Kalen Anderson, BILD Edmonton Metro CEO, supports the city's infill plan and said the current conversations are all part of the process. 'I don't think anybody should feel at all worried or ashamed about making changes that are smart,' Anderson said. 'This is what city planning is about. It's not a one-and-done.' Council has said it is currently considering a number of changes to the bylaw based on feedback from residents, including: reducing the maximum units on a mid-block lot from eight to six; requiring more windows on the fronts of buildings; shrinking the maximum building length by two metres; changing how many side entrances a build can have; building homes further apart; and keeping side stairways from jutting out too much. Anderson said many of them are reasonable, but she acknowledged they could negatively impact current builds. 'They would have to completely redesign their project. They might lose their financing. They might lose their customers,' she said. 'They would likely have to sell the units … for a slightly higher price point or rent it at a higher market rate. 'Those are the trade offs. Again, city building is messy and wonderful and that's why it's a democratic process.' Taft agreed that making changes is fine but said they should have been made as smaller changes over time. 'Council has like eight units on a 50-foot lot … when people are asking to go back, say to six or four, it throws off investors. It creates conflict,' Taft said. 'It's much better to make 1,000 small changes when you're planning a city than to make one massive one that incorporates so many neighbourhoods so dramatically.' Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang said on Thursday that there won't be a way to satisfy everyone but that council will consider the input from across the board. 'We're all in this learning exercise where we're responding to what people are saying, and I think we need to remember that this is a collective journey that we're on,' Tang said. 'We're trying to figure out what is going to be in the best interest of the city and Edmontonians.' City council will continue Friday's meeting on Tuesday. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton councillors blast Cartmell for failed infill motion
Article content Coun. Tim Cartmell attended Thursday's public hearing into zoning bylaw changes remotely. So, the mayoral candidate didn't see in person how some of his fellow city councillors took victory laps in the wake of his failed motion to put a temporary halt to infill projects. Article content Cartmell's motion to place a moratorium on density-increasing infill projects in mature neighbourhoods was shot down in council Monday night. It was ruled out of order because it likely contravened the Municipal Government Act, based on legal advice council had received. Article content Article content Article content During Thursday's continuation of city council's public hearing into proposed zoning bylaw changes, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi moved that the legal advice be made public. Coun. Karen Principe, who will be running as part of Cartmell's Better Edmonton party, questioned the move, but Sohi stressed the need to be transparent with the public on the issue. Article content Article content The document was dated June 26, four days before Cartmell made the motion. It stated: 'The province sets the standards for building construction and the municipality works within those parameters to issue building permits, inspect construction and administer enforcement. Under this hierarchy, the City of Edmonton does not have the authority to enact a moratorium on building permits. That authority would rest solely with the province of Alberta.' Article content Article content Coun. Aaron Paquette said the document shows that Cartmell went ahead with the motion, and rallied support from the public, knowing full well that infill moratoriums are outside of the municipal government's purview. Article content Article content 'No matter how finely a councillor wants to cut the baloney, it was still legally ill-advised to even consider that motion,' said Paquette. 'And, after eight years of experience, you'd hope someone would know that — especially if they are running for mayor. Article content 'Imagine if we paused all the construction. That's not just developers, that's homeowners who want to build their homes again on the same properties. If you can imagine the sheer volume of people who would be affected, that could easily lead to class-action lawsuits for which Edmontonians would be on the hook.'
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton councillors blast Cartmell for failed infill motion
Article content Coun. Tim Cartmell attended Thursday's public hearing into zoning bylaw changes remotely. So, the mayoral candidate didn't see in person how some of his fellow city councillors took victory laps in the wake of his failed motion to put a temporary halt to infill projects. Article content Cartmell's motion to place a moratorium on density-increasing infill projects in mature neighbourhoods was shot down in council Monday night. It was ruled out of order because it likely contravened the Municipal Government Act, based on legal advice council had received. Article content Article content Article content During Thursday's continuation of city council's public hearing into proposed zoning bylaw changes, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi moved that the legal advice be made public. Coun. Karen Principe, who will be running as part of Cartmell's Better Edmonton party, questioned the move, but Sohi stressed the need to be transparent with the public on the issue. Article content The document was dated June 26, four days before Cartmell made the motion. It stated: 'The province sets the standards for building construction and the municipality works within those parameters to issue building permits, inspect construction and administer enforcement. Under this hierarchy, the City of Edmonton does not have the authority to enact a moratorium on building permits. That authority would rest solely with the province of Alberta.' Article content Article content Coun. Aaron Paquette said the document shows that Cartmell went ahead with the motion, and rallied support from the public, knowing full well that infill moratoriums are outside of the municipal government's purview. Article content Article content 'No matter how finely a councillor wants to cut the baloney, it was still legally ill-advised to even consider that motion,' said Paquette. 'And, after eight years of experience, you'd hope someone would know that — especially if they are running for mayor. Article content 'Imagine if we paused all the construction. That's not just developers, that's homeowners who want to build their homes again on the same properties. If you can imagine the sheer volume of people who would be affected, that could easily lead to class-action lawsuits for which Edmontonians would be on the hook.'
