Latest news with #EdmontonCityCouncil
Global News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Edmonton city council wraps infill hearing, introduces some changes
After hundreds of speakers and days of discussion, the debate on infill is over at Edmonton City Council for now. One day after the vote, mixed reaction is pouring in with some saying the changes don't go far enough. That includes Chris Davies. Davies has lived in the Crestwood neighbourhood for 37 years. But that comes to an end on Sunday, after selling his home. 'I suppose with what's happened with the LRT, all the noise and the development side, it helped make the decision a bit easier,' said Davies. 'There's a lot of frustration on this block, a lot of people are very concerned, and I hear it from other members of the community as well.' Across the street from his house, two eight-unit infill buildings are under construction. Throughout the day, residents hear loud construction noises and compressors running. Story continues below advertisement Davies was hoping city council might change some rules regarding infill Tuesday, but that didn't happen. 'The vote (Tuesday) was clearly an embarrassment, two of the councillors are not there to vote, one of them is running for mayor, that's ridiculous. Take responsibility for what you're doing. It's just an insult to communities and to taxpayers,' Davies said. 1:48 Public hearing on infill development in Edmonton comes to an end Councillors voted to maintain the current regulations, which allow infill properties to have a maximum of eight units. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The vote passed with a slim margin of 6 to 5. Those in favour were Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Councillors Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Karen Tang, and Jo-Anne Wright. Councillors Michael Janz, Andrew Knack, Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice and Ashley Salvador voted in opposition. Story continues below advertisement The two councillors absent were Sarah Hamilton and Tim Cartmell. They were both away on vacation. Council did add design regulations. New rules will increase side setbacks and limit projects in side yards to accommodate space for landings, stairwells, windows and paths. 'We are going to get tough on bad infill developers. We're gonna do more enforcement, and we are modifying the building envelope in making it smaller,' said Mayor Sohi. 'I think we are responding in the way that will help deal with real concerns and impact on the community.' 1:51 Tony Caterina weighs in on Edmonton's infill debate The Infill Development in Edmonton Association, IDEA, a group that advocates for high-quality infill, believes council's decision was fair. 'They struck a balance and made a compromise by making accommodations for the massing concerns that residents had, and combined that with the ability to maintain density,' said Sean Sedgwick, with IDEA. Story continues below advertisement However, Sedgwick is worried about what the reduction of building length could do for construction. 'It's not going to be easy for builders to respond to that, but we also realize that we live in a society and we have to respond to what people's concerns are,' Sedgwick said. City council will be revisiting the conversation on maximum units for infill lots. But that discussion won't come until public consultation is complete, with a deadline at the beginning of 2027.
CBC
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Tow trucks coming back to enforce Edmonton parking bans
Tow trucks will hit Edmonton's streets to boost the city's parking ban enforcement, while fines are being cut back. Edmonton city council unanimously approved bylaw changes Wednesday to tackle the issue of cars being left on the street during seasonal parking bans for street sweeping and snow clearing. Administration presented a variety of options for approaching parking ban enforcement, but council voted in favour of tow trucks and reducing parking fines to $150 — or possibly lower, if the fee is paid within seven days. "We're facing budget constraints right now, and towing to the impound lot with [the Edmonton Police Service] wasn't an option given their own capacity right now," Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford told CBC News. She said taking into account budgetary concerns, and balancing a punitive approach with public awareness, were ultimately what helped council land on the final course of action. "This allows us to put small amounts of funding toward what we know is a bigger problem, see how that affects the ability for workers to do their work, and then, at the four-year budget, potentially add funding if this program is working," Rutherford said. The city will dedicate $100,000 for the upcoming winter for towing on roads where city operators are unable to safely or effectively clear the streets. Fees reduced to improve accessibility A recent city report said enforcement officers handed out about 1,000 parking ban violation tickets in the spring of 2024, after not enforcing during the spring sweep for a decade. Contracted officers issued nearly 6,000 tickets this past spring, the report said. In 2022, the city seasonal parking ban fines from $100 to $250, so the fee served as a stronger deterrent for non-compliance and aligned with other bylaw infractions. But council is reducing the fines after hearing concerns about accessibility. Residents in Rutherford's district understand the need for parking tickets, she said, "but to be hit with a $250 fine right off the hop seemed really drastic." Rutherford said she heard from seniors in her ward who were unaware of when parking bans were in effect and were slapped with $500 in fines, because both of their household's cars were ticketed. "That's really hard for a senior on fixed income," she said. "So to me, not only do we have to continue to educate folks, [but] get people to understand when the parking ban is in effect and when it affects their area."
CTV News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Big infills on docket for discussion at Edmonton public hearing
An Edmonton infill project is seen on June 24, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton/Cam Wiebe) Edmonton city council is discussing infill rules at a public hearing on Monday morning. Council is expected to debate changes to Edmonton's updated zoning bylaw, which came into effect January 2024. Those include amendments from Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz that would reduce the number of homes allowed on an interior lot from eight to six in small-scale residential zones, as well as limit the maximum building length on those lots. Janz, who is a supporter of infill housing, said he's heard concerns from residents that the large builds are impacting privacy and parking for nearby residents. Ward pihêsiwin Councillor and mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell is expected to introduce a motion for an all-out moratorium on mid-block infill developments, saying a pause is needed for more neighbourhood consultation. Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack, who is also running for mayor, has said he believes amending and refining the zoning bylaw is a better way forward considering the city's need for more affordable housing. More to come… With files from CTV News Edmonton Jeremy Thompson, Craig Ellingson and Connor Hogg
CBC
24-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Edmonton city councillor and mayoral candidate calls for infill moratorium
Social Sharing Mayoral candidate and Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell is calling for a moratorium on infill development and said he plans to move a motion at Edmonton city council's public hearing next week targeting large mid-block buildings. Cartmell announced his plan in a news release on Tuesday, saying the city's infill strategy has moved too fast and "we need to pause, reflect, and fix what's broken before we approve more of the same." The release said his motion would place a moratorium on all new infill development, but Cartmell said in an interview that it would apply primarily to mid-block developments while the city re-examines plans for its 15 "districts," or collections of neighbourhoods. Cartmell said it's not the smaller infill developments — like duplexes and skinny homes — angering people in older neighbourhoods, but the large, monolithic buildings that have been popping up between single-family homes. "It's those very provocative developments that we need to get in front of," he said. Cartmell's announcement comes about a week before a public hearing in which amendments to Edmonton's revamped zoning bylaw will be discussed. The zoning bylaw, which came into effect last year and streamlined the city's zoning regulations to allow for more infill development and density across the city, has been divisive. Its proponents say it is accelerating housing development during a national housing affordability crisis — there was a 30 per cent increase in approved units last year, after the bylaw was enacted — and will save the city money since it's much more expensive to service new neighbourhoods. Critics of the bylaw have taken issue with the pace and scale of development it permits, saying more large multi-unit buildings will fundamentally change their neighbourhoods' character. They have raised concerns about traffic, parking, tree loss and emergency vehicle access, among other issues. Cartmell, who voted to support zoning bylaw renewal and wrote in a blog post last summer that he " absolutely support[s] infill," said a significant amount of the work done to rewrite the bylaw was positive. He said he doesn't want a return to discretionary approvals, but rather a departure from a "one-size-fits-all" approach. He said neighbourhoods' differences should be incorporated into the city's infill policies. "I fear that if we don't actually begin listening to the people that are affected, we're going to lose it all," he said. Evan Wood, a spokesperson with SaveYEG, a group fighting against recent zoning changes, said he was pleased to see Cartmell call for a pause on infill. He said SaveYEG wants to see mature neighbourhoods protected against growth that is unreasonable and unsafe. "This is a good start and I'm hopeful some other councillors will jump on board," he said. Jacob Dawang, an advocate with Grow Together Edmonton, called Cartmell's proposal a "completely irresponsible move" that could lead to higher taxes, rents and housing costs. "It's such a ridiculous proposition for a big city like Edmonton, that's growing like we are, that it does take me aback," he said. Eight-plexes in Edmonton up for debate at city hall 5 days ago Duration 1:49 Eight-plexes are going up around Edmonton since the city's revised zoning bylaw took effect a year and a half ago. City councillors are getting some complaints, prompting a motion to limit mid-block housing to six units. Others say keep the current zoning; housing density means more affordable options. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who is not running for re-election this fall, said the city needs to continue on the path of allowing more infill development for financial and environmental reasons. "When opportunities come to refurbish or demolish and build new, creating conditions to build a fourplex or duplex or sixplex is the right approach to take," he said at an unrelated news conference on Tuesday. City council's urban planning committee voted earlier this month to support amending the zoning bylaw to reduce the number of allowable units in mid-block row houses from eight to six. Cartmell has said he intends to support that change. Sean Sedgwick, the executive director of the Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA), urged city councillors in a letter Tuesday to not approve that reduction and other proposed changes. In a statement to CBC News, he said restrictive zoning practices constraining the supply of housing are a major cause of housing unaffordability in other Canadian cities and calling for a moratorium on infill homes would recreate the problem in Edmonton. "IDEA firmly believes that infill will help our mature neighbourhoods remain sustainable, vibrant places that even more people can enjoy," he said.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Edmonton city council to vote on rezoning bylaw for priority growth areas
Edmonton city council is set to hear from the public on a proposed rezoning bylaw that would impact sections of the Wîhkwêntôwin and Garneau areas, 124th and 156th streets and Stony Plain Road. City administration is proposing a rezoning impacting select priority growth areas — certain nodes and corridors in the redeveloping area that are expected to see the most growth short-term, a city report said. "The Priority Growth Area (PGA) rezoning will help implement the long-term vision of both the City Plan and District Plans and encourage more housing and business development in these important areas," the report said. The priority growth area rezoning bylaw would involve different rezonings, including a combination of mixed-use, large- and medium-scale residential, and small-medium scale transition residential zones. That would allow for medium- to large-scale housing and mixed-use development. The city chose five areas, which were identified as being connecting sections that would see some of the largest developments in Edmonton. Other factors range from access to transit, strong market demand, and the ability to explore proactive rezoning. The city said the final proposal was refined numerous times through two rounds of public engagement, which included in-person workshops, "chat with a planner" meetings, open houses and a city-wide survey.
