City councillors approve Edmonton zoning bylaw changes

Edmonton's city council has voted in favour of a new zoning bylaw that will allow denser neighbourhoods and building types previously restricted to certain areas.

The decision Monday morning comes following five days of public hearings in which councillors fielded feedback from more than 200 city residents on the proposed changes, which include reducing the number of standard zones to 24 from 46, consolidating the number of residential zones to six from 16, and introducing two mixed-use zones to allow more density and compact urban form.

Councillors voted 11-to-2 in favour of overhauling the bylaw for the first time since the early 1960s. The process to change the bylaw started five years ago and was paused last year to allow for an additional year of consultation.

"Ultimately, this bylaw supports building compact, inclusive and healthy communities whereas didn't have access to various housing options and amenities to achieve a vibrant neighbourhood and local economy," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said Monday as councillors offered their conclusions following last week's hearings.

The changes to the bylaw, which will come into effect on Jan. 1, will allow for infill development of different varieties on any city lot. Highrises and apartments can appear in areas that once would have been reserved for single-family residential homes.

Coun. Keren Tang, whose southeastern Ward Karhiio includes part of Mill Woods and newer neighbourhoods south of Anthony Henday Drive, said the changes bring the city "in line with where we need to be today based on the future that we want to see."

Tang said in her conversations with people in her ward, she's hearing people are moving "not just because of the availability of housing in these neighbourhoods, but also because of affordability, of greater opportunities for intergenerational living, a proximity to amenities and services, and in some cases, where their community is, whether it's faith-based or ethnocultural."

"I'm not sure some Edmontonians are seeing these kinds of opportunities right now in developing areas, so I don't see this discussion as good or bad, but I do think it's about growth, and at the rate we're growing, we need smarter development and land-use policy," she said.

For Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright, addressing costs associated with continued expansion is a major factor in her support of the bylaw overhaul.

"We're looking at snow removal now. We're looking at further construction and maintaining our city roads," Wright said. "I think now we have to look to the future ... so I think this bylaw along with the substantial completion that's being considered as well in the future will help to reduce those costs, help reinvigorate those maturing neighbourhoods."

Coun. Karen Principe, who voted against the proposed bylaw changes along with Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi Coun. Jennifer Rice, said there were enough important "parts missing" in the proposal for her to vote against the changes.

"There are aspects I need to see in there in order to give my full support," said Principe, who represents the north-side Ward tastawiyiniwak. "I heard about communities losing vibrancy. Even though the infrastructure is the same, the populations have decreased, but that's because times change. Family structures change, mindsets change, so I realize that we have to change with that as well and that will include having different choices of housing. I understand that, but unfortunately, I won't be able to support this."

While many councillors acknowledged the zoning bylaw changes are "not a silver bullet" that can solve most or all problems at once, approving it allows the city to "start to achieve better results compared to the status quo," said Ward Metis Coun. Ashley Salvador.

"It won't solve climate change, housing affordability or the city's infrastructure deficit, and it won't solve these deeply entrenched problems, but will it help? Absolutely," Salvador said. "There is no single tool that will fully tackle these issues, and I think it's unrealistic and unwise to wait for perfection while students are sleeping in cars because they can't find housing, while record numbers of newcomers are trying to find their footing, while higher emissions continue to be baked in by the current bylaw ...

"As one of our speakers said, imperfect action is better than inaction. And the proposed bylaw is a massive improvement."