'None of my neighbours know about it': Concerned citizens say not enough public awareness around proposed bylaw changes

The City of Edmonton is making a major change this year, which will dictate how the city grows and densifies in coming decades.

The city is overhauling its zoning bylaw for the first time since the 1960's and despite the process being nearly complete, a group of concerned citizens is asking officials to scrap the plan.

On Thursday, the group rallied outside City Hall, calling on council to pause or restart the ongoing overhaul of Edmonton's zoning bylaw.

"City council does not have a mandate to proceed with this bylaw," said Kevin Taft, the leader of the concerned citizen group.

The group has various concerns about specific changes being proposed, including eight-storey mid-rise buildings – and in some areas high-rise buildings – being automatically permitted and built without appeal.

However, their main argument is that there is not enough public awareness surrounding the process.

"I would say really none of my neighbours know about it," said Arlene Tessier.

In May, the concerned citizen group hired a polling company to ask 300 Edmontonians how much they knew about the looming bylaw change, with nearly two-thirds reporting they had never heard of it.

"It is shocking, the city has its numbers about who they’ve consulted. I suspect they’ve been working in a kind of echo chamber," Taft said.

Edmonton Coun. Ashley Salvador said the process began five years ago and was even paused in 2022 to allow for an extra year of consultation.

"At this point, we know that there are concerns," she said. "At the same time, we do know that we have to move forward."

The city said it has done enough to let people know zoning changes are coming, including holding dozens of open houses, meetings and surveys.

It also said it mailed out pamphlets with last year's property tax notices and advertised the bylaw change on social media, radio and local newspapers.

"We're actually essentially at the end stage of years of consultation and engagement with Edmontonains that took various forms," Salvador said.

“Recent concerns shared are not new and have already been taken under consideration in earlier stages of the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative," city spokesperson Karen Burgess said in a statement.

Once approved the zoning rules could change as soon as October.

Some members of the group said they are planning to take their concerns directly to Edmonton City Council on Tuesday when the zoning bylaw is up for discussion.