North Glenora residents concerned with planned housing developments
Some residents in a central Edmonton neighbourhood worry changes planned by a developer won’t attract as many young families to the area as aging townhomes are replaced with new apartment units.
Regency Developments bought several 1950s townhouse properties in the North Glenora area a few years ago. It has slowly rezoned the properties with the city to allow four-storey apartment buildings.
Each building will have about 40 units with two bedrooms and a handful of one-bedroom suites.
Tanya French told CTV News Edmonton that she lived in her patio home in North Glenora as a tenant for her 12-year-old daughter’s entire life.
“I guess we sort of knew that these places wouldn’t last forever,” French said.
“I can see the point of wanting to get rid of them, but I don’t really understand the point of putting in more single people basically,” French added. “Cause it’s kind of more of a family neighbourhood.”
Raj Dhunna, Regency Developments chief operating officer, said many families live in its apartment buildings across the city. The developer has built more than 1,500 units in Edmonton.
For him, any new row housing unit development would come with much higher rent.
“The key element here is affordability,” Dhunna said. “We’re replacing two bedrooms with two bedrooms. The layouts are actually a lot more functional than a townhome is.”
Dhunna added that Regency Developments had always intended to demolish the townhouse units to build a new project. He said all the townhouse units have two bedrooms.
A map displaying the status of rezoning applications for apartment complexes in the North Glenora (CTV News Edmonton)
“These one, two-bedrooms that are coming in, we couldn’t afford them,” said Bobby-Ann Warrior, a resident of the area the new development in North Glenora is being built.
The nearby Coronation Elementary School nearly had to close a few years ago due to low attendance. Recently built townhouses designated as affordable housing have helped bring families to keep the school open.
In Warrior’s mind, the townhouse versus apartment debate is irrelevant, it is the cost that will drive families away from the area.
“They’re going to lose all those kids cause these parents just can’t,” she added. “They can’t do it.”
Regency Developments says the successfully rezoned site will start demolition this fall.
City council is scheduled to discuss what happens to the other sites in the area on Aug. 31.
Karen Burgess, a communications advisor for the city, said no official position on the project has been reached by the city. Their position will be made public after the report summarizing public consultation on the project is released ahead of the rezoning meeting in August.
“This rezoning is a developer-driven and not a City-driven development,” Burgess said in a statement. “Developers have the right to make rezoning applications and the City is obligated to process such applications, make a recommendation and then advance them to City Council for a decision.
“The City makes its recommendation on proposed rezonings by conducting a thorough planning analysis, which carefully weighs the application in the context of all policy and technical considerations.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.