Work has been going on for years to update the city’s zoning regulations. On Tuesday, the Edmonton City Council’s Urban Planning Committee continued to analyze changes that need to be made to allow for more appropriate development for the city.

The new statute is expected to change the zoning of more than 500 properties throughout Edmonton.

News mixed-use areas proposed, with city officials saying they will facilitate development of major streets and commercial areas like Whyte Avenue and 124th Street.

Also, residential zoning will be changed to allow dwellings up to three stories high, including semi-detached houses, townhouses and small apartments, in all parts of the city.

A person wishing to build this type of housing could simply apply for planning permission instead of going through the rezoning process.

However, units over three stories would still require a rezoning application and the appeal process would remain unchanged.

Why these changes?

Kim Petrin, acting assistant director for planning and economics for the City of Edmonton, believes the current building code ordinance has done so reached the end of its lifespan.

It has been changed several times over the past two decades and city officials say administration is cumbersome.

Livia Balone, head of Zoning By-Law Review, says city officials want to dig deep into a complex permitting system and development process, and reduce the red tape for developers and builders.

Edmonton’s current Master Plan, the policy document that sets the overall direction for the city’s future, is also urging change. It calls for containing the future population of 2 million people within the existing city limits.

According to Kim Petrin, this means that the districts have to house 50% of the new housing, which means an increase in density in the older districts.

What do Edmontons think?

At Tuesday’s meeting, some raised concerns about the pace of the zoning review and expressed doubts about the overall level of public awareness of how neighborhoods might transform.

Former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, Kevin Taft, called, among other things, for the changes to be put on hold to allow further deliberations.

I was appalled at the scale of the changes this regulation would bring. I asked my friends and neighbors about it, but nobody had heard of ithe says.

However, other residents believe the new approach is necessary to curb the environmental and economic costs of urban sprawl.

We need sustainable cities, and that requires massive densificationsays Aaron Budnick of Edmonton.

Katrina Rowe of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association in the Edmonton area argued that the new zoning ordinance represents a significant shift in the mindset of the community.

What are the next steps?

The public consultation is open until July 30, with city officials making changes and updates behind the scenes.

City Council is expected to review the final version of the bylaws along with the new zoning plan on October 16. A public hearing will be held on that day, giving Edmonton residents one last chance to speak out.

If the City Council approves the new bylaws at that time, they will go into effect on January 1, 2024.

With information from Madeline Smith