City council passes infill bylaws, leaves 8-unit discussion for later date
Following several days of tumultuous debate and public hearings, Edmonton city council has narrowly decided to revisit the bylaw allowing eight units mid-block after more consultation is done.
The motion – put forward by Mayor Amarjeet Sohi – passed 6-5 with councillors Michael Janz, Ashley Salvador, Andrew Knack, Jennifer Rice and Karen Principe in opposition.
'I put forward a motion that will allow us to continue to engage with communities,' said Sohi.
The decision will be revisited once public consultations have been completed, with a deadline at the beginning of 2027.
'Like any compromise, you're going to have some people unhappy on all sides of the equation,' said Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette. 'We're going to have a community conversation where people can come to the table and actually hear each other.'
Morgan Wallace with Edmonton Neighbourhoods United, a group of residents from several communities that say they're concerned about certain types of infill housing since last year's zoning bylaw change, said she was disappointed by council's decision.
'Now we're back to the way we were before,' Wallace told CTV News Edmonton. 'We want to come to the table and have this discussion, but the reality is: what is the timeline?'
With the municipal election in October, the decision will be made by a new mayor and council.
The issue of infill housing will likely be the focus of the election while contenders Knack and Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell run for the top chair.
Although the most contentious item will be left for another day, several other changes to the infill bylaw were passed, including a reduction of side entrances and length limitations for mid-block infill developments.
The initial bylaw allowing eight units mid-block has been in effect for about 18 months. Residents in mature neighbourhoods have been pushing back, saying the infill units are eyesores that clog up parking and road arteries and compromise the character of older neighbourhoods.
Those who are for the eight unit plexes say that going down to six will deter developers as the return on investment won't be as big.
The decision comes after a particularly heated exchange between councillors Jo-Anne Wright and Sarah Hamilton last week while they debated whether to continue the discussion into council's summer break, which was to start Monday.
There were three empty chairs in council chambers today – Cartmell's, Hamilton's and Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford – as they said they couldn't reschedule their vacation plans. Rutherford, however, was attending virtually from Kelowna.
While Cartmell did not attend the council meeting on Tuesday in-person or virtually, he did take to social media to express his frustration with council.
'This council has been so bad at managing its agendas that the work has piled up and piled up and piled up,' said Cartmell in a video posted to social media. 'And here we are, at the end of the term, with all of this work to grind through.'
'It is council's fault because council can't get through the work, because people are not coming to a meeting prepared to make a decision and move on.'
Cartmell previously moved to put a moratorium on the infill debate for further public discussions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
18 minutes ago
- National Post
Maine state senator's pitch for western provinces to join U.S. is ‘nonsense,' says ‘enraged' B.C. MLA
Article content VICTORIA — A British Columbia legislator said he went from 'disappointed' to 'enraged' after receiving a pitch from a Republican state senator for Canada's four western provinces to join the United States. Article content Brennan Day, with the Opposition B.C. Conservative Party, said his office had to first confirm the authenticity of the 'nonsense' letter from Maine Sen. Joseph Martin after receiving it last week. Article content Article content Martin's three-page pitch said if B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were to seek admission to the United States after referendum votes, it would have to be as full American states. Article content 'This would not be annexation. It would be adoption — welcoming home kindred spirits, who were born under a different flag but who desire to live under our Constitution and accept our responsibilities, customs, and traditions,' he wrote in the letter shared by Day. Article content Martin said in the letter that his appeal is not a 'fantasy of empire' but a 'vision deeply rooted in American tradition' that would give the four provinces a chance to 'leave behind failing ideologies.' Article content 'For too long, Canadian citizens have been subjected to an illusion of freedom administered through bureaucratic means,' he wrote, adding that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 'while lofty in rhetoric, provides no absolute protection.' Article content He said this was in contrast to the U.S. Bill of Rights. Article content Martin said 'millions of people currently frustrated by central authority, moral decay, and bureaucratic suffocation' would be rewarded by 'liberty' if the four provinces were to join the United States. Article content 'The welcome mat is out,' he concluded. Article content Day said the most shocking part of the letter was its attack on Canadian institutions, like the Charter of Rights, parliamentary government, monarchism, bilingualism, multiculturalism, and the dismissal of those cornerstones as 'political baggage.' Article content Day said in an interview that Martin needed to look at 'how heavy his luggage' is. He said Martin's party was 'hauling around wheeled trunks' of baggage in the United States where the Constitution was 'being torn up by Republicans.' Article content Day said it was not clear why Martin wrote to him, but suspected it might be due to 'rhetoric' coming out of Alberta that led Martin to believe British Columbians would be interested. Article content Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment left by voice mail and text. Article content Day said he had written a response to Martin, in which he acknowledged that Canada has problems. Article content 'But we don't fix them by surrendering our identity, as you suggest,' Day said in his response. 'We fix them by doing what Canadians have always done — rolling up our sleeves, listening to each other, and finding common ground.' Article content
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Treaty 6 applies for intervener status in Alberta separation question review
Edmonton Watch Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations is applying for intervenor status in an upcoming judicial review of a referendum question on Alberta separation.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Danielle Smith faces hecklers at Alberta Next panel meeting in Edmonton
Edmonton Watch Alberta Premier Danielle Smith faced a tough crowd in Edmonton as part of her Alberta Next panel on Thursday. CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach has the story.
