Latest news with #zoning
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
More than 16,000 new dwelling units approved in Edmonton one year after new zoning bylaw
Social Sharing It's been more than a year since the city's new zoning bylaw came into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and the City of Edmonton says it is seeing results in paving the way for more housing. City administration was tasked with creating a report focusing on analyzing landscaping provisions and whether any bylaw amendments are needed for eight-unit multi-family homes which are allowed to be built under small-scale residential zoning. In 2024, 16,511 new dwelling units were approved in Edmonton. This is a 30 per cent increase from 2023. The largest number of approved new dwelling types were for multi-unit housing and single detached housing. The report was presented at Tuesday's urban planning committee at city hall which allowed for further input from the public. More than 70 people signed up to speak at the meeting. Some residents who voiced concerns said the pace of development could destabilise mature neighbourhoods that may not yet have the amenities and infrastructure to support densification. "The private urban forest is shrinking, impervious surfaces are growing, and community livability is being degraded. We urge council and this committee to prioritize densification and already underutilized zones with existing infrastructure instead of destabilizing mature neighbourhoods," Belgravia resident Nicole Klein told council. "We are living through an housing affordability crisis," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told media on Tuesday afternoon regarding the strong reaction to the city's zoning bylaw changes. "We have challenges related to how we sustain our services. We have environmental sustainability challenges. We have a city that continues to sprawl. We need to tackle all those challenges." Any changes from Tuesday's meeting will be brought forward to a public hearing on June 30. Administration is also exploring reducing the maximum building length along an interior side lot line from 30 metres to 50 per cent of the site depth, or 25 metres, whichever is less, in an effort to address public concerns about size and shading over surrounding homes. Other changes could include regulating a maximum of four entrances on the side of a row house and design changes to street-facing facades of buildings. Impact of eight-plex housing Administration's analysis of land parcels with a site area of 600 sq. m or greater found that only 50 per cent of all permit applications that could build eight units or more on the site actually built eight units or more. "There's lot of misinformation as well as lack of clarity. For example, we are only seeing very few, eight-units being built mid-block. But a lot of people are concerned about that … So reality is not matching with people's perceptions," Sohi said. "I think that's what we need to make sure that people are understanding what's actually happening in their neighbourhood." Data in administration's report looked at the distribution of types of housing units being approved in both developing areas — located primarily outside Anthony Henday Drive — and redeveloping areas inside the Henday. The developing area saw more new dwelling unit approvals than redeveloping areas. The unit approval breakdown consisted of 43 per cent single-detached homes, 22 per cent for secondary suites and about 30 per cent mixed between semi-detached, row and multi-unit housing. For neighbourhoods within the Henday, more than half of the approved units will be in multi-unit buildings. Only about five per cent of approved housing units were for single-detached homes. Some residents, who did not wanted the full bylaw scrapped, had concerns that aspects of the bylaw were not going to alleviate affordability and demand but instead cater to the financial interests of developers and asked the city to consider having a maximum of four units per lot and 2½ storeys. Other residents like Evan Capp said they support the bylaw because it provide a potential path for future home ownership. "It gives me hope the city will provide choice for where to live and grow, especially near the services that make the city great, be it transit, rec centres or schools," Capp said. "I believe this bylaw is the city choosing to prioritize those who are not currently comfortably housed, rather than just those who are comfortably housed." If new amendments are approved during the June 30 public hearing, they would be expected to come into effect on or after July 14.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
SpaceX's Company Town May Force Its Residents to Leave Their Homes
It's been less than a month since Elon Musk got his dream town in Boca Chica, Texas, and Starbase is already a nuisance. The SpaceX town has issued a memo to residents about a new zoning ordinance and updated citywide map that could impact how they use their property. Starbase, Texas, sent the memo to residents who own property within a 'mixed-use district' that will allow for 'residential, office, retail, and small-scale service uses,' according to a copy of the memo obtained by CNBC. The company town is set to hold a hearing on June 23 at city hall to allow for public comment on its new zoning plan 'THAT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER YOU MAY LOSE THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE USING YOUR PROPERTY FOR ITS CURRENT USE,' the memo read in all caps. It's not exactly clear what this terse, oddly worded warning means, or if it implies that certain residents of Starbase could get kicked out of their homes. If someone loses the right to use their residence as they do now, does that mean they can't even sleep there? The memo mentions that the so-called mixed-use district will be for residential use, as well as office and retail, so perhaps some of the homes will have to be transformed into something else. Either way, residents were ominously warned to attend the upcoming hearing to find out their fate. Earlier in May, residents voted in favor of turning Starbase into its own city. The city spans about 1.6 square miles (4.1 square kilometers) and is home to roughly 500 nearby residents, the majority of whom are SpaceX employees and contractors. SpaceX began buying land in the area in 2012 to set up shop for its rocket business. The company has expanded its presence with housing and other facilities, and even announced tentative plans to open a $15 million shopping center. Musk first pitched the idea of turning Starbase into its own city in 2021, a long-held dream that could grant SpaceX the right to build more facilities and change the surrounding landscape. The company is currently trying to gain control of public beach closures and the closing down of roads in Boca Chica for rocket launches, ground testing, or other related activities during the week. The company's frequent rocket launches have already been disruptive to the local community and the surrounding wildlife. Now that Starbase is a city, it may increase the company's municipal authority and allow it to overstep regulatory red tape designed to protect the environment. SpaceX is facing fines of almost $150,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly illegally dumping pollutants into a Texas waterway without a permit. SpaceX, however, claims otherwise. 'Our goal is to ensure that the zoning plan reflects the City's vision for balanced growth, protecting critical economic drivers, ensuring public safety, and preserving green spaces,' Starbase wrote in the memo to its residents. The company has invested in the area by generating jobs and attracting space tourists to watch its rockets lift off to space, but its increased influence does come at a price.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Special council meeting for contentious zoning changes underway
The City of Winnipeg has started a hearing on controversial changes to its zoning bylaw to build more houses. Jeff Keele explains.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Winnipeg councillors begin hearing on fourplexes, four-storeys zoning changes
Winnipeg councillors began a multi-day hearing on new zoning rules on Monday that would allow up to four units on residential lots across the city. The proposed changes would also allow construction fourplexes up to four storeys high within 800 metres of frequent transit routes. These projects would be permitted without the need for a public hearing, as long as they meet design standards like lot coverage and setbacks. Dozens of people registered to speak at the hearing, roughly evenly split between those in support and those in opposition. The hearing is expected to last multiple days, beginning with supporters like Michael Hems. "I believe that we need to just allow our housing stock to grow in a way that curbs urban sprawl, because to many Winnipeggers out there, they understand our infrastructure is crumbling," he said. Councillors agreed to make the changes to get more than $122 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Critics say the plan will take away the right of people to have a say on developments. Others argue that the changes will not lead to a significant increase in housing construction, because other factors such as the cost of materials and labour shortages hamper the industry. St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes says city staff have addressed some of his concerns, but not all of them. He and River Heights-Fort Garry Coun. John Orlikow won a vote earlier this year, rescheduling the hearing from March until June, to allow more time for public consultation. "That created, I think, a kind of a spirit of compromise," Mayes told reporters on Monday. "So, it's been respectful so far. We'll see. Tempers will rise at some point, probably mine included. But you know, so far so good, I think." Mayes says he still worries the minimum lot size for fourplexes with no back lane is too small. Mayor Scott Gillingham says the federal government has mandated the changes, and the city needs money for housing. "We have talked publicly and consistently about the fact that I think as of six months ago, the vacancy rate in Manitoba was below two per cent," he said. "It's very difficult to find housing in Winnipeg right now." Gillingham says other federal funding programs like the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund and the Canada Public Transit Fund also make zoning changes a requirement. In total, he says more than $450 million in federal money depends on the city following through on its rezoning commitment. To qualify for the full funding, Winnipeg must issue building permits for 14,000 units by next year. Councillors are expected to vote on the zoning changes later this week, after all delegates have spoken. Winnipeg councillors begin hearing on major zoning changes 3 hours ago Duration 1:36 City councillors began hearing arguments on allowing fourplexes and buildings up to four storeys without a public hearing. It's expected to last multiple days
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Give Carriage Homes a Shot
Veronica Dagher hits the nail on the head in 'Entry-Level Homes Are Still No Bargain' (The Property Report, May 28). In Noblesville, Ind., where I serve as a city councilor, I'm working to legalize carriage houses. Our 202-year-old city embraced these small, secondary units until zoning codes eliminated them. The wheel doesn't need to be reinvented when the solution is, literally, already in our own backyard. These units cost considerably less than single-family dwellings and create accessible points into and out of homeownership while preserving neighborhood character. They also have the potential to provide rental income to help property owners afford their mortgages. Few cities and towns are immune from rising material costs and expensive land. But we control zoning and permitting. We should expand housing options without compromising community character.
