Latest news with #ENU

Calgary Herald

Edmonton zoning bylaw prompts surge in infill, upsets neighbourhoods

A year in, the City of Edmonton's new set of zoning bylaws have encouraged more redevelopment within the city, but some neighbourhood groups feel the increased housing supply comes at too high a cost. Article content Article content 'Densification is fine, but when it's done in appropriate and responsible way. (When it) is going to create communities that we're still going to thrive in, and still love in and want to raise kids in, and all these things that we love about Edmonton,' said Dallas Moravec, treasurer for Edmonton Neighbourhoods United (ENU). Article content Article content 'We feel like that is being stripped away by all of these developments that are happening just anywhere, for no rhyme or reason.' Article content Article content The city briefed media on Friday about the one-year review of the new zoning bylaws that came into effect at the beginning of 2024, reporting positively of the changes happening across the city from the revised document. Branch manager for the city's development services, Travis Pawlyk, acknowledged the city had received pushback on some of the bylaw's impacts, but said significant changes to the bylaw and its effect on infill was unlikely. With the one-year report headed to city council June 3, here's what you need to know. Article content A need for change Article content Pawlyk started Friday's briefing by highlighting the need for an overhaul to the zoning bylaws from the city's perspective, and explained the bylaws hadn't been rewritten since the 1960s. Article content Article content 'In 2024 we came up with a new bylaw that completely rethought the entire document,' said Pawlyk. Article content Article content He said the new document was put together over the course of five years, consulting Edmontonians, businesses and industry leaders. It sought to reshape the role the city played in zoning, and to encourage more redevelopment in the city's redevelopment area, which effectively meant neighbourhoods inside the Anthony Henday, with a goal of hitting 50 per cent of new housing in the redevelopment area.