Edmonton’s city council has decided to reduce the maximum building height for new housing in mature neighbourhoods to 9.5 metres from 10.5 metres.
The 10-3 vote in favour of changing the height of new infill builds was made just before midday, during the third hour of a public hearing on Monday morning.
Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledged some people would not be satisfied by the change, but said he is “very comfortable” with it, and would continue to allow Edmonton to be a “leader in North America for our standard zone, while noting that there are the opportunities to rezone if folks are looking to do something more.”
He added the passing of the bylaw would “continue the great work that has materialized” and that it addresses what he thinks is a “thoughtful need to change.”
“This change won’t be enough for some but it does respond to what I think is some legitimate feedback from folks who are feeling there could be a little bit of an adjustment,” he said.
Knack said the vote in favour would bring the city “more in scale with what has been allowed for development since about 2017 or ’18, with the added ability to add in a few extra units from what used to exist in 2017 and 2018.”
“So this is not a walk-back in the sense of it’s going to restrict unit counts, it’s not going to undo the great work on affordability,” he said. “This is going to be responsive to I think a wide variety of Edmonton voices who understand the need to continue the work that we’re doing while also being thoughtful as we just continue this journey together.”
Monday morning’s decision came almost three weeks after council deferred the vote on the bylaw on April 7.
Knack said concerns had been raised at that earlier meeting about who the change was for, with the premise of that concern stemming from “the fact that the people who had registered to speak either in favour or opposed, were that ‘every one of them would be unhappy.’”
“Those that would want to see more change was ‘this is not enough,’ and those that wanted to see no change are worried about ‘this being somehow the thing that would end housing affordability or ending housing choice,’” he said of the discussion at the previous public hearing.
Under the newly-passed regulations, developments in RS zones — the most common form of infill housing — would face a reduced maximum wall height of 9.5 metres, down from 10.5 metres. Structures with pitched roofs could still reach 10.5 metres at their highest point, provided the design slopes down to meet the lower wall-height limit.
City council originally introduced the bylaw as a middle ground in response to concerns about the overall bulk, or “massing,” of new builds, while still permitting three-storey construction. It also outlines a new approach for modifying existing homes — property owners could apply for a variance to make additions or exterior changes that exceed the 9.5-metre wall limit, as long as the overall height does not surpass what was approved in the original development permit.
Also in support of the change, based on his belief it would be “a step in the (right) direction,” Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Mike Elliott said he had heard from “everyone” on this issue, including the Edmontonians who feel that “the boxiness of the sheer scale of the new infill has been fundamentally at odds with our established neighbourhoods.”
“Reducing the maximum height from 10.5 to 9.5 is a step and effectively lowers the ceiling on visual impact of new builds, and I hope encourages more respectful roof lines that better aligns with other houses such as bungalows,” he said.
“However, I do acknowledge that I’ve heard from many folks who feel that this hasn’t gone far enough and I know others feel opposite of that.
“While the one-metre reduction helps, the reality is a 9.5-metre building can still be built anywhere.”
The new rules will be in effect Aug. 1.
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