Edmonton city councillors have voted to postpone a decision on whether to rezone a former car dealership lot on Whyte Avenue to allow for a high-rise development.
On Monday, council decided to reserve its decision about the future of Southpark on Whyte until a land use study (Plan Whyte) for the Whyte Avenue commercial area is complete.
The developers behind the Southpark on Whyte plan want to build two high-rise residential buildings at 81 Avenue and 106 Street coupled with two low-rise retail buildings on Whyte Avenue and 106 Street.
READ MORE: Rezoning application for Southpark on Whyte heads to council
Watch below: On Jan. 22, 2017, Julia Wong filed this report ahead of a public hearing to determine whether city council should approve a zoning application for Southpark on Whyte.
“It’s a tight timeline for staff to show us their work on Plan Whyte to date, but that would allow us and the community to react to administration’s current thinking,” Mayor Don Iveson said Monday. “In particular, what are appropriate heights around Whyte Avenue and if you are going to award extra height, what sort of mitigations and what sort of design treatments would you want?”
Coun. Ben Henderson had expressed apprehension about the plan to build high-rises on 81 Avenue.
“It’s not that high buildings are inherently wrong but there’s a feel to Whyte Avenue that I think is part of what makes it work,” he said over the weekend.
READ MORE: New development in the works for Whyte Avenue
The rezoning application will be back before council on March 20.
-with files from Julia Wong.
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