Edmonton hosts contentious public hearing on district plans

Three days of scheduled public hearings on proposed plans for Edmonton’s growth started on Tuesday.

More than 70 people signed up to speak both for and against the proposals, which are a result of the City Plan approved about three-and-a-half years ago.

That plan outlines how the city should look as it grows to a population of 2 million.

It outlines several targets, including that 50 per cent of new housing units are added through infill and that 50 per cent of all trips are made in the city by transit or active modes including walking or biking.

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The city says new bylaw changes are required to achieve those targets.

It would see a district policy adopted, 15 new district plans created, 54 existing plans repealed and five current plans amended.

The 15 district plans would be for Horse Hill, the northeast, the northwest, 118th Avenue, central Edmonton, Jasper Place, West Henday, west Edmonton, Scona, southeast Edmonton, Whitemud, Mill Woods and Meadows, southwest Edmonton, Ellerslie and Rabbit Hill.

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City administration told council on Tuesday that dozens of the current plans have run their course and need to be updated given the extremely fast population growth the city is experiencing.

Staff said about 100,000 people moved to Edmonton in the last two years.

The district policy would be a broad guideline on growth that would look at what the city should do in terms of land use.

The district plans would be more specific to each of the zones and would guide where the district policy would be implemented and how.

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City administration said the changes would make plans more consistent across the city when deciding where parks, mass transit, bike lanes and more are added.

Paul Lanni with the Building Industry and Land Development Association of Alberta spoke in favour of the changes on Tuesday.

“Zoning on its own can only accomplish so much,” the developer said.

“Not planning is not a solution.”

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Alric Reid with the Students’ Association of MacEwan University also spoke in favour of the district policy Tuesday, saying the plans should include mandated student affordable housing.

The public hearing is scheduled to last all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.