EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to say the home is in Greenfield, not Aspen Gardens as initially stated.
A southwest Edmonton neighbourhood where it is uncommon to see any structures aside from single-detached homes is seeing a number of residents mobilize to raise concerns about a proposal to build a multi-unit rowhouse on a corner lot, and also about last year’s changes to the city’s zoning bylaw that could allow for it.
“We’re not against row housing per se, but the way it is happening … is violating the character of our neighbourhood,” said Baldwin Reichwein, who has owned a house in Greenfield for decades.
Reichwein and a number of his neighbours have voiced their concerns to both the city and the builder who bought the lot, while many area residents have put up signs in front of their homes to show their opposition.
“People have invested in this neighbourhood for the last half-century — I think we should be listened to,” he said.
A minor development permit application for the lot at the corner of 111B Street and 36A Avenue seeks permission to construct a “residential use building in the form of a four-dwelling rowhouse with unenclosed front porches, and four secondary suites in the basement.”
The builder told Global News they have learned the number of units exceeded what bylaws permit on the lot, but they are now exploring if they can build a six-unit development.
Such applications are more common now after the city’s amended zoning bylaw took effect in January 2024. The amendments were made in response to concerns about housing availability, affordability and urban sprawl, with Edmonton being one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada over the past few years.
The bylaw now allows infill housing to be built on any residential lot in Edmonton, encourages small restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores to open next to houses and allows for dense housing to be built on any lot in the city, with some zones allowing infill and small apartments and others allowing highrises.
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Assessing the impact of Edmonton’s updated zoning bylaw -
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Edmonton’s new zoning bylaw allowing more infill passes at city council -
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Edmonton zoning bylaw discussion pushed to a 2nd week -
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Hundreds speak as zoning bylaw public hearings stretch to Day 4 at Edmonton city council -
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Edmonton city council listens to Day 2 of public hearings for proposed zoning bylaw -
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Hundreds want to speak at Edmonton’s zoning bylaw hearings -
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Edmonton moves closer to finalizing new zoning bylaw -
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Hearings for Edmonton’s proposed zoning bylaw -
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More than 70 Edmontonians signed up to speak about the renewed zoning bylaw
Greenfield is situated in Ward papastew, between 119 Street and 111 Street and 34 Avenue to 40 Avenue. The ward’s councillor said he is hearing the concerns of area residents and acknowledged “change is really tough.”
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“Some of it is honestly a fear of the unknown,” Coun. Michael Janz said. “Many neighbourhoods have had infill, and once the infill goes in people are used to it (and) they generally like the neighbours. They work things out with the neighbours.
“It’s just like when the house next door to you goes on sale: you don’t know who is going to live there next, but we have ways of figuring it out.
“It’s a growing process. As problems arise, we’re working on addressing them.”
Janz said the two issue he and other city councillors consistently hear, which he said are the most important ones to Edmontonians right now, are the affordability crisis and the housing crisis.
He added that the provincial government and federal government both are pushing for more housing units to be built.
“We are seeing a lot more houses getting built,” Janz said. “Sometimes that’s duplexes, sometimes that’s triplexes and sometimes that’s fourplexes or even fourplexes with basement suites. We know that by adding more housing to mature neighbourhoods we can help improve affordability and we can offer people more housing choices, especially in desirable areas where you’re close to transit, you’re close to the LRT, you’re close to a pool (or) a rec centre, a high school.
“It’s really important that we legalize more housing and offer people more housing choices. Certainly I empathize with the neighbours. This can be a big change, especially when your neighbourhood has been one-level bungalows for the last 50 years.”
Morgan Wallace lives in Greenfield and said she and others are open to a duplex being built on the lot but feel that the size of development being proposed is a concern.
“This just doesn’t feel right for the size of the lot,” she said, adding residents have concerns about the impact on traffic and parking.
Reichwein said he also has concerns with how infill developments generally will impact property taxes in Edmonton if they require neighbourhood infrastructure upgrades. He also questioned how much infill development will actually curb urban sprawl.
“We’re not against builders and contractors, we’re against the blanket approach of the zoning bylaw — one size fits all,” he said. “We’re not against reform, but reform done in the right way.”
Wallace expressed a similar sentiment.
“Although I’m pro-development and pro-increasing density in these smaller sleepier neighbourhoods, I just think it’s not a one-size-fits-all,” she said.
Janz said he believes cost of living and the affordability crisis need to be kept in mind when thinking about development.
“A lot of young people today cannot afford to put 20 per cent down on a mortgage, but by having more choices to rent, to get your own place, to save some money — these are really important parts of offering housing for everyone,” he said.
A city official told Global News the permit application remains under review and the city is seeking more information before a decision is made.
–with files from Global News’ Erik Bay
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