Edmonton city councillor holds infill forum for Rio Terrace residents

EDMONTON – More than 150 Rio Terrace residents spent their Saturday afternoon at a meeting about infill in their community.

Ward 5 City Councillor Michael Oshry organized the forum at the Rio Terrace Moravian Church after a number of residents launched opposition to the building of two skinny houses on a lot where one house previously sat.

From the moment the Councillor walked in the door, he was under fire, with some residents even threatening his job in the next election.

“For the life of me, I can’t, I just don’t understand what the negative impact is. The value of your homes isn’t going to go down, that’s statistically the case. That’s generally what my view is,” Oshry said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "For the life of me, I can't, I just don't understand what the negative impact is. The value of your homes isn't going to go down, that's statistically the case. That's generally what my view is," Oshry said.

Some residents arrived at the church half an hour before the meeting started, receiving handouts from an outspoken couple who are against the development, Joyce and Gordon Fuerst.

“I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back to be advised here today that the lot beside me has been approved for subdivision and nobody at city hall had the guts to tell me in writing! I don’t want to learn about it at this meeting. I feel like I’ve been ripped off,” Gordon Fuerst said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I feel like I've been stabbed in the back to be advised here today that the lot beside me has been approved for subdivision and nobody at city hall had the guts to tell me in writing! I don't want to learn about it at this meeting. I feel like I've been ripped off," Gordon Fuerst said.

The Fuersts live next door to the proposed infill development.

They have handed out signs opposing skinny house development to neighbours and submitted a petition with 500 signatures to the city planning office to stop the project.

The majority of the speakers were adamant Rio Terrace is a unique community and its large lots should not be split in two. One man left saying the meeting was a waste of his afternoon because he felt like he was talking to a wall. His statement was echoed by others.

READ MORE: Some Rio Terrace residents make opposition to ‘skinny home’ infill clear

The majority of the residents attending the meeting were seniors.

“I don’t think anybody there honestly felt heard. Its like the city is backing into the situation,” said Connie Baxter, who also lives in the area. “They’re waiting for people to get upset and then they’re being reactionary.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I don't think anybody there honestly felt heard. Its like the city is backing into the situation," said Connie Baxter, who also lives in the area. "They're waiting for people to get upset and then they're being reactionary."

The city gave a presentation about why planners are moving forward with infill in mature neighbourhoods.

In the presentation, the city said the Rio Terrace elementary school is under capacity, at 74 per cent, as the population is aging.

The presenters also informed residents the community has one of the lowest population densities of any neighbourhood in Edmonton.

One woman did speak in favour of the development describing it as a “necessity for a resilient community going forward.”

The Rio Terrace neighbourhood is located in west Edmonton, just south of Whitemud Drive between 156 and 149 Streets.