District Plan Update: A call for more diverse housing in Garneau

The Garneau Community League wants diverse housing types in the community. We cannot achieve this without specified direction within the Scona District Plan which has the opportunity to direct planners who are reviewing rezoning applications. Garneau is mentioned just once in the District Plan and is identified as a Major Node with the four block Heritage Area Designated with watered down language.  Ideally our amendments will make their way into the District Plan and subsequently the small area of RS zone and DC1 Heritage Areas of Garneau will be changed to custom zoning through the zoning bylaw and wording (for DC1) that supports child-possible housing. This is not a big ask and is a small part of Garneau (~20% of the area). 

At the District Planning public hearing on Tuesday, June 25th, Councillor Michael Janz chose not to motion for an amendment regarding family-oriented housing in the Scona District Plan which was presented by the Garneau Community League. 

Prior to that on June 3rd the Garneau Community League presented with 3 members at the public hearing:

• We argued that more nuanced planning is needed for Garneau that is provided in the District Plans so that we can maintain a diversity of housing types.

• We asked Council to direct Administration and City Planners to develop custom zoning for the Small Scale Residential Areas currently zoned RS.

• We suggested that in RS zone custom zoning should include single-family, row houses, duplexes, and fourplexes with child friendly/child possible amenities as described in EFCLs family friendly housing document (20% of the landbase) to achieve 10% of the population as kids under 14

• We suggested that further planning consider no boarding houses in the DC1 Heritage Area or currently zoned RS zones because enough student housing was available in RM and RH zones.

• We suggested that buildings within 0.8 km of Garneau School should be encouraged to have high density family units

There were no questions asked by Councillor Janz at that time to ANY of the Scona District communities' concerns.  Council also suggested that students could live in the 3 bedroom units if they were developed. We agreed yes and that was a good thing but that at least families were not limited from the development. Our argument was that the current zoning would and is encouraging homogenous housing types in Garneau. 

At the June 26, meeting members of both the Garneau Community League AND The University of Alberta Students Union were in attendance and lobbied for more diverse housing. If both students and long-term residents indicate that maintaining some small-scale options for shared living and outdoor amenity space and that this is a vital part of the character and integrity of the neighbourhood, we are not sure why our Councillor is not supporting his constituents.

In many other communities simplifying zoning to the RS makes sense because they are predominantly single detached housing; it will work to create more diverse housing types. In Garneau, it will do the opposite and will instead create more of the same: one and two bedrooms and studio apartments which cater to a limited demographic of occupants. By specifying child-friendly housing, we can attract a more diverse demographic of families AND students.  Density is important, and we want it in our neighbourhood (Garneau has already added over 2000 new dwellings in the last 4 years) but density is not the only marker of a community, and that’s why we need to speak up! 

Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns states, “If density matters for anything, it is a byproduct of success, not its cause. And I’m not even sold on that.” (The Destiny Question, March 30, 2015). Diverse housing is one of the reasons Strong Towns nominated us in Edmonton for the Strongest Towns Contest.

Please email Michael Janz, michael.janz@edmonton.ca, to tell him we noticed he did not advocate for housing diversity in Garneau and we want it in the Scona District plan and in the Zoning Bylaw through amendment. 

CC council@edmonton.ca, too, because that goes to every council member, including the mayor. Remember! Be respectful and thoughtful in your correspondence with City Council. We are all in this together. 

We have simplified our amendment request to Council and are working on a letter to send to Council from the league. A draft can be found here. Please e-mail us (info@thegarneaucommunityleague.com) with any input or suggestions.