Welcome to the Internet "home" for Edmonton's Mature Neighbourhoods!
Updated: February 08, 2009 11:42:10 AM
Next meeting: As required - 7103-105th. Street - check for emails - MNAG/ (subject)
Planning and Design Guidelines for Residential Infill in Mature Neighbourhoods
The City Planning and Development Department discussed the above revised proposal at the Executive Committee of City Council on Wednesday,January 28, 2009. (PS. It is a big file!)
An analysis, by the EFCL P & D committee, of the major changes since last summer's meetings with community leaders has led to a need to reinstate the document discussed with community leaders last year.
At the Executive Committee meeting Mayor Mandel & the Councillors sent the document back to administration for revisions/actions to be completed over the next 90 days.
The Edmonton Mature Neighbourhoods Action Group comprises 40 member communities of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL). The Action Group is an independent group but is in direct communication & works in cooperation with the EFCL P & D committee. This is the Internet focal point for the Action Group.
Edmonton has a Smart Choices planning strategy in development. There is a need to ensure that the application of this strategy (ie. densification to reduce urban sprawl) is in agreement with Vision2020 drafted by Edmonton's mature neighbourhood residents. In addition, Plan Edmonton, a city wide planning document required under the Municipal Government Act, is currently being updated as City Plan. City Plan will incorporate the Smart Choices strategy.
EFCL has endorsed mass transit as a key component of Edmonton's growth strategy. Current city growth is around 16,000 per year (~2%). It is essential that the City Planning & Transportation Departments work cooperatively & with community leaders to optimize this major infrastructure investment. This can be achieved by focusing population growth downtown & adjacent to LRT stations. We need to encourage & facilitate less use of cars & greater use of LRT. The Transportation Master Plan Update, currently being completed, is expected to reflect this strategy.
Link to Vision2020 for Edmonton
There are many common planning & development issues in mature neighbourhoods and an urgent need for us to act jointly to convey our position on these issues to City Council for appropriate action on behalf of all Edmonton residents. A resident up swell has identified major issues broadly across our city including:
1.) Lack of Area Redevelopment Plans (ARP's) & updating of existing ones; 2.) Limited enforcement of bylaws; 3.) Poor neighbourhood planning resulting in school closures; 4.) DC2 bylaw variations by development officers & misuse by developers; 5.) Concerns with the SDAB including the ability to enforce its decisions; 6.) An apparent unwillingness on the part of City Council to follow resident approved area plans but rather follow a developer driven ad-hoc planning process; 7.) Limited use of the currently available good community planning knowledge base within communities in the City.
Early this year the City Administration recognised the inherent conflict within the Planning Department whereby planners are supposed to look after neighbourhood interests but at the same time "promote" developer projects. In an attempt to address this issue & partly as a result of a visit by Jim Diers, the Seattle neighbourhood activist, the City Senior Management Team (SMT) articulated a new corporate priority for neighbourhood development. The Community Services Department has taken on a role in this activity. The introductory letter to the MNAG is in the link below.
Letter from Community Services Department
Update:
1.) City Council has provided some funding for mature neighbourhood planning in the 2008 budget. Our understanding is that the renamed Neighbourhood & Community Development Branch will identify planning needs. The Branch will then be in a position to request the actual planning work be done by the Planning & Development Department since it has the staff.
2.) We have new general managers in two key departments. Gary Klassen is the new GM of the Planning & Development Department & Bob Boutilier is the new GM of the Transportation Department. Right out of the gate Gary has facilitated the above planning activity for 2008. Bob has dropped the expensive BRT proposal & is now focusing activity on the LRT backbone across the city. Both actions are good opening moves by the two new GMs.
3.) Various City initiatives are currently (Fall 2008) nearing the decision stage by City Council. (eg. Guidelines for developments in mature neighbourhoods; Location of LRT routes, north, west; City Plan & the Transportation Master Plan Update.)
Bill Eadie, Glenora - Chairman MNAG bill @ mnag.ca
Cassandra Haraba, Grovenor - Co-Chair MNAG
Derrick Forsythe, Queen Mary Park - Co-Chair Downtown issues
Jennifer Solly, Inglewood - Co-Chair Affordable Housing issues
Patricia Grell, Woodcroft - Co-Chair Transportation issues