Edmonton 8-unit infill debate to continue into 2027

Edmonton city council approved new rules for infill housing projects but put off a major decision on density to 2027. CTV Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson reports.

Five years ago, an infill builder rubbed neighbours in North Glenora the wrong way, using an empty lot to store dirt.

Now, it’s home to infill housing with people living in them.

But resident Tony Thibaudeau says the new wave of Edmonton neighbourhood rejuvenation goes too far when it comes to allowing eight-unit infill developments on a single lot.

Two doors down on a fenced-off lot, a city sign indicates an eight-plex is slated to be constructed on it.

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“Six, by my virtue, is too many, eight’s ridiculous, and then on top of that, no provision for parking,” Thibaudeau told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday. “What are they thinking?”

‘They’ are city councillors, who passed a revamped zoning bylaw two years ago.

It came into effect at the beginning of 2024 after a five-year process by the city to overhaul it.

It was the first time Edmonton’s zoning rules had been broadly reviewed since 1961.

The changes allowed developers to build larger and multi-unit buildings on most lots across the city.

City council passed several changes to the infill bylaw on Tuesday, including a reduction of side entrances and length limitations for mid-block infill developments.

Infills must also be further from the property line, adding space between buildings, have just two side entrances, and require the street-facing facade look more like a house with more windows and covered doorways.

“The built form has been reduced, and that’s pretty much the primary concern that we heard all along the line,” Aaron Paquette, councillor for Ward Dene, told media on Tuesday.

The decisions capped four days of a public hearing for the proposed changes.

But while they approved tweaks to the bylaw that address infill housing projects, one major decision on density has been kicked down the road.

Mid-block multiplexes are being scrutinized, even in neighbourhoods where other forms of infill are starting to blend in.

A new city council will continue that debate into early 2027 after another round of consultation with residents.