On the agenda: Gorman, Garneau, Girard

This week, Edmonton city council will discuss rezoning applications in the new neighbourhood of Gorman and the old neighbourhood of Garneau, as well as in the Girard Industrial area for a wellness facility.

There is a public hearing on Aug. 17, a council meeting on Aug. 18 and 19, and a special city council meeting on Aug. 21.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Council will review broad planning documents for the future Gorman neighbourhood in north Edmonton, which is envisioned as a transit-oriented community built around an LRT stop. The developer proposed amendments to the area structure plan and neighbourhood structure plan to re-designate some areas for higher density than what is currently allowed. Administration said the application is an improvement to the plan because it maintains the NSP's vision of a transit-oriented community while providing more opportunities for medium- and high-density uses in logical areas served by amenities.
• The Hope Mission has submitted a rezoning application for a lot at 7011 Girard Road NW, to allow for an emergency shelter and wellness facility that would support up to 125 people experiencing homelessness. Some nearby residents said they oppose the facility because they think it would bring crime to the area; they also cited the site's proximity to Pure Casino Edmonton on Argyll Road as well as liquor and cannabis stores, which could conflict with the path to recovery for occupants.
• Council will review a rezoning application for a property in Garneau that would allow for increased site coverage, an additional 2.5 metres in building height, and a reduced rear setback. Administration said it supports the application because the scale of development is appropriate within the University major node and provides additional housing units near local businesses, open space, school sites, and active transportation. Some Garneau residents said they oppose the rezoning because the proposed development would alter the historic character of the area and preempt the Garneau Community League's pending proposal to designate part of the neighbourhood as a special character heritage area.

Here are some more key items:

• Coun. Karen Principe will introduce a motion asking for a report detailing the impact of infill housing on surrounding property values.
• Coun. Jon Morgan will introduce a motion calling for an unfunded service package or capital profile to introduce a fare gate pilot project in at least one LRT station.
• Council will meet in private to discuss strategic planning.
• Council will meet in private to get updates on an unnamed project and on its civic agencies — that is, all agencies, boards, committees, and task forces to which council appoints councillors and members of the public or representatives of external organizations. Council voted in March to sunset seven such boards that advised it on issues ranging from climate change to military contributions to local history.

And here are updates on some of the items we told you about last week:

• Community and public services committee approved a pilot project to expand naloxone training to transit inspectors, stopping short of letting any city employee who wants it to volunteer for the overdose-reversal training. Council will revisit the issue in October.
• Community and public services committee declined to advance debate on the long-planned Rollie Miles Recreation Centre. The south-side project, intended to replace the Scona Pool that closed in 2022, will remain unfunded through at least the next four-year budget cycle. Mayor Andrew Knack said the $130-million project would eat up 10% of the city's capital budget over four years. Coun. Michael Janz of Ward papastew, whose query brought the issue to committee on Aug. 10, expressed frustration at the delay, given how eager residents are for a replacement.
• Representatives of the Chinatown and Area Business Association told executive committee that its failed audit was due to unfinished projects and pledged to rectify its books by the end of the year. Mayor Andrew Knack said governance needs to improve before council makes its decisions on the annual budgets of the city's 13 business improvement areas during budget deliberations this fall.
• City council's urban planning committee heard that Edmonton is weighing permanent rule changes for shared e-scooters and e-bikes, including more dedicated parking corrals and geofenced slow zones, as ridership has nearly tripled since 2019 to more than 1.4 million trips last year. No permanent changes were decided on Aug. 11, though administration recommended focusing on vendor accountability, designated parking, and tech-driven enforcement rather than new restrictions.
• Councillors directed administration to provide a report exploring a tax incentive for transit-oriented development at urban planning committee. They also asked for a report identifying ways to expand development opportunities near mass transit stations and outlining a process for proactive rezoning near transit stations, similar to the city's priority growth area project, which resulted in the upzoning of more than 1,200 properties in core areas.
• Community and public services committee referred a report about the community safety and well-being framework back to administration to ensure that the framework aligns with council's safety priority.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

For more on civic affairs, including a look at Edmonton Global's future and the viability review in Gibbons, listen to Episode 367 of Speaking Municipally.