WEEKLY UPDATE - AUG 26

Welcome back to the Weekly Wrap Up! Last week was a busy one, and remarkable for what didn’t pass at Council as much as for what did!

At Public Hearing, we heard two rezoning proposals for Spruce Avenue. These two cases are a great example of how the District Plans are helping guide our decision making.

One rezoning was for a four storey apartment building. The property met the District Plan location criteria for additional height, being on a corner site and within 100m of a major node. This rezoning was supported unanimously.

The other rezoning was for a taller three storey building in the interior of the neighbourhood. While on a corner site, it didn't meet any of the other location criteria. The rezoning was defeated unanimously.

This pair of decisions is a great example of how our plans for density are guided by policy, and that our plans will help to ensure neighbours have a sense of what type of change they can expect in their community. I'm grateful to everyone who came out to speak.

I encourage those not already involved to check out the City's work on Priority Growth Areas. These are important conversations where communities can weigh in to help shape the policies that will guide future decision making in Westmount and Wîhkwêntôwin.

At City Council, Councillor Knack’s motion to provide relief to businesses affected by major infrastructure projects was defeated. While I was supportive, I appreciate that budget pressures led many of my colleagues to vote no. As we continue to build out our city and improve our public infrastructure, we need to make sure we're not leaving empty shop windows behind. I look forward to exploring other ways we can support businesses impacted by multi-year construction projects.

A motion to change the release date of Council reports was also defeated. Thanks to feedback I heard from organizations and individuals, I voted no to reducing the timeline from 10 days to the Thursday before a meeting. I'm glad more time allows more Edmontonians to be involved!

That’s all for last week, hope you had a lovely weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead.