Questions linger over Edmonton infill after special city council meeting

Dozens of concerned residents packed Edmonton City Hall on Friday for a special council meeting, called in response to the Alberta government’s order to roll back the Edmonton’s infill zoning rules to those in place before 2024.

“This is probably by far and away the most significant line crossing that we’ve ever seen in our local government, across Alberta, in probably our history,” Mayor Andrew Knack told reporters on Friday.

Knack said he’s struggling with the implications of the province’s move and what it could mean for city council’s authority.

“How do I still follow through on this role when essentially, every decision council makes can be overturned?

There were plenty of questions for city administration during Friday’s meeting, but many went unanswered.

City officials said they currently have only the province’s Oct. 8 announcement and have not received a written directive.

That frustrated some of the people who came to watch the meeting.

“I’m still unclear as to what direction we’re going,” said Jan Hardstaff with Edmonton’s Residential Infill Working Group.

“It almost seemed as if it was too premature to have a meeting and have the public there because there’s just not enough. They still have a lot of things they need to understand.”

Premier Danielle Smith and Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams defended the province’s decision when they spoke to reporters on Oct. 8.

“When you see the kind of reaction that we’ve seen from residents, then we have to step in,” Smith said.

Williams said the province had seen “extreme examples” that were dividing neighbourhoods.

“Clearly, this demonstrably tells the province that this needs a pause and sober second thought,” he said.

Back at Edmonton City Hall on Friday, spectator Michael Demoor said the uncertainty has put council in a difficult position.

“The province seems to be making it up as it goes along and doing that very slowly, right, and therefore putting city council in an almost impossible position, so I find that deeply frustrating.”

There is also a lack of clarity about how the public engagement ordered by the province will take place. The uncertainty also leaves unresolved the possibility of a legal challenge, which Knack has previously raised.

Knack did put forward a motion asking the province to provide the city with its written directive on the infill rules as soon as possible.

“It’s frustrating for everyone, and I think more importantly it’s embarrassing for the provincial government because you would have assumed that when you announce something, you’d actually have something in writing. But they’ve chosen not to do that,” Knack said.