Klein promises new guidelines for infill builds, Gillingham gets union’s endorsement

Kevin Klein is promising to repeal “blanket” zoning rules and gather more public input to guide some housing projects, if he’s elected Winnipeg’s next mayor.

A “made-in-Winnipeg” strategy would invite more feedback from neighbours, he said, to help reduce unwanted side effects he linked to some infill builds.

“Residents in Glenwood watched lot splits turn two neighbours into eight and leave sidewalks and boulevards covered in mud,” said Klein Friday, in front of an infill home under construction on Clonard Avenue.

Last year, city council approved sweeping changes to Winnipeg zoning bylaws, which allowed the construction of up to four housing units on a single lot in most residential areas and fourplexes up to 12 metres tall within 800 metres of high-frequency transit stops. The changes aimed to speed up home building by removing the need to complete a city application process and public hearing to get those types of projects approved.

At the time, Mayor Scott Gillingham said the changes would ensure more than $450 million of federal funding flowed to Winnipeg, since the federal government required the significant zoning changes to claim housing, sewage and transit funding.

Klein said the city can now remove some of those types of construction from being designated as “permitted” projects, such as building up to four housing units per residential lot on a mature street. Instead, he would require more of those projects to be considered at public hearings.

“We will require public notice and real opportunity for local input on significant density increases mid-block in mature areas. We will still allow secondary suites, duplexes and carefully designed multi-unit projects that respect setbacks, height, parking and infrastructure limits,” he said.

He promised to accelerate some housing approvals to occur within 30 days, such as single-family homes that meet clear city standards.

“Single-family housing is essential to a vibrant and growing city,” said Klein.

Supporters of last year’s zoning changes credit them for helping attract federal housing funding and thousands of much-needed homes.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, the city’s largest union endorsed Gillingham’s re-election bid.

“We are proud of the work that he’s put in and the years of service that he’s done,” said Patrick Troughton, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500.

As a former member of a neighbourhood action team that Gillingham proposed and implemented, Troughton said staff cross-trained to mow, plow, plant, patch and repair have improved municipal services.

He also welcomed Gillingham’s recent promises to hire more community safety officers and increase evening hours at some suburban library branches, if re-elected, deeming them proof of a commitment to city services and city workers.

“I know if CUPE Local 500 needs anything, he’s just a phone call away,” said Troughton.

By contrast, the union leader claimed in a press release that mayoral candidates Klein and Mike Vogiatzakis are “promising to slash our public services at a time when our city has been making real progress.”

At a press conference, Troughton was initially unable to specify any promises the two candidates made that involved service cuts. After discussing the matter with colleagues, he told media promises to cut water and sewer rates, which would reduce city revenue, sparked the concern.

Vogiatzakis previously promised to reduce the current water and sewer rate by 10 per cent “right away,” then freeze it for four years, while Klein promised to freeze the fee for two years.

Gillingham welcomed the union’s endorsement and said it won’t affect CUPE’s next collective agreement with the city, which was recently referred to an independent arbitrator.

Both Klein and Vogiatzakis denied CUPE’s statement about service cuts. “CUPE’s (claims) are entirely meritless and deliberately misleading. I have never announced, I have never talked about any cuts,” said Klein.

“I think it’s ridiculous. I plan on doing completely the opposite … I want to bring more services to the city,” said Vogiatzakis.

On Friday morning, Vogiatzakis promised in-depth reviews of the major city planning documents OurWinnipeg 2045 and Complete Communities 2.0, as well as the city’s Winnipeg Transit master plan and infill rules, if he’s elected.

He said those plans led to decisions to add traffic-calming measures that snarl traffic, infill housing that doesn’t fit in neighbourhoods and a bus system with too few stops.

Vogiatzakis also briefly promised to provide drivers one hour of free parking at all city meters and two hours of free parking in hospital lots, noting details would be shared at a future press conference.

Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock promises to rebuild the Arlington Bridge in 12 to 18 months, if he’s elected.

Woodstock estimates the bridge, which shut down due to structural concerns in November 2023, can be replaced for a “strict fixed price” of $109 million.

“We need to connect our north end with our south again. We need to have less traffic on McPhillips (Street), free up the traffic. We need to have that part of the city moving again,” said Woodstock.

Demolition of the bridge is underway, though city council has yet to approve funding to build a replacement. In 2024, the city expected replacing the bridge would cost $166 million, plus interest.

Woodstock said cutting consultant work from the project, using “24/7 continuous work shifts” and manufacturing prefabricated materials offsite would help speed up the work and reduce the price.

Election day is Oct. 28.

joyanne.pursaga@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @joyanne_pursaga