City takes big step toward redeveloping zoning rules

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This article was published 14/11/2023 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Major changes to City of Winnipeg zoning rules are moving forward following heated debate.

While several delegates at city hall Tuesday praised the move as an efficient means to get thousands of new homes built, one green space advocate said removing a public hearing requirement for many projects would put trees and green spaces at risk.

“The fund will enable denser development on sensitive areas… We need smart density that does not sacrifice green space,” said Pam Lucenkiw, a member of grassroots organization Outdoor Urban Recreational Spaces — Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, council’s executive policy committee voted to approve the changes, which await a final council vote.

A successful final vote would grant a federal request to cut “exclusionary zoning practices,” as part of the city’s $192-million application to the Housing Accelerator Fund. The application aims to add 5,277 local housing units by September 2026, including 1,342 affordable ones.

The proposal calls for council to approve the following:

— Legalizing the construction of up to four housing units on a single lot “as-of-right” city-wide;

— Legalizing buildings of up to four-storeys “as-of-right” at any site within 800 metres of frequent transit corridors;

— Ensuring new mid-rise housing targeted for mall sites and commercial corridors is allowed “as-of-right.”

(“As-of-right” means such developments would be permitted, removing the current requirement to have a zoning or variance application approved by a city committee and complete a public hearing before each one can proceed.)

Some opponents argue it will make the approval process less democratic.

“You’re taking away residents’ opportunity to be consulted and provide feedback,” Kelly Ryback, a former council candidate for St. James, said during an interview.

He noted city committees have in the past granted appeals against infill projects after deeming concerns valid, which would no longer be possible for these types of construction.

“If I bought a house with a bungalow beside me and then, without notification, a fourplex could go there and then I’ve lost my privacy, I’ve lost my sunlight, there’s more parking on the street… (this could now happen) without a say,” said Ryback.

By contrast, several other presenters Tuesday called on councillors to promptly support the change.

“It’s an important opportunity… It’s like a 200-year investment in housing in three years,” said Josh Brandon, a community animator with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

Ensuring more types of housing are automatically permitted would make denser home construction projects easier for builders, said Lanny McInnes, president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.

“(This allows) projects that may not have been feasible to move forward,” McInnes told reporters.

Mayor Scott Gillingham stressed he expects concerns about homes crammed into small lots and other common complaints could be addressed through limits the city can still set on the new rules.

“We can still define (limits for) lot size and (building) height… and where there would be a project that would seek any variance… Those still would be subject to a hearing process and would require public input,” Gillingham told media.

“We can still define (limits for) lot size and (building) height… and where there would be a project that would seek any variance… Those still would be subject to a hearing process and would require public input.”–Mayor Scott Gillingham

The mayor stressed residents shouldn’t expect a sudden change in their neighbourhoods, if council approves the changes. “It’s not like we would adopt something today… and then suddenly, overnight, the city would be filled with four-storey (buildings and) fourplexes everywhere.”

Despite criticizing the changes for potentially undermining local infill guidelines, Coun. Brian Mayes said he’s now optimistic conditions can be set to help address legitimate concerns, such as respecting Heritage Conservation Districts.

“Let’s come up with a made-in-Winnipeg solution that says you shouldn’t just be able to put a fourplex everywhere,” said Mayes.

The councillor cast the sole EPC vote against the motion, stressing he would need to know the exact conditions the city will impose to determine if he can support the overall proposal.

Mayes also questioned Ottawa’s push for cities to make municipal zoning changes. “I think that this is a very flawed process and I think it’s very top-down of the federal government.”

In an Oct. 24 letter, federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser asked Gillingham to “bolster” Winnipeg’s funding application by “putting an end to exclusionary zoning practices.”

In a statement Tuesday, Fraser’s office said the new rules would trigger needed development.

“Right now, many cities across Canada don’t allow you to build the types of homes we need to solve the housing crisis. We need to rapidly increase housing supply across Canada,” wrote communications director Matthew Dillon-Leitch.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

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