Zoning changes coming to public hearing

St. Vital

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/05/2025 (295 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the City of Winnipeg first agreed to the terms of the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund in October 2023, city councilors re-assured the public that “there will still be public hearings” in regard to the proposed zoning changes. This was partially true, as there is one giant public hearing scheduled for the plan to rezone around 150,000 residential properties within the City of Winnipeg. This hearing starts Monday, June 2 at City Hall and is scheduled for five days, unless completed earlier.

The proposed zoning changes are focused on allowing four-unit apartment building (four-plex) to be built to a height of 39 or 35 feet (depending on proximity to transit). The proposal will allow far more “as of right” buildings, where neighbours will not have any input into new builds on their street.

The city staff have made a number of commendable revisions over the past 18 months, decreasing the height maximum from 48 to 39 feet, for example. However, I continue to believe that the city’s proposed 60-foot lot width requirement for a four-plex where there is no back lane is not wide enough. The city staff are proposing to reduce required driveway width from 16 feet to 10 feet (creating a safety concern) and then place four parking stalls in the back yards of these properties. I continue to believe that a wider lot width minimum makes far more sense to fit in the driveway and parking lot.

I am not opposed to all four-plexes, and retain an open mind heading into the hearing about what standards should apply. The federal bureaucrats must sign off on city council’s decision, but as the federal government has already allowed the City of Halifax to use a 70-foot minimum width parameter (where there’s no back lane) in some neighborhoods, a lot width greater than 60 feet should not be a federal concern.

I encourage all residents who have concerns to register to speak either in person, or by on-line appearance. This will be your final opportunity to speak to this city-wide rezoning.