Your infill just got shorter, surprise!
So, you know how we've been having those... spirited discussions around Edmonton about infill housing? Whether it's the skinny houses popping up in established neighbourhoods like Crestwood or the slightly less skinny ones in Ritchie, everyone's got an opinion on how tall is *too* tall. Well, city council just decided to shave a little off the top, literally.
They voted 10-3 to reduce the maximum allowable height for infill developments by a whole metre. We're talking 9.5 metres now, down from 10.5. Honestly though, a metre. That's like, a tall person. Or a very short doorframe. I'm not sure if it's going to drastically change the visual landscape of, say, Old Strathcona, but I suppose every little bit counts when you're trying to keep the peace between developers and the folks who've lived next door for forty years. It's a classic Edmonton compromise, really: everyone leaves the meeting feeling slightly unsatisfied, but also like they didn't completely lose.
* **What This Means for Edmonton:** * New infill projects will be a touch shorter. * A nod to residents concerned about neighbourhood character. * Developers might grumble, but the River Valley will still be forty times the size of Central Park.
It’s less about the height itself, I think, and more about the ongoing conversation regarding how we grow our city while maintaining its unique feel. We're not Vancouver, we're not Toronto. We're Edmonton, and we build things our way. Even if "our way" sometimes means debating a single metre with the intensity of an Oilers fan dissecting an offside call in overtime. Edmonton doesn't need your approval. Never did.
Darren Fedoruk, MiTL Sports Desk.
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