WPCL Civics Update, February 2025

11723 – 84 Ave Application to rezone from RS (small scale residential) to RSMh12 (small-medium scale residential)

Feedback deadline extended to February 20, 2025

The property is not in a location where higher density (increased height and site coverage) can be considered according to the Scona District Plan and the District Policy bylaws. City Administration will will not be able to recommend the rezoning to City Council because it doesn’t meet the criteria for consideration. The developer has the option of withdrawing the rezoning application or proceeding to a City Council public hearing without a recommendation from Administration. There is no deadline for the developer to decide which option to pursue.

WPCL has provided the following comments to the City planner on this rezoning application:

• This rezoning application should not be recommended or approved as it’s not in a location where additional scale can be considered per the Scona District Plan and District Policy bylaws;

• The proposed RSMh12 Zone is designed for locations that provide a transition from larger-scale developments to small-scale developments; this location is surrounded by small-scale developments in all directions;

• We suggest the owner develop the property according to the regulations in the current zone or sell the property to someone who will.

Windsor House Rezoning to add Child Care as a Use to the DC2 bylaw
Feedback deadline February 28, 2025

This rezoning application adds Child Care to the Uses in the Windsor House DC 2 bylaw. It also cleans up the language in the Windsor House bylaw to align with the language of the new Zoning Bylaw. 

This rezoning will likely be considered at the April 28 public hearing. The Development Committee has provided to the City planner on this rezoning application:

• This is a welcome rezoning application because the existing daycare in Windsor Park needs to find a new home before July 2026, and the neighbourhood’s out-of-school program is looking to expand to provide care for preschool children.
  
• There is increased demand for childcare in the University area.
  
• We support adding Child Care as a Use to DC2 1163.

8471 – 120 St Rezoning application from RS (small scale) to RMh16 (4-storey)

City Council approved this rezoning at the corner of 87th Ave and 120th St on February 3. It met 2 criteria as required to be considered for rezoning: on an arterial road and on a corner site. The WPCL input was addressed at the public hearing in response to councillors’ questions:

• City Administration confirmed that other factors contributed to their recommendation—that a recommendation is not automatic if a property meets 2 criteria required to be considered. Other factors come into play as they did in this case.
  
  
• City Administration presented diagrams to show Council that either a 3 or 4 storey development could be built on the site.
  
  
• The developer, William Yin of BM Homes, indicated he intends to build a 4-storey on the site and that he has built other similar developments.
  
  
• The neigbouring property is now eligible to be considered for rezoning should its owner want to apply for rezoning. 

Windsor Park Shopping Centre & 117 St rezoning application (CN and RS to MU for a tall high rise 27- storey residential tower on a commercial podium and MUN for an attached 4-storey commercial bldg on 117 St)

The What We Heard Report, which is a compilation of all comments provided to the City, was emailed on February 14 to everyone who provided comments to the City on the shopping centre rezoning last fall during the engagement period. The number of people who provided input was just over 19% of the number of notices mailed out. This is consistent with the typical 20% response rate for any rezoning in our neighbourhood. A higher percentage might have been expected because of the size of the project, a public open house, and almost weekly mention in the e-news from the time the league received notice of the rezoning in the summer to the time the engagement period ended in early December.

At this time (Feb 2025) the Planner is just about finished with his review, awaiting the final Transportation Impact Assessment. The internal review of the alley closure application will commence as soon as the planner’s review is complete.

Engagement – Residential Parking Program (RPP)

The public engagement of the changes to the RPP will take place after the 2025 municipal election. 

The current program can’t continue as is because it is offside with the Curbside Management Strategy that was approved by City Council a few years ago.

Zoning Bylaw Amendments – Landscape Security Process

On February 3, City Council approved the Zoning Bylaw Text Amendments to improve the Landscape Securities Process in higher density, commercial and industrial zones.

END