The area affected by the proposed amendment is surrounded on all sides by streets, lanes, shared use paths and the High Level Bridge Streetcar tracks. Any new development in the area would have a significant separation distance of at least 30 metres from existing, surrounding buildings.

The proposed amendment will change the maximum height for properties west of 109 Street. It will allow for development with a maximum height of 70 metres (about 21 storeys) for the area north of 100 Avenue shown in teal on the figure below, and development with a maximum height of 50 metres (about 15 storeys) for the area south of 100 Avenue. These are the same maximum heights that currently apply to CMU-zoned properties east of 109 Street.

The design process for new buildings starts at the development stage, which happens after zoning. However, development regulations in the CMU zone requires that all ground floor residential and commercial units have front entrances oriented towards the street in order to create a people-friendly street and sidewalk. 

“Open Option Parking” was passed by Council on June 23, 2020; this change removed mandatory minimum parking requirements from the Zoning Bylaw, including the CMU Zone. Bicycle parking and barrier-free parking stalls are still required. 

City Council approves policies that guide what type of development is encouraged in different areas of the city. Edmonton's key policy that guides future development--City Plan--states that the area is located in the Centre City Node, where high-rise building forms are encouraged. City Plan also states that residential development should occur at a variety of scales, densities and designs, within all parts of residential neighbourhoods. This means that the proposed amendment aligns with City Plan policy.