MCKERNAN | 75 AVENUE REZONING

Leen Holdings Inc. is starting the process to rezone and redevelop 11203 - 75 Avenue NW into a new residential building of up to four storeys.

This webpage has been created to post updates about the project and answer commonly asked questions.

*Note that the image above is for illustrative purposes only and is not a proposed concept or rendering for the new building.

LOCATION

The site is located in McKernan on the corner of 112 Street and 75 Avenue. The land use surrounding the site is predominantly low density residential with some commercial and low-rise multi-residential housing along 76 Avenue. There are various commercial amenities located near the site along 76 Avenue.

The site is also near a number of schools and institutions including McKernan School, approximately 310 metres northwest of the site; St. Peter Centre, approximately 215 metres southwest of the site; and Belgravia School, approximately 730 metres southwest of the site. The site is also directly across 112 Street from the McKernan Splashpark and Skatepark.

WHAT'S CHANGING?

Zoning tells us the type of buildings or uses that are allowed on a property, and rezoning is the process of changing a zone to allow for new or different types of buildings or uses on a specific site.

Rezoning decisions are made by City Council at a public hearing.

We're proposing to change the zoning on 11203 - 75 Avenue from its current RS small scale residential zone to the RM h16.0 medium scale residential zone. The RS zone allows for single detached, semi-detached housing or multi-unit housing (like townhouses) with a height of about three storeys. The RM h16.0 zone allows for multi-unit residential buildings up to four storeys.

The land development process is a multi-step process that gets increasingly detailed at each consecutive step. Building design will happen after the rezoning stage.

CITY PLAN AND FUTURE GROWTH

Leen has chosen to invest in the neighbourhood at this location because of the City’s Municipal Development Plan, City Plan, which was approved by City Council on December 7, 2020. City Plan sets the direction for how future growth will happen in Edmonton. One of City Plan's main objectives is for half of the City's population growth to occur in existing neighbourhoods.

City Plan identifies a number of corridors (major roads) throughout the City where future growth is encouraged to happen. The site is located near 76 Avenue and 114 Street, which are both Secondary Corridors where low- and mid-rise building forms are encouraged.

Infill development is a core part of City Plan's goal for Edmonton to be a Rebuildable City. This means planning for the flexibility we need to keep our city vibrant and livable in the face of shifting local and global trends. Being a Rebuildable City is the best way to ensure that our efforts are always moving towards a better and more efficient city, rather than having to start over with every major social, environmental and technological change.

PROJECT STAGE

Rezoning is the first step in the land redevelopment process, followed by design, permits, and construction.

We're at the very first stage of the project. A rezoning application for this site was submitted to the City of Edmonton in October of 2023 to rezone the site to the RM h16.0 medium scale residential zone.

Rezoning decisions are made by City Council at a public hearing. The rezoning was approved at the public hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

SURVEY

When the project webpage was launched, a survey was linked here to learn more from local residents. The survey is now closed - 17 responses were received. If you have additional comments or questions, please email the project team using the contact information below.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE RM h16.0 ZONE AND A ZONE MODIFIER?

The RM h16.0 zone replaced the RA7 low rise apartment zone when the new Zoning Bylaw came into effect January 1, 2024. It allows for multi-unit residential buildings up to four storeys.

The RM zone replaced the RF6, RA7 and RA8 zones. In the RM zone, zone modifiers adjust the height and floor area ratio to respond to different neighbourhood contexts and applicable policy direction. This means that low-rise and mid-rise development will have some different development regulations within the RM zone, depending on the applicable zone modifier. The zone modifiers for the RM zone will be indicated by “h” followed by the maximum height allowed. RM h16.0 means the RM zone with a maximum height of 16.0 metres.

HOW WILL THIS IMPACT ME?

The site is surrounded on three sides by streets and lanes. There is a single detached house to the east of the site.

In addition, the RM h16.0 zone requires setbacks from each property line; a front yard, rear yard, and side yards are all required. The front yard setback along 75 Avenue would be at least 3.0 m, the rear yard would be at least 3.0 m, and the side setbacks would be at least 3.0 m.

HOW TALL WILL THE BUILDING BE?

The RM h16.0 zone allows for buildings of up to 16 metres (about four storeys) on this site. The current RS zone has a maximum height of 10.5 metres (about two and a half storeys).

WHAT WILL THE BUILDING LOOK LIKE?

The design process for the new building has not yet started. However, development regulations in the RM zone require that for buildings longer than 30 metres, all ground floor dwelling units have front entrances oriented towards the street in order to create a people-friendly street and sidewalk. This means that there would be doors facing both 75 Avenue and 112 Street.

WILL THERE BE PARKING? WHERE?

“Open Option Parking” was passed by Council on June 23, 2020; this change removed mandatory minimum parking requirements from the Zoning Bylaw. Bicycle parking and barrier-free parking stalls are still required. The exact amount of parking to be provided here has not been determined at this time, but there will be some parking provided on the site.

HOW WILL THE SITE BE LANDSCAPED?

New landscaping for the site will be provided in accordance with Section 5.60 of the new Zoning Bylaw. On a site of this size, approximately 11 trees and 22 shrubs will be required.

There is one tree located on City property along 75 Avenue and 112 Street. At the development permit stage, a Tree Preservation Plan will be required to protect those trees.

WILL THIS REZONING SET A PRECEDENT FOR THE AREA?

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 site is located within the 76 Avenue Secondary Corridor and near the 114 Street Secondary Corridor, where low- and mid-rise building forms are encouraged.

Low-rise multi-unit housing would provide a transition between the mid-rise developments expected directly on 76 Avenue to the lower density areas of the neighbourhood. 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 RM h16.0 rezoning application aligns with City Plan policy.

REZONING RESOURCES

Zoning Basics

The City of Edmonton's What is Zoning booklet provides an overview of how zoning shapes the city and your neighbourhood.

Rezoning Process

The City of Edmonton's Rezoning and Plan Amendment webpage explains how the rezoning process works.

Public Hearing Process

The City of Edmonton's Public Hearing Playbook explains how the public hearing process works.

McKernan Rezoning Applications

The City's planning application webpage displays land development applications in McKernan.

QUESTIONS?

We're committed to being a good neighbour; please feel welcome to contact us with any questions, concerns or considerations.

PROJECT TEAM

Allison Rosland | Planning consultant | Situate | allison@situateinc.ca

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