On the agenda: Zoning bylaw, transit garage, audits

This week, councillors are scheduled to vote on amendments to the small-scale residential zone, review a scope reduction for the southeast transit garage, and hear an update from the city auditor's office.

There is a public hearing scheduled on April 7, an infrastructure committee meeting scheduled on April 8, and an audit committee meeting scheduled on April 10.

Here are some key items on the agenda:

• Council will debate proposed amendments to the zoning bylaw that would reduce the maximum height of buildings in the small-scale residential (RS) zone and restrict where administration would support the small-medium scale transition (RSM) residential zone. Administration said it supports changing the maximum height in the RS zone from 10.5 metres to 9.5 metres because it would reduce the overall height and mass of buildings in the zone, while enabling three-storey developments to have basement windows above grade. Meanwhile, the amendments to the RSM zone would limit support for the zone to sites within node-and-corridor areas, on large undeveloped sites, or where supported in a statutory plan.
• Administration has reduced the capacity of the southeast transit garage from 430 buses to between 255 and 290 buses. A report that will be presented to council's infrastructure committee said the project team determined the initial capacity of 430 buses would exceed the project's anticipated $367-million budget. Other modifications to remain in budget include adjusting the height of the building and including a solar photovoltaic system that meets the city's climate resilience policy instead of exceeding it. Administration said the garage will help transition the Edmonton Transit Service to a zero-emissions fleet. Council has already approved $76 million for the project's planning and design. Administration said the rest of the budget will be brought forward in the spring supplemental capital budget adjustment.
• A malfunctioning Arc card machine allowed an unknown number of people to steal about $65,000 from the city through fraudulent transactions between September 2024 and June 2025, as revealed in the city auditor's 2025 report. The thefts were reported through hotline reports to the Office of the City Auditor. The report said more than 300 suspicious Arc cards were identified and blocked, with about $20,000 remaining on them, reducing the loss of revenue to about $45,000. Administration reported the case to the Edmonton Police Service, but because so much time had passed and the cards were not registered, no charges were laid. The report said the Edmonton Transit Service has reinforced control procedures to prevent future thefts. Out of the 93 investigations that the OCA completed in 2025, 15 were substantiated. Other hotline investigations were conducted into two employees who had second jobs that conflicted with their city employment, an employee accused of creating sexually explicit social media content (which investigators determined was not sexually explicit but shouldn't have been happening at work), and some accusations of nepotism and favouritism.

Here are some more items on the agenda:

• Fifteen city-owned buildings should be sold, and 12 should be demolished, reads a report set to be presented to infrastructure committee. Administration is assessing the buildings it owns to help address a "significant renewal investment shortfall." The properties recommended for sale and demolition are included in a private attachment to the report. Staff will continue assessing 33 more buildings in 2026. The private attachment outlines funding options for potentially demolishing the identified buildings, which may be brought forward to the 2027-2030 budget deliberations in the fall.
• Administration will ask council to approve amendments to the low- to medium-rise residential zone in Blatchford, which would allow surface parking lots and parkades in the development. City staff said this change will allow for greater flexibility and further growth and development. If the amendments are approved, the parking areas would have to be accessed through an alley or side street and not located on active or retail streets. They would also be hidden from streets and parks using landscaping or constructed screens.
• Westrich Pacific has applied to rezone its building at 11414 76 Avenue NW, which is already under construction, to reduce the requirement for non-residential uses at the ground level. Such uses would only be required at the southeast corner of the site, and would be permitted but not mandatory along the rest of the ground floor.
• Audit committee is set to review the city's audited consolidated financial statements.

And here are updates on some items we told you about in the last edition:

• Executive committee directed administration to develop a new tax subclass aimed at derelict non-residential buildings and to bring forward an unfunded service package to the 2027-2030 budget deliberations for the software upgrade that will be needed to implement it.
• Urban planning committee supported a motion from Coun. Michael Janz directing administration to bring forward two funding packages for bus rapid transit and wider sidewalks on Whyte Avenue to budget deliberations. Council will consider funding the detailed design, infrastructure delivery, and operations of the B1 and B2 BRT routes. It will also consider funding simultaneous improvements to the pedestrian realm along Whyte Avenue, which would involve removing some vehicle parking to make way for wider sidewalks. The motion also calls for an unfunded service package to advance transit priority measures across the city.
• River valley advocates expressed concerns about administration's intention to start the first phase of the River Crossing plan in Rossdale, which would see the construction or rehabilitation of the roads north of Re/Max Field and the first steps toward housing development on the field's parking area. Executive committee requisitioned the decision to city council without a recommendation. Steve Hogle of the Edmonton Riverhawks told Taproot the organization is exploring a park and ride from Churchill Square to help address the potential loss of parking.
• Executive committee approved a $5.4-million grant for the Brentwood Builds affordable housing redevelopment, which will deliver 112 new affordable units.
• Urban planning committee recommended that city council direct administration to reinstate parking on 101 Street, from 107 Avenue to Kingsway, weekdays 9:30am to 3:30pm. Council will vote on the motion at an upcoming meeting.
• Councillors on the urban planning committee heard from residents in Ellerslie and Summerside about their desire to see roads widened to relieve traffic pressures. The decision to potentially fund road-widening projects was requisitioned to city council without a recommendation.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

For more on various civic issues, including reactions to the proposed removal of scramble crosswalks on Whyte, more on the Riverhawks' parking plans, and a fond farewell to the Jasper Avenue Boston Pizza, listen to Episode 350 of Speaking Municipally.