Thanks for your questions.
The application is being reviewed by the City for compliance with applicable policies in the Cromdale/Virginia Park Area Redevelopment Plan.
Parking
On June 23, 2020, City Council approved Open Option Parking, which provides developers’ flexibility to choose the amount of parking that they feel is appropriate for their projects. The parking supply for this project will accordingly be determined at the development permit stage. It’s important to note that this approach to parking doesn’t necessarily mean that no parking will be provided. It is actually more likely to result in the “right” amount of parking as developers know the parking needs of their potential customers better than the City and have an interest in ensuring they are met.
Borden Park
Future plans for Borden Park can be found in the Edmonton Exhibition Lands Planning Framework. These plans are not impacted by this proposed rezoning.
Public Engagement
Public engagement for this application is being conducted in accordance with the City’s current Public Engagement Policy C593. This is a City process and separate from the University’s engagement policies and process.
Within the City’s policy, there is a Public Engagement Spectrum (see right sidebar) that explains the 4 roles the public can have when they participate in City of Edmonton public engagement activities. As you move within the spectrum, there is an increasing level of public influence and commitment from the City and the public.
For rezonings, the role of the public falls within the Advise portion of the spectrum. Advise means that the public is consulted by the City to share feedback and perspectives that are considered for policies, programs, projects, or services.
Feedback will be used to ensure Administration’s review of the proposed rezoning is as complete as possible. It will also be summarized in the Council report to ensure they are aware of the public’s perspectives prior to making a decision.
With that said, it is ultimately up to the applicant what, if any, changes they decide to make to their proposal before advancing it to City Council Public Hearing for a decision. It’s City Administration’s role to ensure that the process is publicly transparent, follows legislated requirements, and to work with the public and the applicant to try to bring the best possible proposal forward to Council for consideration.
City Council considers both City Administration’s review and recommendation and the public’s feedback when making decisions on proposed rezonings. Public Hearings are an important part of the engagement process for rezonings. Edmontonians can share their feedback on the proposed rezoning directly with Council by registering to speak at the Public Hearing.
