Proposed regulations to allow some three-storey homes to be constructed in Red Deer raised concerns at a public hearing this week.
The city’s new Zoning Bylaw could potentially allow a 15-metre building height for homes, compared to the current 10-to-12 metres under the city’s existing Land Use Bylaw.
David Girardin, major projects planner for the City of Red Deer, admitted this prospect alarmed some residents, who expressed reservations about too-tall aesthetics and loss of privacy at Monday’s public meeting at city hall. One man compared a 45-foot home to a “lighthouse.”
Girardin believes some people were unaware that the bylaw contains development area regulations to ensure that a three-storey new home would not be built next to a bungalow.
The character of a street is considered in these new rules so that new building heights would be limited to being only one storey taller than the homes they are beside. “To have a three-storey building, you could only build between two two-storey buildings,” explained Girardin.
The 15-metre height is being proposed in the new Zoning Bylaw because many new homes are being built with tall ceilings and flat roofs so their total height can comply with existing regulations. Girardin noted that many older homes are already considered 2 1/2 storeys because they have living space in their attics.
About 10 people spoke at Monday’s public hearing. This included some builders and developers who asked the city to reconsider how many sites fall under the ‘discretionary use’ designation. This gives city council the ultimate authority to determine whether a type of development is suitable for a particular site.
Girardin said members of BILD prefer the greater certainty of the permitted use designation. “They want to know what’s expected of them, rather than going through all of this work to find there are too many conditions” on what can be built.
City planners have been working on changes to the old Land Use Bylaw for the past 18 months — and this is only the first of a three-phase overhaul of expansive regulations that cover all manner of zoning and land uses, from residential to commercial and industrial, parks and utility districts.
Girardin said various public engagement sessions were held and some changes were made to comply with what the public wanted. For instance, the 15 per cent ratio of homes in a neighbourhood that can have in-house suites or backyard suites was maintained, although planners had considered raising this to 25 per cent. Duplexes and backyard suites were also made discretionary instead of permitted uses in some areas.
On April 29, city councillors will hear responses to some questions that were asked of city staff. Council could reconsider some aspects of the proposed bylaw, or ask planners to explore other options, said Girardin.
The new Zoning Bylaw has not yet received final approval but public commentary is now closed.