Gronk!
Senior Member
On the agenda: Downtown parking lots, river valley plan
This week, council will discuss a program to regulate downtown surface parking lots, financial updates for the capital and operating budgets, and a new plan for redevelopment in the river valley.
edmonton.taproot.news
- Council is scheduled to debate a program that would regulate surface parking lots in the core at a public hearing on Dec. 9. Administration has identified about 120 surface parking lots in the core, noting many are operating without a development permit and have no current pathway to obtaining one because previous city policies essentially ban that possibility. Administration has proposed a new use in the zoning bylaw to allow for a temporary surface parking lot — as long as the lots are improved with paving or upgraded gravel, trees and shrubs, lighting, and accessible parking spots. Parking lot operators would have 18 months to apply for a development permit and another 18 months to complete improvements. Both residents and lot operators criticized administration’s proposed maximum permit duration of seven years for gravel lots and 10 years for paved lots. Residents and community organizations said seven to 10 years was too long and didn’t feel temporary, suggesting a permit max of three to five years. Operators, on the other hand, said the permit was too short to make the proposed improvements financially viable, especially if they are required to pave, and suggested permits run up to 20 years or even be made permanent. If council approves the program, operators can apply for the temporary permit as of January.
