2023 City of Edmonton Zoning Bylaw Update

Thank you Chelsey Jersak from Situate, for providing an educational webinar to our REMAX River City agents on the new Edmonton zoning bylaw passed. We are very lucky for Chelsey to provide us her time and expertise on this topic so our agents can continously stand out and deliver top-notch service to their clients.

The City of Edmonton recently passed a density-boosting zoning bylaw revamp, the first since 1960s. This bylaw allows three-storey apartment buildings, townhouses, and/or duplex style housing citywide, ending the “exclusionary” zoning that limited many residential zones. Plus, has also decreased the total number of zones from 46 to 24.

The end goal of this bylaw revamp is to bring life to communities by building a denser, compact city with more housing types, and more options for small businesses. You can read the full coverage on this bylaw change on the Edmonton Journal. 

Key Takeaways

1. All the current small scale infill zones (RF1, RF2, RF3, and RF4) are proposed to be consolidated and rezoned to RS. RS zones can now have up to 8 units (or 10 if a corner lot) on minimum lot size of 600 sq meters. (2023, Situate)

2. For smaller lots, individuals can use the formula below to determine how many legal units could be on the property. 

site sqm2= # of legal units

75                         

3. There is still no parking requirement, which has been the case since 2020. However, most developers/investors do understand that parking is typically wanted by end buyers.

4. Something great about the RS Zone, is that you’re allowed to have a mix of secondary suites in the main building and backyard housing in your backyard. However, you must ensure you’re not exceeding the maximum total number of units for the site. A common style of construction is side by side duplexes with legal basement suites, plus a quad (4) garage with two legal suites above.

5. If you're wondering where to invest in Edmonton Real Estate, below the map shows what the anticipated growth plan for Edmonton looks like. 

These zoning changes come into effect January 1st, 2024 and will provide many opportunities within the real estate industry. Check-out the City Plan for Edmonton, so you can strategically plan and utilize these changes to benefit your clients and your business.

More information here: edmonton.ca/ZoningBylaw

Contact Info: kim.petrin@edmonton.ca