Red Deer & District Chamber Advocates for Strategic Action Following Land Use Bylaw Review Public Hearing
The City of Red Deer convened a significant public hearing on April 15, 2024, to deliberate the proposed Land Use Bylaw Amendment 3357/2024 A New Zoning Bylaw. This session, representing the culmination of Phase 1 of the project initiated in 2022, offered members of the public an opportunity to voice their insights on the bylaw revisions released on March 18, 2024.
Council has deferred its decision, seeking additional information from administration before reconvening on April 29, 2024. “The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce commends the concerted efforts of Council and administration in facilitating a thorough review of development considerations in our city” indicated Chamber CEO Scott Robinson. “We are heartened by the passion and enthusiasm exhibited by both the building community and Red Deer residents during the hearing, reaffirming our shared commitment to fostering growth and development to enhance an already incredible city.”
A central concern emerging from the discussions was the need to increase our city's housing supply through development. The Chamber underscores the need for strategic interventions to address this pressing issue, especially considering statistics revealing Red Deer's housing start numbers are trailing behind other municipalities. In 2023, the City of Red Deer recorded 189 housing starts, falling short of figures in Lethbridge (243), Canmore (244), and Okotoks (359).
The Chamber also recognizes the pivotal role of the construction and building sectors in driving economic prosperity and employment opportunities within our region. “Clearly the lack of development is hurting the economy, reducing employment opportunities, and contributing to housing insecurity and homelessness within the city” Robinson said. “Construction is Red Deer's third-largest employment sector, and as of March 1, 2024, the city had recorded the lowest overall employment numbers in the province More changes are needed.”
Deliberations highlighted the significance of regulatory frameworks in shaping investment sentiments within the construction sector. Developers emphasized the need for regulatory clarity to instill confidence and incentivize investment in our city's development landscape.
In response to these insights, the Chamber proposes the following recommendations:
Continue the Process: Add a stage to Phase 1 of the Land Use Bylaw Review to prioritize growth and development considering the additional recommendations received. The time and effort spent could result in greater opportunities for improvements, increase the value of the new zoning bylaw, and support the City’s commitment to continuous improvement and consultation.
• Engagement with Developers: Foster further open dialogue with developers, soliciting their perspectives and expertise to enhance the efficacy of the proposed zoning bylaw amendments before approval.
• Exploration of Innovative Measures: Embrace bold and innovative strategies, such as expediting approval processes for selecting development types, to catalyze investment in-flows and stimulate economic growth within our community.
• Adequate Review Periods: Provide adequate review time following any LUB changes. Zoning changes can have a significant impact on development, and it is important to provide appropriate review periods for useful data collection. Three-month review periods will not capture sufficient data to guide future changes. Ideally, reviews would take place with at least 12 months of data included.
• Community Consultation: Engagement with the community around housing availability, supply, and cost could help to prioritize Council’s decision-making and development of strategies. Surveys and/or in-person interviews would share the impact that a low housing supply is having on residents and give a voice to those who may otherwise not have their stories heard.
• Collaborative Frameworks: Support opportunities to share bold and innovative approach-es with community members to allow them to understand both the need for change and the opportunity presented through strategic action. Reduce the worry and nimbyism that results from misunderstandings and provide examples of successful increases in density and development in other locations through public open houses and information sharing.
“The Chamber applauds the work done by the city in providing an opportunity for debate and discussion and welcomes the leadership of council in focused priority setting. Spurring in-vestment in construction and building will increase the housing supply, support the local economy, and help increase employment opportunities. We see that the potential for changes is a huge contribution to the economic health of our community and support the efforts of developers and builders to encourage local government to take decisive action to attract in-vestment” Commented Robinson. Red Deer is going to grow and prosper, and city government can start the process by taking bold action and supporting success!
