The EFCL supports City guidelines to direct the type of development that can occur in neighbourhoods near transit stations over the next 30 years.  However, we believe that the draft November TOD Guidelines do not go far enough to guide the (re)development of quality neighbourhoods. 

The EFCL has submitted a position statement to the City with the following recommendations:

1. To achieve demographically balanced TOD neighbourhoods, with a stable residential population, we recommend that the TOD Guidelines require the majority of higher density housing in the TOD areas be family-oriented, and be quality homes attractive to people seeking long-term residency.     

2. To ensure complete communities, we recommend the TOD Guidelines strongly encourage the retention and development of schools, play areas, food stores and daily services within TOD neighbourhoods.

3. To ensure public realm improvements, including enhanced walkability, bikeability, and park spaces, we recommend the TOD Guidelines require the development of enhanced public realm improvements prior to or concurrent with the application of the Intensity Guidelines which allow higher density. 

4. Similarly, the Intensity Guidelines should be applied concurrent with an LRT level of transit service to serve an increased population. 

5. To enhance the environmental health of the TOD neighbourhoods, the TOD Guidelines should incorporate directions from the “Way We Green”.   A higher standard of environmental attention should be given to TOD areas.

6. To respect the unique characteristics and history of neighbourhoods, the TOD Guidelines should clearly state that historic sites, buildings, and features must be maintained and that developments around the historic sites must be sensitive to the scale and character of the historic building(s).   Similarly, new developments should be sensitive to the scale and character of adjacent buildings through enhanced transition regulations.

7. EFCL believes that community leagues and citizens have a right to be involved and partner in the planning and development process.  They should be allowed to provide input on any development that affects their neighbourhood.  As such, we recommend that community leagues and citizens in the TOD neighbourhoods be given opportunities to have input into comprehensive plans for their neighbourhood.  This would include initiating a process to amend the existing Area Redevelopment Plans of TOD neighbourhoods, in consultation with the communities.

8. To create certainty and consistency, we recommend the Intensity Guidelines apply only to areas along roads defined in Bylaw, i.e. along arterial roads and not collector roads, unless defined in Bylaw. 

These recommendations are based upon feedback from Community Leagues and from citizens at the city’s information sessions.  There were other concerns, but many have been addressed in the latest version of the Guidelines. 

Some Community Leagues were able to convince City Administration that half of their TOD area should be one type of station area, for example a commercial area with high intensity, while the other half of the area should be a neighbourhood type of TOD area, with lower intensity.   Community Leagues and EFCL were also able to convince City Administration that developments along collector roads should not be as high an intensity as properties along arterial roads.

There is time for you to have input into the Guidelines which will be presented to Council in early 2012. For more background information go to

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/planning_development/tod-guidelines.aspx.