An affordable housing project proposed for 70 Arlington Dr. no longer has to include a cul-de-sac, after city council voted Monday night to drop the requirement.
The land has been the subject of a controversial rezoning process aimed at allowing an affordable housing project to be built by Habitat for Humanity – Edmonton.
A series of design sessions with Akinsdale residents in May led council to mandate that Habitat bring forward a development proposal with at least 28 living units but not more than 34, with each unit having a separate entrance from a cul-de-sac. In July Habitat submitted an application for a project that would have 34 units positioned around the perimeter of a road that loops through the site.
The city’s administration noted the road would provide a single entry to the site but isn’t a true cul-de-sac because it forms a loop with parking and living units in the middle.
It isn’t possible to develop the site with a keyhole cul-de-sac because the roadway would be longer than is permitted under the building code, administration says.
Coun. Gareth Jones tried to get council to postpone a decision about the cul-de-sac until the development comes to public hearing on Sept. 20.
“We need to put it in front of the public during the hearing so that all sides can be heard,” he said.
In a later interview, Jones said administration’s recommendation to drop the cul-de-sac reference came “a little out of the blue.”
While supporting the recommendation to drop the cul-de-sac reference, Coun. Lorie Garritty said Habitat’s proposed development is in keeping with the spirit of the guidelines that had been set and that council should move forward with the issue.
The motion to drop the cul-de-sac reference passed in a 5-2 vote, with Jones and Coun. James Burrows opposed.
Akinsdale resident Sheena Hughes complained to council that Habitat was straying from council’s original directive in an effort to squeeze in the maximum allowable units.
“We didn’t want a looped road. We didn’t want it to be giant and spread out,” she said. “We are asking you to say that everything you said, you meant it.”
City senior planner Lenore Mitchell said last month the move toward a circle design instead was made to improve emergency access to the property.
The definition of cul-de-sac is also open to interpretation, said Mayor Nolan Crouse.
“Yes, it comes across like it’s a little bit of a liberal interpretation,” he said, “but some members of council thought it should be dealt with on Sept. 20 and some members thought it was okay to move on, so we’re moving on.”
