There’s concern and confusion over neighbourhood renewal projects in Edmonton that’s left some residents frustrated.
People living in Edmonton’s Dunluce neighborhood say they’re losing faith in the city, after hearing conversations in a recent city council meeting.
On Wednesday, city council discussed project development guidelines, after one city councilor heard reports about issues addressed in other renewal projects.
“There’s a need to untangle some of the things that are tangled,” councillor Tim Cartmell said in the meeting.
“It’s a little bit of, there’s not enough room to get everything that’s been asked for in some of these streets,” Cartmell said, referring to what he heard from stakeholders on other projects. “It’s been suggested that some or all residential streets ought to have an active transportation pathway on at least one side, but we have policy that driveways can’t cross active pathways.”
Janina Syrnyk heads a group of neighbours in the Dunluce community that’s fighting some of the proposed changes. The changes include widening sidewalks, constructing multi-use pathways, reducing street parking and narrowing roads.
Syrnyk says she’s frustrated because she has been complaining about some of the upgrades addressed at the city council meeting for months.
“My concern is all this time and energy spent over this past year and a half developing this plan,” Syrnyk said. “We haven’t been heard. Every contentious issue that was brought up on Feb. 5 [at] the council meeting, we’ve been saying all along.”
Residents of the north side area are calling for their neighbourhood renewal to be scaled back.
The multi-million-dollar plan for the Dunluce area, released in November 2023, includes upgrades such as improved benches and lighting in park spaces, traffic-calming measures like curb extensions and raised crosswalks, as well as more multi-use paths, narrowing some roads and widening sidewalks.
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Syrnyk said it doesn’t make sense for their area as she says not many people are out using the sidewalks. She also said that the changes will cause congestion for drivers maneuvering around the neighbourhood.
According to the group, Stop the Destruction of Dunluce, a petition they’ve circulated to reject the city proposal has received around 700 signatures.
“We just wanted ‘like with like.’ So whatever is sitting here, we just want a new sidewalk. Same size, same roads,” Syrnyk said.
Erin Rutherford, city councillor for Ward Arnirniq, which includes Dunluce, says the neighbourhood project will continue with some changes, despite the city review and concerns from residents.
“When you want simply ‘like for like,’ I’ve been very clear with the community that isn’t what we’re able to do,” Rutherford said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t hear the concerns from residents.”
Rutherford says she’s advocated for her residents and scaled-back some of the initial design plans, which includes keeping some parking and greenspace.
But some changes are necessary and out of her control, as it meets city standards.
However, Rutherford says the conversations addressed in Wednesday’s city council meeting can not be considered, as the conversations were from city guidelines and not policies.
“It does not currently influence any of the designs that have already been put in place, such as the one that was released to the Dunluce community,” Rutherford said.
“I don’t think it changes anything with what has already been continued practice since 2018. It would be more of a concern on a go forward basis.”
In a statement, the city says final designs of neighbourhood renewals use an appropriate balance of all guidelines and resident feedback.
“While there are many City policies that influence the design of Neighbourhood Renewal projects such as Dunluce, there are no policies in place that restrict the City from constructing active transportation infrastructure such as shared pathways in front of homes with front driveways,” the statement read.
“Decisions about where to construct shared pathways are made within the context outlined in the City’s Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards and are intended to promote connectivity and accessibility for all modes of transportation in a neighbourhood in alignment with the City Plan. The design for Dunluce is not unique, similar designs can be found throughout the City,” the statement added.
A report will come back in an upcoming Urban Planning Committee meeting with analysis on how the city upgrades neighbourhoods.
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