By TERRY PUGH
The City of Warman is looking at reducing the size of residential lots in its high-density residential zoning district.
Warman City Council passed first reading of Bylaw 2018-06, a bylaw to amend the minimum lot size in the R2-T district from 362 square meters to 225 square meters for single detached dwellings; and from 278 square meters to 225 square meters for semi-detached dwellings.
The current R2-T zoning bylaw regulations stipulate a minimum lot frontage of 10.363 meters (34 ft.) for single detached dwellings; and a minimum lot frontage of 7.5 meters (24 ft. 7 in.) for semi-detached dwellings. The amendments in the proposed bylaw would reduce the minimum lot frontage for single-detached dwellings to 7.5 meters.
The side minimum would remain at 1.2 meters (4 ft.).
The proposed bylaw must still pass second and third reading before it can be implemented. A public hearing on the bylaw will be held at a city council meeting on Monday, February 23. The city is also accepting written comments about the proposed bylaw amendment prior to the public hearing.
The proposed change would only apply to the R2-T zoning district, and would not impact other residential zoning districts such as R1 (Residential-Single Detached), Residential Mixed (R2), Residential-Multiple Unit (R3) or Residential Manufactured Homes (R4).
R2-T zoning districts in Warman are located in the Southlands neighbourhood (Froese Crescent, Froese Street, Eldorado Street, Guenther Crescent, Warwick Crescent, Langley Avenue, Reddekopp Crescent, Reddekopp Lane, Martens Crescent, Martens Street, Martens Avenue and Martens Lane); and also in the northwest area (Redwood Crescent, Golden Willow Way and a portion of Maple Crescent).
The R2-T Zoning District was established in 2018 to accommodate higher-density residential development through more compact lot configurations. The trend toward smaller, narrower lots is growing in urban areas across North America, as developers seek to increase the number of dwelling units within new housing developments.
According to the City of Warman, the change would bring zoning regulations for high-density residential neighbourhoods in line with those currently in place for the City of Saskatoon.
A City of Warman advertisement outlining the proposed bylaw amendment in the Gazette notes: “The developer of Southlands Stage 6 would like to create smaller, single-detached and semi-detached lots than what the Zoning Bylaw allows for. Lot area minimums must be changed prior to subdivision approval.”
During discussion on the proposed bylaw amendment at the Warman City Council meeting on Monday, January 12, several councillors raised concerns about whether narrower lots would negatively impact the city’s snow-clearing operations; and also whether the change would aggravate traffic and parking congestion.
Councillor Marshall Seed said while he supports accommodating developers’ requests, the city still needs to ensure it doesn’t go too far.
“We want development to be good for everyone,” he said. “This has to be looked at in its proper context. We need to provide opportunities for more affordable housing, but we don’t just want to pad developers’ pockets. I think we have to make sure we’re able to clear snow efficiently, and make sure there’s adequate parking.”
City administration officials noted at the meeting that new single-family homes, even on narrow lots, are generally designed with garages, which would ease the need for on-street parking.
Councillor Richard Beck suggested city council needs additional information regarding parking. He also questioned whether the street widths in the new R2-T neighbourhood would be able to accommodate emergency vehicles.
“I think we need to look at ensuring the streets are wide enough,” he said. “We should package narrower lots with road widening.”
Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk noted that the narrower lots would only be allowed in the R2-T zoning districts.
“We need to provide more affordable housing because there is a great demand for those types of units,” said Philipchuk. “People want to live and work in our community and they need to have a place to live. It’s good that we’re looking at this question. We need to plan for the future and we want to do it right.”
Councillor Tracy Johnson noted that during a recent Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention, delegates toured a well-planned affordable housing neighbourhood in the host city. She said the amenities and quality of life for residents in that area more than compensated for smaller lots.
Councillor Kevin Tooley noted that even ‘affordable’ homes in Warman are relatively expensive for first-time home-buyers.
“Twenty years ago, you could buy a nice home here for $150,000, now those same homes are $450,000,” he said. “The demographics are also changing, all those kids that grew up in Warman are now looking at buying homes, and they want to live here, but can they afford to buy a home here? We need to strike a balance when it comes to planning.”