By Troy Gillard

Creating flexibility

Zoning changes aimed at keeping office-based businesses in Red Deer

Sep 28, 2020 | 9:13 PM

Red Deer city council has approved zoning changes aimed at spurring business growth in the city, including the beleaguered downtown area.

The changes were put forth by administration with the goal of “preserving large scale office in the downtown while providing additional opportunity for office in commercial areas throughout the city.”

At their regular meeting on Monday, councillors acknowledged a need for the City of Red Deer to be more flexible when it comes to being a more competitive and attractive place to do business.

“Red Deer is open for business,” Councillor Lawrence Lee urged, “especially in the downtown.”

Under the changes, large offices of 50,000 square feet or more will be permitted only in the downtown area. Medium offices will be allowed permitted along the Gaetz Avenue corridor and in other commercial areas (ex. Southpointe Common) while offices smaller than 10,000 square feet can be located in neighbourhood strip malls throughout the city.

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Brett Salomons, a commercial realtor in Red Deer, spoke in favour of the changes during Monday’s public hearing, saying they were a long time coming. He did suggest, though, that council may wish to tweak the size thresholds in the future (ex. a large office would be considered 40,000 square feet or more).

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Salomons said of Red Deer’s economic landscape, “but it’s for the long term betterment of the city.”

Mayor Tara Veer acknowledged the fact that for many years zoning rules that have been too restrictive have been a factor in downtown offices moving out of Red Deer, namely to Red Deer County (Gasoline Alley).

She said the new zoning rules created flexibility “without compromising our urban core.”

Also on Monday, council approved an amendment that reduces parking requirements for multi-family residential buildings in the downtown core. The new requirements call for one parking stall per residential unit – instead of one per bedroom – along with a visitor parking space.

Council previously approved a change to remove ‘temporary care facility’ as a permitted use in the downtown core as part of the measures aimed at improving economic activity within Red Deer.