(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

SUGGESTIONS RETURNING IN Q3

Red Deer city council explores changes to backyard suite regulations

Apr 23, 2025 | 3:10 PM

Red Deer’s city council continued to explore ways to manage the housing landscape and development in the city during its regular meeting on Apr. 22.

First, council heard a progress report on Phase One of the Zoning Bylaw project, which wrapped up in May of 2024. This first phase included a full rewrite of the residential, commercial and industrial zoning rules, along with updated definitions.

The report presented to council provided an overview of the first phase, including observations from the first nine months as well as what is next for the project.

Overall, administration said the first phase has decreased the red tape behind some applications, making it faster to approve house suites and accessory buildings. The city also reported a decrease in variances required for developments, and an increase in backyard suite applications (10 so far).

Phase Two was originally planned for late 2025 but is now expected in 2026 to give administration time to focus on bylaw changes and public engagement related to the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF2).

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Engagement will not begin until after the federal election on Apr. 28, as the results may impact the HAF2 program or funding.

Next, council received two reports related to backyard suites, including recommendations from the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC).

Based on the reports, administration was directed to bring back amendments exploring four different items affecting backyard suites by the end of Q3, including:

• Amend floor area maximum regulation by exploring other options such as:
  • Floor area can be up to a certain square footage or 75 per cent of the principal dwelling, whichever is greater.
  • Floor area can be tied to the lot size rather than the size of the principal dwelling.
• Define ‘storey’ and prevent liveable attic space in backyard suites.
• Develop special regulations for backyard suites for Woodlea, Waskasoo and Parkvale.
• Reduce maximum height of backyard suites.