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By Ian Gustafson

Direct Control Zone 35

City council orders report on removing bylaw requiring hearings for duplex suites

Jan 28, 2026 | 2:56 PM

Red Deer city council unanimously passed a notice of motion on Tuesday, directing administration to produce a report on removing Direct Control Zone 35 and allowing one house suite in duplexes across all zones where duplexes are permitted.

The notice of motion was brought forward by councillor Chad Krahn, who explained that the zoning bylaw requires each application for house suites in duplexes to go to a public hearing.

“What DC 23 has essentially done is add an extra layer of red tape to show up at city hall at 5 p.m. on a Monday and listen to council debate your case and debate your neighbourhood,” he said. “What I’m proposing is, as we’ve gone through this four or five times in the last year, that I would like to make this go away and allow duplexes to have basement suites.”

Krahn reiterated that the 15 per cent cap on house suites in neighbourhoods would remain and that there would only be one suite per structure.

As a result, city administration will bring a report by the end of the second quarter of 2026 with proposed bylaw amendments and next steps.

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“This is trying to find made in Red Deer housing solutions, and that’s what I’m after in the midst of all this. Trying to find more places for people to live,” Krahn added.

In the meantime, council approved another notice of motion brought forward by Krahn, directing administration to look at reducing parking requirements for subsidized housing and temporary care facilities.

The report will be brought to council by the end of the second quarter of 2026 with recommended zoning bylaw changes, including how they could be implemented and potential impacts.

The goal, the city says, is to remove parking standards that can make it harder to build affordable housing, while still supporting safe and functional neighbourhoods.