Infill inspection teams part of plan to reduce friction over developments, Winnipeg mayoral candidate says

One Winnipeg mayoral candidate wants to reduce conflict between developers and residents over infill housing projects in mature neighbourhoods.

The five-point plan from Shaun Loney aims to close gaps within the city's new residential infill guidelines, which city council adopted in June last year after a lengthy process that began in 2016, including extensive consultations with industry representatives and residents.

"I don't think it's a problem with the guidelines, it's a lack of enforcement of the guidelines," Loney said in an interview.

The new guidelines were meant to increase clarity for developers and residents about where infill projects could be built and what they could look like. Despite that, Loney says he still hears complaints from residents about things like destruction of mature trees and developments that don't fit with the existing character of the neighbourhood.

In talking to residents, Loney says the problem isn't that they oppose all infill projects, but they want to feel respected.

"The biggest thing to address is the relations between developers and neighbourhoods."

The proposals outlined in a news release Monday include creating a new "infill compliance team" that would proactively conduct random inspections of construction sites.

The idea is modelled after a program launched by the City of Edmonton in 2016 to inspect infill sites and issue warnings and fines.

He also wants developers to sign on to a voluntary "considerate developers program" administered by a new independent, non-profit organization created by developers and residents, similar to a program launched in the United Kingdom in the late-1990s.

By signing on to the program, developers would commit to going beyond minimum by-law and building code requirements with respect to issues like the appearance of construction sites, protection of mature treesand protecting adjoining properties during demolitions and excavations.

In return, developers would have an easier time getting permits because projects would be more accepted by community members, Loney said.

Offer rewards

The city would also find ways to reward developers that joined the program.

One way of doing that would be to create two new infill design awards as part of the annual Parade of Homes operated by the Manitoba Home Builders Associationone focused on single-detached infill and other for multi-unit projects.

Loney's plan also calls for a local infill development benefits fund, that would use some of the additional revenue generated by infills to fund local improvements identified by residents, suchas green spaces, tree planting, landscaping and traffic calming.

His plan would also offer incentives to encourage energy efficiency and other environmentally-friendly elements in infill projects.

Infill developments are an important part of the long-term health of communities and the city as a whole, Loney said. Building infill is cheaper for the city than building in new neighbourhoods, because mature communities already have local services and infrastructure.

Other mayoral candidates have brought forward proposals on infill developments.

Last month, Scott Gillingham announced a plan to allow residential construction with no parking minimums on commercial corridors along Pembina Highway and Portage Avenue, as well as over medium- and large-scale retail malls.

Glen Murray proposed giving the downtown development agency CentreVenture more power to lead redevelopment and infill projects.

The other mayoral candidates are Idris Adelakun, Rana Bokhari, Chris Clacio, Jenny Motkaluk, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Jessica Peebles, Rick Shone, Govind Thawani, Desmond Thomas and Don Woodstock.

Election day is Oct. 26.

• Read more on the 2022 Winnipeg civic election