Hot Topics and Top Issues
Issue #1 - Growth in Beaumont.
Beaumont is the 3rd fastest growing community in Alberta behind Cochrane and Airdrie. With this growth comes numerous challenges. What I talk with new residents, I learn that people are moving to Beaumont because they have friends and/or family here, they like our small-town feel, our parks and trail system and the numerous sports and recreation opportunities for their children.
Growth brings:
More people - From the Edmonton region, our province, other provinces and other countries.
More kids - Beaumont continues to be a young community (average age is 35 with 23% aged 0 -14 yrs).
More diversity - People from around the world are liking Beaumont
More traffic - With more people comes more traffic.
More roads - Neighbourhoods are popping up in each corner of the city.
More construction - Houses are being built in these new neighbouhoods, daily.
More voices in the community!
“Beaumont used to be a quiet place, now its not”:
As one of the 13 regional municipalities surrounding Edmonton, Beaumont is growing the fastest, per capita.
There’s not enough to go around: Not enough outdoor playing fields, ice for sports, turf and gynmasium space, or rentable space for community groups.
There’s more people out on the trails and more people in the playgrounds.
It takes so much longer to get around in Beaumont.
They are so many different people and families in Beaumont now.
We have a beautiful community and people are going to keep wanting to be here
What’s Next? How can growth be wisely managed?
Land Use Bylaw Update: There are aspects of the Land Use Bylaw that could be amended to start to address growth concerns. Lots sizes, parking, permitted and non-permitted uses etc… (Please review Issue #2 for more on this topic).
Bylaws and Rules are for Everyone: Consistent enforcement of the current Bylaws surrounding community cleanliness and community behaviors needs to happen. (Then comes, the modification of current Bylaws to achieve better outcomes needs to happen when issues surface).
More and better collaboration with Developers and Builders: I truly believe that more dialogue needs to happen between Council, our Planning and Development Team and developers and builders, to share feedback from the community on whats working and whats not. The measure of success can no longer be “well, people are still buying them.”
Community Input: City Administration and Council need to hear from everyone, more often, using effective channels. Website reach-out, emails, phone calls, surveys and the like are effectively captured and tracked. (Note: Social media is the least effective way to provide your feedback to the City and to Councillors).
Issue #2 - HOUSING Density in beaumont.
Fact: Increased housing density is as aspect of fiscal responsibility within Beaumont by maximizing the use of existing municipal infrastructure (roads/water/sewer) while reducing the per-unit cost of required on-going services like snow removal, road surface maintenance, waste management and utilities.
Simply: Higher densities allow the city to serve more residents with the same infrastructure footprint, lowering maintenance and expansion costs compared with more sprawling areas with very large lots. The more there is to maintain the more it costs us all!
The price of everything is going up, up, up - including housing. This is creating more innovative housing types being built on small lots and the demand for them is very strong.
So what, I don’t like it?
No one is asking you to like it, and, no one is forcing you into the more-dense parts of Beaumont. Many housing and lot-size options exist in the community.
Challenges: You’re right, there are multiple challenges and community frustrations associated with higher densities!
Parking: Where is everyone going to park?
Believe me - I am concerned about this everyday myself and have been relentless on the issue whevever possible
More dense housing = less street parking available
Park in your garages and on your driveways people! Look down your street - people are choosing to park on the street instead of in their double or triple garages or even on their driveways. This sure doesn’t help the problem, does it!
Servicing: access issues for snow removal, garbage trucks and even Canada Post!
Traffic: More people live here, so, more people are coming and going everyday. There’s way more traffic than their used to be.
You’re right. It’s true. And - when things change as much as they have in Beaumont, it can be frustrating to some people.
What’s Next?
Land Use Bylaw Update: The complete the review and update of the City of Beaumont’s Land Use Bylaw is the FIRST PLACE that any rules could be changed that could start to make neighbourhoods feel less dense. This could include lots sizes and spacing, parking, permitted and non-permitted uses etc. Council has already motioned for this review to be completed. The review and update comes next.
EMRB Legacy Density Targets: Council needs to examine the current status of the legacy of the EMRB stating that 35 units/net residential hectare is still what needs to be planned to in Beaumont.
More and better Collaboration with Developers and Builders: I truly believe that more dialogue needs to happen between Council, our Planning and Development Team and developers and builders, to share feedback from the community on whats working and whats not. The measure of success can no longer be “well, people are still buying them.”
Issue #3 - additional dwelling units.
Council was working through the issue of Additional Dwelling Units (ADU’s), and then in 2023, 2 sitting councillors (Councillor Tessier and Councillor Miller) resigned from their elected positions.
I felt strongly that I needed to keep these conversations alive!
At the September 5, 2023 council meeting (starting at about 1:46.00) - In abscence of 2 of the councillors who had been supporting a reduction in Additional Dwelling Units, I made the following motion:
“THAT item 2, option 1 be amended to read “Reduce the number of additional Dwelling Units allowed on a single lot from three (3) to one (1).”
This motion was defeated with myself in favour, and the following opposed: Mayor Daneluik, Councillor McCook, Councillor Barnhart, Councillor Munckhof-Swain
The purpose of this motion was to reduce the legal number of ADU’s (think suites) that could exist in 1 home from 3, down to 1. This would reduce the density of people and parking around those homes that I had heard clearly was affecting neighbours greatly.
CURRENTLY: In January 2025 (which now included 2 new councillors voted in during the By-Election) council voted to reduce the ADU’s from 3 to 1 (think traditional nanny suite), which is the current state of the Land Use Bylaw.
Issue #4 - Parking.
Council was working through the issue of addressing parking concerns, and then in 2023, 2 sitting councillors (Councillor Tessier and Councillor Miller) resigned from their elected positions.
I felt strongly that I needed to keep these conversations alive!
At the September 5, 2023 council meeting (starting at about 2:08.30) - In abscence of 2 of the councillors who had been supporting addressing on-going parking concerns, I made the following motion:
“THAT attachment 3, be amended to include changing the current LUB regulations to require 1 parking stall for every unit (ADU) over 45 m2 (Issue 7).”
This motion was defeated with myself in favour, and the following opposed: Mayor Daneluik, Councillor McCook, Councillor Barnhart, Councillor Munckhof-Swain
Why this mattered is because I felt strongly that this rule could be exploited in the future. Time and time again, I have raised parking and the lack of it in more dense neighbourhoods as an issue that needed to be addressed.
CURRENTLY: In January 2025 (which now included 2 new councillors voted in during the By-Election) council voted to require 1 dedicated stall for any sized dwelling unit, which is the current state of the Land Use Bylaw.