INNISFAIL – A Caroline man has won the right to build a home on land bordering the southern shore of Dodd’s Lake by successfully convincing Innisfail town council not to move on an administration motion to deny his request to amend a land use zoning.
The property at 5140 – 56th Street was zoned residential multi-family district (R-3), and Walter Tarnasky wanted it amended to residential single-family district (R-1B) for his planned new home, which the current landowner and many others in the area supported.
“There's an existing row of homes there. We would just sort of fit right in,” said Tarnasky during a public hearing at town council’s regular meeting on July 8. “For us, it’s a beautiful site, unlike any of the other ones that are available.”
But administration had other ideas for the property, which had been purchased by the current landowner in 1986 with residences but has been empty of all dwellings since 2014.
Most importantly, administration told council during the public hearing, the town’s land use bylaw no longer allows for new construction of a single-family residence on 5140 – 56th Street as it had been rezoned for multi-unit development.
“Administration does not support the rezoning of this property from one that is suitable for multi-unit development to single-unit development,” said an administration report authored by Gordon Shaw, Innisfail’s manager of community development services. “There is a definite need for rental units being available within the community as the current rental vacancy rate is zero.
“The subject property could accommodate between 16 and 40 units, which would help to address the lack of this type of housing in the community,” added Shaw in his report. “If the property is rezoned to accommodate a detached dwelling it is possible that other properties in this area may apply for a similar change.”
Shaw supported his view by noting the 2023 Housing Needs Assessment identified there was an “unmet demand” of 31 dwelling units in the form of apartments, row housing, or movable dwellings.
He added that by 2031 it was expected that an additional 24 dwelling units will be required.
However, town council was not convinced, and unanimously agreed not to support the administration recommended motion on second and third readings that would have effectively blocked Tarnasky’s attempt to have the property rezoned.
“I've had people actually approach me and say there's people looking for these kinds of lots,” said Innisfail mayor Jean Barclay. “We talk so much about affordable housing but we also have to realize there's people that aren't necessarily looking for that affordable housing piece.
“They are looking for lots like this, which is a gem and almost impossible to find anymore, and not everybody wants to live in a new neighbourhood on a smaller lot and no trees,” she added. “I would like to see this be an R1 and not an R3 and let the person who wants to buy this build their home. I think it fits well into the community.”
During the public hearing Tarnasky received strong support from Laurie Miller, whose family is selling him the subject property.
She told council her family has done their best over the past decades to keep the riparian area around their land at Dodd's Lake to honour the birds and animals, adding emphatically the idea of a 16-to-40-unit apartment building jammed on a parcel of land they have long loved is "really frightful" to them.
“We do have a 16-unit apartment across from us. Currently, it is in the same state of disrepair that has been in the entire 42 years that I have lived on the street,” said Miller. “The idea the town would think it would be better to have more people jammed in a small space where there's no accessibility from behind, I have concerns."
As for Tarnasky, he later told the Albertan he was “totally delighted” with council’s decision.
“We're not deflecting or stretching anything. We're just putting another home in amongst other homes,” said Tarnasky “I think the folks there (Dodd’s Lake) recognize its’s a pretty, beautiful spot, and there shouldn't be an apartment there.
“Some places just don’t deserve that.”
