Charlottetown's new official plan won't 'destroy or disrupt neighbourhoods,' says deputy mayor

Charlottetown has proposed an updated official plan that includes a new approach to housing development called "gentle infilling."

If adopted, the plan would encourage adding small apartment buildings, multi-unit dwellings, semi-detached homes, duplexes and triplexes in lots where they fit, said deputy mayor Alanna Jankov, who is also chair of Charlottetown's planning and heritage committee.

This will help create housing at a time when it's in high demand, given that the city's population has jumped by 12 per cent between 2011 and 2021. Jankov said there will be another 14,000 to 23,000 people living here by 2050.

"These folks need to live somewhere," she said.

The "gentle infill" housing plan is part of a draft new document that will eventually outline how P.E.I.'s capital will grow and develop over the next 20 years. This will be Charlottetown's first crack at an official plan since 1999 — and it's facing criticism from some local residents.

'Not gentle' development

West Royalty resident Jerry Woolfrey said the new plan is putting development such as multi-unit apartment buildings in residential zones where people weren't expecting it.

"It's not gentle. It's a major transformation of all our residential neighbourhoods," he said.

Jankov said the new official plan aims to encourage more housing development while at the same time protecting the character of neighbourhoods, however.

Smaller housing options integrated within a neighbourhood can increase the housing supply without changing its appearance or feel, she said — "and by no means have we made any decision to destroy or disrupt neighbourhoods in any way, shape or form."

The city is still in the early stages of developing the new plan and hasn't yet finished community engagement, she said, adding that she encourages residents to provide their feedback.

That's what Woolfrey did.

Last month, the city held open houses at four locations to present the plan. Woolfrey attended two of those and made a short presentation raising his concerns.

"Residential neighbourhoods are just that. They're residential neighbourhoods, single-family homes where we raise our families. Our streets aren't built for commercial traffic," he said.

'Lots of time for folks to be involved'

Besides creating more housing, gentle infilling also prevents sprawl — and it's always cheaper to build up rather than out "because then you're not extending your services out any further," Jankov said.

It's not gentle. It's a major transformation of all our residential neighbourhoods here.— Jerry Woolfrey

It is also for people who love their neighbourhood but can no longer maintain a larger house, those with grown children who want to still live nearby independently, or people who need a bit of rental income to help them pay their mortgage, she said.

"It allows people to kind of age in place."

Residents have until the end of day on Thursday, April 20 to provide feedback via email or survey about this potential addition to the plan. Then the city will go back out again and show how the plan has change to reflect what it heard from the public.

"There's still lots of time for folks to be involved," Jankov said.