South Edmonton communities enter into restrictive covenant to limit infill development

Residents in the south Edmonton communities of Duggan and Rideau Park have resorted to a legal measure, a restrictive covenant, to curb the pace and scale of infill development in their neighborhoods. Citing concerns over current city policies, hundreds of homeowners have signed the 20-year agreement, which imposes strict limits on future property redevelopment. The covenant restricts new builds to single-family homes, potentially including basement, garden, or garage suites. It also sets a height limit of eight meters and mandates one parking spot per dwelling, effectively limiting builds to duplexes without additional units. This move aims to preserve the character of their quiet neighborhoods, which residents say are disrupted by increased parking demands, garbage, and traffic associated with larger infill projects. Homeowners expressed frustration over the perceived lack of say in development, with some noting that contractors are buying multiple houses to construct large complexes. The cost of signing the covenant, $210, is considered a small price to pay for maintaining their quality of life. However, advocates for infill development, like Stephan Raitz of BILD Edmonton Metro, express concern that such covenants could impose long-term restrictions and shrink the market for properties. He hopes for a collaborative approach between the community, industry, and the city to make infill development more positive.

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They don’t want one of these six, seven or eight or bigger multiplexes built in the neighbourhood.