What is Infill?

Infill is the process of developing vacant or under-used land within existing urban areas that are already developed. Infill can consist of demolishing a building and replacing it with something new. It also includes the development of residential, commercial, mixed-use or institutional on vacant lots in existing neighbourhoods.

Where To Start?

This diagram illustrates a simplified view of the development process.

The process to build INfill in Edmonton

There are several types of infill in Edmonton including single detached housing, semi-detached housing, duplexes, row housing, stacked row housing, apartments, secondary suites, and garden suites.

These types of infill are referred to as ‘use classes’ in the 12800 Edmonton Zoning Bylaw and are categorized by the City of Edmonton as minor and major developments when issuing the applicable development permit.

A general rule of thumb is any development of 2 or fewer units is a minor development, and 3 or more is considered a major development.

The difference between these two types of developments is that major developments are more complex due to a greater degree of applicable regulations making the application process more rigorous and information intensive.

To develop any of these use classes, a complete development and building permit application must be submitted to the City of Edmonton for review and a decision (approval or refusal). When an application is submitted, a City of Edmonton development officer reviews the application against the 12800 Edmonton Zoning Bylaw, and determines whether the proposed development complies with a ‘use’ definition, site location criteria and development regulations outlined in the applicable zone, overlay and sections of the zoning bylaw. In some cases, the development officer also reviews an application against the Area Redevelopment Plan if one exists for the area. The predominant propose for this review is to ensure the use, scale and massing of the proposed development are compatible with the existing neighbourhood, complies with existing regulations, and does not unduly interfere with the use, value, and engagement of surrounding properties.

In some cases, the proposed development does not comply with the applicable zoning regulations. In these circumstances, the development application is either refused or approved with one or more variances by the development officer. The approval of any variance in an infill situation is often a complex process that is case-by-case and is informed by several considerations including the site configuration, the impact of the variance, and input from a community consultation. Regulations that outline this process in more detail can be found in the Mature Neighbourhood Overlay (Section 814) or Administrative Clauses (Section 11 to 25) of the Edmonton Zoning Bylaw.

Once any development permit is approved, any person may appeal the development decision to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board where the decision of the Development Officer can be upheld or overturned. This also applies to any permit that is refused, the applicant may also appeal the development decision to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board. However, in both circumstances, it is important to note that the appeal must be made within 14 days of the development decision to be heard by the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

Once the development officer or Subdivision and Development Appeal Board approve a development, the application is reviewed by a safety codes officer, which reviews the proposal against the Alberta Building Code or also known as the ‘ABC’ for short. This review is to ensure the proposed development meets minimum safety and environmental regulations.

Once all applicable permits are received, the property developer can complete all necessary construction work and inspections.

You can find out more on the land development process here. (Video)

Resources

ADDITIONAL PERMITS EVERY INFILL BUILDER NEEDS:

On Street Construction and Maintenance (OSCAM) Permit:

An OSCAM permit is required for a variety of work on City road right of ways, including:
- Excavation work on roadways, sidewalks, boulevards.
- All work on freeways, river crossings and in the downtown core or Whyte Avenue area.
- Non-excavation work that interferes with traffic flows on major roadways during the hours of 6-9 a.m. and/or 3:30-6:30 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays.
All work with a duration of more than four hours at any one location. Minor locations require two full business days to process and major locations can take up to ten full business days.
To apply for an OSCAM permit, visit edmonton.ca/oscampermit.

Temporary Construction Access Authorization Permit (TCAAP):

A TCAAP is required when equipment will be crossing a boulevard or sidewalk from the public road right of way to temporarily access private property, when there is no legal access. Applicants are required to provide protection to trees, the boulevard and maintain appropriate drainage. TCAAP applications take a minimum of five full business days to process and ten full business days for major locations.
To apply for a TCAAP, visit edmonton.ca/oscampermit.

Building Resources and Guides

Development Permit Checklists

Class A applications follow all the rules required by the Edmonton Zoning Bylaw 12800 and do not require any changes to these rules.

Complete the application worksheets (both Part A and Part B) to find out if your application is Class A application that meets all the rules required by the Edmonton Zoning bylaw 12800.

Part A - Mature Neighbourhood Overlay and General Regulations (11MB)
Part B - RF1
Part B - RF2
Part B - RF3
Part B - RF4

What is a Land Use Plan?

Provides neighbours with an overview of what a land use plan is, how it is created, and how its big picture vision for an area might be accomplished.

What is Zoning?

Provides neighbours with an overview of what zoning is, and how it might guide development in Edmonton.

Fee Listing

Fee tables and schedules are excerpts or attachments from related bylaws

Zoning Bylaw 12800

The Zoning Bylaw contains the rules and regulations for the development of land in Edmonton.

The City Plan

The City Plan combines a Municipal Development Plan and Transportation Master Plan, and includes strategic direction in environmental planning, social planning and economic development.

Residential Infill Guidelines

Residential infill is the development of new housing in established neighbourhoods. This new housing may include secondary suites, garden suites, duplexes, semi-detached and detached houses, row houses, apartments, and other residential and mixed-use buildings.
The Residential Infill Guidelines provide direction to developers, communities, City staff and City Council on how infill development in mature neighbourhoods should occur. The Guidelines are an approved City Policy (C551) and were adopted in 2009.

Residential Construction Guide

This construction guide is a tool to help builders, contractors and community members better understand what good construction should look like. It helps clarify responsibilities to help ensure a safe, clean and low nuisance site.

House Permit Guide

A guide and a checklist of what you will need for residential permits.

Construction Site Management Acknowledgment Form

This form must be signed and accompany your development permit application.

Changes to Existing Buildings

For interior and exterior alterations and renovations, additions, tenant improvements, selective or partial demolitions, changes to business activities.
For commercial, industrial, institutional, apartments, Row Houses with 5 or more dwelling units, and stacked Row Houses.

Permits that you will need

Here you’ll find a list of common permits required when undertaking an infill project.

Infill pre-application meetings

The City of Edmonton is now offering Pre-Application Meetings for small-scale residential infill development proposals.

Mature Neighbourhood Overlay

The Mature Neighbourhood Overlay (MNO) was passed in 2001 with 24 regulations that aim to ensure new development in Edmonton’s mature areas are sensitive to existing development. More information can be found on the City of Edmonton infill website.

DrainAGE & GRADING

The infill drainage guide can be found on the City of Edmonton infill website.

Development Signage

Find more information on development signage on the City of Edmonton infill website.

Housing (Re)development: What to Expect

Provides neighbours with tips and resources for when housing develops near you and in your community, and contacts to ensure what is being built is done in a respectful, responsible way.

Landscaping and Hardscaping

Provides neighbours with a summary of landscaping and hardscaping requirements for infill.

Residential Construction Guide

Provides neighbours with the expectations and associated regulations/requirements that builders must conform to during construction.

Trees and Shrubs

Provides neighbours with a summary of the types of trees and shrubs that might be applied to landscaping requirements.