Edmonton’s approach to infill developments is drawing attention from the provincial government, as debate continues over the city’s zoning rules and neighbourhood redevelopment.
From restrictive covenants to buying the neighbouring property, the rise in multi-unit infill builds in recent years has led some homeowners to take drastic action.
In the west-central McQueen neighbourhood, a lot that was controversially slated for an eightplex is now undergoing a different redevelopment — one those involved say is a better fit for the area.
“This is a very quiet residential street. It’s a one-entry crescent with a beautiful green space and the community was very, very concerned about it,” said real estate agent and developer Terry Paranych.
Paranych said a former client contacted him with concerns about a multi-unit development slated to go up on a lot near 146 Street and 110 Avenue.
“We care about the community, so I reached out this particular developer and we had discussion. After some debate, he agreed to sell it to me,” Paranych said.
His plan now is to build a 2,500-square foot, two-story urban craftsman-style home with four bedrooms, a veranda, attached double garage and big backyard — what Paranych calls the “perfect family home.”
“We’re very happy and proud to be putting a beautiful single-family home here — and that’s what belongs.”
It isn’t the first time the real estate developer has bought an Edmonton property slated to become a multi-unit infill.
“It’s been about a half a dozen times here in less than a year, where communities have reached out to me and were very concerned that there was going to be a mid-block, multi-unit infill with basically zero consultation by a builder or developer,” Paranych said.
“So I got involved and I guess you could say, put my money where my mouth is.”
He’s even done so in his own backyard.
“One of my neighbours was moving overseas. He had listed the house and sure enough, got an offer from one of these developers,” said Paranych, adding he talked his neighbour into selling to him instead.
“Purchased it and we put a covenant on it, and sold it to a nice young family.”
The sharp rise in not just the amount of infill properties, but also how many units each one contains, has led to some Edmontonians going out of their way to limit development in their communities.
For more than a year now, property owners and community groups have been exploring and adding a legally binding agreement called a restrictive covenant to some property titles.
The covenant limits how a property is used or developed, even after it is sold to a new owner.
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Restrictive covenants have been used for over 100 years in Edmonton, both for residential lots and commercial properties.
Glenora, one of Edmonton’s most sought-after and expensive neighbourhoods, was established in the 1910s with a restrictive covenant in some sections called the Carruthers Caveat.
It was named after the businessman who sold the land to the city, with a condition that only single-family homes on wide, expansive lots be allowed, to maintain his vision of Glenora as a prestigious residential area.
On the commercial side, restrictive covenants have been used extensively by grocery stores to prevent competition from setting up shop nearby — in some cases, resulting in food deserts.
Earlier this summer, hundred of homeowners in the south Edmonton communities of Duggan and Rideau Park signed 20-year covenants that set constraints on future redevelopment.
Located south of Whitemud Drive and west of Calgary Trail, the low-density suburban neighbourhoods were built up in between the 1960s and 1980s and primarily contain single-family homes.
The restrictive covenant Duggan residents came up with doesn’t ban infill outright, but instead, set limits on any future redevelopment of participating properties, including a maximum height of two storeys or eight metres, caps on the number of units and requirements for on-site parking.
Redeveloping properties in established neighbourhoods isn’t new project for Paranych — he’s been doing single-family residential infill for 20 years and says respecting the existing look and feel of an area is important to him.
“I kind of started doing infill before it was even a thing,” he said. “We talk to the neighbours, we talk to the community, we get involved and we want their input on what we’re going to be, ultimately, building on their streets.”
“That collaboration process is really important.”
In 2023, the City of Edmonton changed zoning bylaws to allow for more multi-unit buildings up to three storeys in all neighbourhoods.
The aim was to encourage a variety of development to be built more easily in residential areas, to increase housing choices and affordability.
In early 2024, the federal government committed $175 million from the Housing Accelerator program to fast-track more than 5,200 new housing units in Edmonton over three years.
But there’s been mixed reaction to the increase in multi-unit buildings replacing single-family homes.
Proponents of infill densification argue cities need to adapt to growing populations, and multiplexes offer a way to make existing neighbourhoods more dense without adding more sprawl to the city by building out into agricultural land.
Infill ended up being a contentious topic during the 2025 fall municipal election campaign after residents of established communities expressed concerns with property values, not enough parking, predatory developers, quality of builds and housing affordability.
“Unfortunately, with the way things have gone, you have a lot of these multi-unit infills,” Paranych said.
“There’s just no consultation, and they just put them up — and that’s why the communities are clearly upset.”
Paranych said some long-time residents feel pressured by redevelopment occurring around them.
In some cases, people have gone so far as to buy their neighbour’s property to prevent infill — like Paranych did — but he argues it shouldn’t come to that.
He said the situation reflects broader frustration with Edmonton’s infill policies.
“Could you imagine buying a home, moving into a neighbourhood to become a fabric of that community, and then something on either side goes next to you and you lose $400,000 or $500,000 in value of your home?
“It’s devastating and its been happening all over.”
The issue has become a point of discussion between municipal and provincial leaders.
During her weekend radio program Your Province, Your Premier this past weekend, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams is reviewing concerns related to Edmonton’s citywide rezoning approach.
The radio program is aired on 880 CHED and 770 QR Calgary, which are owned by Corus Entertainment, the parent company of Global News.
“Residents who are impacted by it are saying, ‘Hey, this doesn’t make sense to build these massive units in our neighbourhood, because you’re seeing the same thing,” Smith said, adding lots that once contained one house are being converted into properties containing four more townhouse-style units.
In some cases, the premier said that’s happening on several side-by-side lots.
“All of a sudden you’ve got a massive apartment building complex that’s built in some of these old neighbourhoods that are single-family homes.”
Speaking on her radio show, Smith said residents affected by the developments have raised concerns with the province.
“It is very much on our radar. Dan Williams is looking to see if we need to give more guidance around this issue,” Smith said.
On Monday, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack pushed back against the prospect of provincial involvement in municipal zoning decisions.
“Land use is a local decision and it should always be a local decision,” Knack said.
Knack said the city has already responded to some concerns raised by residents while continuing to support development of housing across a range of price points, in order to increase affordability.
“We’ve taken action on some of the specific concerns people have raised and at the same time ensured enough housing can be built so more people actually have a chance to have a home in this city,” he said.
Knack noted both the provincial and federal government have recognized the need for more housing starts in order to bring more affordable options to the market.
“Most major cities are seeing an affordability crisis.
“Even in Edmonton, where we are the most affordable major city in Canada, it’s still a challenge for a lot of folks who are under 40.”
While construction on the McQueen lot has not yet begun, Paranych said the property’s story highlights what many Edmonton homeowners want: a greater say in the type of development built in their neighbourhoods.
“I have absolutely no problem with a six- or an eight-suiter built on the corner of an arterial road or a busy road,” he said.
“I’m not against infill — but I’m for responsible infill.”
