Yellowknife city councillors spent another meeting discussing backyard chickens and other livestock as well as temporary housing for workers on March 7.
The Governance and Priorities Committee of council spent a significant amount of time on how the draft zoning bylaw treats urban agriculture.
The farm talk was part of a broader discussion at the meeting about feedback collected during public consultations ahead of advancing the draft bylaw to second and third reading.
During a hearing Nov. 27, 2021, the city received 21 written and eight verbal comments opposed to the changes proposed in the zoning bylaw update, four verbal comments that were partly supportive and partly opposed, and eight written and six verbal comments that were supportive.
Those comments were presented to the governance and priorities committee of council first on Feb. 14. At MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 meeting, the citySA国际影视传媒檚 administration returned with responses and proposals related to questions councillors asked on ValentineSA国际影视传媒檚 Day.
Urban agriculture was fertile ground for germane conversation as photos of scarcely stocked shelves in city grocery stores have circulated on social media in recent weeks.
Fireweed Farm, Le Refuge Farm and EIEIO Farm were listed as SA国际影视传媒済reat examplesSA国际影视传媒� of for-profit agricultural businesses in an RC-1 zone by Rob Locke, the citySA国际影视传媒檚 manager of planning and land.
The bylaw includes in SA国际影视传媒渃ommunitySA国际影视传媒� any individual, family, school, hospital or garden organization SA国际影视传媒渨ho is growing and raising food for shared personal use and/or sharing with community food and health programs.SA国际影视传媒�
And, crucially: SA国际影视传媒淧roduct generated from community urban agriculture activities may be sold as a commercial product.SA国际影视传媒�
If the proposed wording is accepted, personal or community greenhouse or gardens would be allowed, including SA国际影视传媒渟mall animals including hens, ducks, quail, rabbits, goats and pigs as well as bees and insects.SA国际影视传媒�
According to Locke, itSA国际影视传媒檚 about scope and scale: a commercial operation is clearly just that given the size, and would not be allowed in a residential area.
From the report: SA国际影视传媒淧ersonal use of backyard chickens or bees is permitted; the commercial operation of a feedlot, livestock yard or abattoir are not permitted.SA国际影视传媒�
Mayor Rebecca Alty said she wants to make sure there is enough agriculturally zoned land in the city, noting that Kam Lake may not be an ideal place for a farm given the SA国际影视传媒渃oncernsSA国际影视传媒� GNWT health and safety officials have about trucked water service and the limited amount of land that tends to come up for sale in that area.
SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 want the city to be the barrier to those urban agricultureSA国际影视传媒� start-ups, Alty said during MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 meeting. She mentioned Sweet Ride Honey, which was SA国际影视传媒渁 commercial beehive in the RC-1 zone. Are we going to allow more businesses like that?SA国际影视传媒�
Housing for workers
Coun. Niels Konge, who owns a construction company and is councilSA国际影视传媒檚 sole representative on the citySA国际影视传媒檚 Development Appeal Board, said the zoning bylaw could save builders millions if it were more flexible and allowed more types of temporary housing for work crews.
SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 where we need to look at as council,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭here are no rentals. There are 19 houses on the market right now. We have to do something and I donSA国际影视传媒檛 think we go far enough. Are you going to buy all 19 houses?SA国际影视传媒�
Konge said the zoning bylaw should include language that would allow for temporary accommodations for migrant construction crews. He said regular buildings or SA国际影视传媒渃amp-styleSA国际影视传媒� housing should be allowed, as long as it complies with the National Building Code.
SA国际影视传媒淟etSA国际影视传媒檚 pick on AVENS,SA国际影视传媒� he said, referring to the seniors community about to add a massive expansion. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 a 14- or 16-month project. TheySA国际影视传媒檒l probably have to bring up 40 people? We could drop $1.5 million off the price of that project (if they could avoid renting hotel rooms for the workers) if we had a more flexible zoning bylaw.SA国际影视传媒�
How do you expand the citySA国际影视传媒檚 tourism offerings when thereSA国际影视传媒檚 no accommodations for the workers needed to come here and build more accommodations, he asked.
SA国际影视传媒淲e have to think about our own projects, too,SA国际影视传媒� Konge said. SA国际影视传媒淗ow many people do you think itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to take to build the pool? And where are those people going?SA国际影视传媒�
City manager Sheila Bassi-Kellett took the issue under advisement.
Discussion on those and other points of contention in the draft zoning bylaw will come up again when the committee meets virtually on March 14 and 21, and in person on March 28. There is also a virtual council meeting scheduled for the evening of March 14.
SA国际影视传媒淗opefully after April 1 we wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have to wear our masks in council chambers anymore,SA国际影视传媒� Alty said.
