REGINA — Confusion erupted at Regina City Hall Wednesday when council learned a space in downtown Regina is being used as a parking lot before they had even approved it.
The situation involves a zoning amendment bylaw that was before council Wednesday. The amendment called for the lands in downtown Regina at 2158 and 2160 Scarth St. to be rezoned to C - Contract Zone, to allow a 13-stall parking lot to be developed at the location.
But council members were thrown for a loop at Wednesday’s meeting when they were informed a parking lot was already there.
Council heard from city resident Anna Norris, who told council that the houses on the property had already been demolished and the space was already being used for parking.
All of this had transpired before the zoning bylaw change had even been passed and signed and sealed. Norris described the bylaw as having “been carried out before it is being read.”
The whole situation drew the ire of Councillor Bob Hawkins, who wanted an explanation from city officials. He said “the democratic will of council has been short circuited by this process.”
Hawkins was especially upset the houses were demolished, and a demolition permit issued, before council had made the decision on zoning.
Administration officials explained the permit to demolish the houses was a separate issue from the use of the lots. But they had also made clear the lot shouldn’t be used as a parking lot until it was approved by council.
“I think this is a loophole, I think it requires examination by the administration,” Hawkins said.
Complicating the situation even further is that the final vote on the zoning bylaw amendment ended up not proceeding.
The bylaw change made it through second reading only on Wednesday by a 5-4 vote. It then failed to achieve unanimous consent needed for third reading, with all four opponents voting against it.
That means the zoning bylaw amendment must come back to the next council meeting for third reading and approval. In the meantime, there remains an unapproved lot being used for parking at the Scarth Street location.
Mayor Sandra Masters tried to make sense of the entire situation, as well as next steps for the city, when speaking to reporters following the meeting.
“The demolition permit was applied for and granted, notwithstanding the zoning change for the parking lot. So, to have cars parking where the houses have stood is what’s in violation. And so, I think they will be following up with the land owner, but then administration is tasked to coming back to council for exactly this point: when something isn’t being granted parking lot status, what are the enforcement options from a bylaw perspective. I think that’s being pursued now.”
