House-poor Iqaluit eyes land bylaw update

A home under construction in Iqaluit’s Plateau neighbourhood in 2011, a year in which 222 residential units were developed. Fewer than half that were under construction in 2016. (FILE PHOTO)

The final plan for the Joamie Court subdivision in Iqaluit. (CITY OF IQALUIT MAP)

The City of Iqaluit took its first steps toward modernizing its outdated land administration bylaws, putting pen to paper in a memo that explores how private land development could streamline the construction of residential units.

At a recent planning committee meeting, the city’s planning and development director, Mélodie Simard, presented councillors with an outline explaining how the city could rewrite its 21-year-old Land Administration Bylaw.

“I’ve heard multiple times by committee members there’s some appetite to update the land administration bylaw,” Simard told committee members March 6.

The amendment is important, because large development projects, like residential subdivisions, are sub-contracted by the city through policies laid out in that land bylaw.

Under the current system, the City of Iqaluit only recoups the money it invests after completed units are sold. But it needs money up front to get the ball rolling.

In recent years, as the city cuts spending to curb long-standing deficits, residential land development has taken a back seat to higher priority budget items.

To compare: 83 residential units were in some stage of development during 2016 in Iqaluit, compared to 130 units in 2013 and 222 units in 2011.

Now, with two new subdivisions at various stages of development this summer, some councillors wanted to know what the city can do to get as many new homes onto the market in as little time as possible.

Simard told the committee that construction is slated to begin this summer at a new subdivision in Apex.

One of those lots will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for a home they plan to build using money collected at the city’s Toonik Tyme festival last year.

Behind Joamie Elementary School, the city’s planning department has selected a residential subdivision concept—dubbed Joamie Court—following a contentious consultation last spring where many Joamie School staff publicly opposed new development in the area.

The concept chosen by the city promises to create approximately 65 new residential units in a mix of low- and medium-density lots.

“This is a small parcel of land, but it really makes sense for us because it fits within the utilidor system, as we have it already and it’s an opportunity to get a whole bunch of single dwelling units available for people right away, or sooner than any other place in Iqaluit,” Deputy Mayor Romeyn Stevenson said at the recent committee meeting.

But Coun. Terry Dobbin said city council should rewrite its land administration bylaw prior to developing the subdivision.

“We’re in desperate need of land and the city route is taking too long. It’s been five years and very little land has been developed,” he said.

“The option of privatization, lets face it, there’s no bureaucracy to go through, and you just go ahead and develop land.”

Stevenson warned that postponement of planned engineering surveys at Joamie Court while the city looks into rewriting its bylaws could delay the project by another year.

The committee ultimately agreed to continue with Joamie Court engineering surveys, while exploring new land development policies separately.

Iqaluit’s city council will still have the final say on any decision.

The Land Administration Bylaw amendment would:

• ensure the bylaw respects the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, which became law after the current Land Administration Bylaw was passed;

• outline clear procedures for the disposal of land by the city; and,

• outline clear procedures for the pricing of lands.

Given the number of changes required to amend the bylaw, Simard’s memo recommended city council repeal the old Land Administration Bylaw and replace it with a new one.