Refocusing Rezoning

With rapid population growth in the past three years, how and where people live has been a major focus and challenge of council and Calgarians. We all agree we need more housing.

The city-wide implemented rezoning for housing is leaving residents, councillors, administration, and developers frustrated. Residents continue to worry about uncertainty in their neighbourhoods. Developers are caught in a system of reviews and uncertain project timelines adding to housing costs and which reduces unit affordability according to the recent release from CICBA (Calgary Inner City Builders Association).

These reasons combined means it’s not working for Calgary. 

I have a plan.

I am prepared to refocus and amend residential rezoning. I want to move Calgarians forward with a more balanced approach to growth, providing clarity and certainty, while reducing surprises. We need the right rules on the right parcels to get permits in weeks, not months.

We need to keep what’s working while taking away the biggest concerns for community: waste and recycling, trees, and parking. We need to address the concerns of those building homes: providing consistent and clear timelines and regulations for developers to give project certainty.

I’m prepared to continually adjust and learn as we go forward.

The Plan:

• Mid-block parcels amended to have higher parking minimums (60%) for gentler mid-block densification, excepting main streets and connector roads.
• ​Lots on the corner of one road and alley will be considered mid-block not corner parcels.
• HGO (Housing Grade Oriented) stays permitted, however on roads with no street parking (ie. Elbow Drive) we adjust the parking ratio to reflect this constraint.
• ​Review the density of HGO on 50’ lots and consider incremental increases with lot consolidation and frontage.
• Rowhomes (RCG) with basements suites will be permitted on corner lots and connector roads.
• ​Mid-block lots that currently have approved permits remain and aren’t required to rebuild.
• We need to clarify the rules with developers around the number of bins required and the ability to share between units.

• Rules around tree removal and replacement need to be clear and consistent so the public can better understand.
• Discretion needs to be applied lightly and only to the most pertinent details like shadowing, not siding colour or tree species.
• We need to rethink the added costs to redevelop sidewalks with nominal width changes.

These actions address both residents’ desire for slower, less drastic change. And it makes it clear to investors and builders what and where they can build.

To continue to build more homes, we also need: 

• More permitted uses for multi unit buildings. I commit to continuing to work with land owners, investors, and developers within nodes and corridors to help them move through the development process. 
• To aggressively continue releasing city-owned land to non-market affordable home providers, to for-profit developers to get fiscally sustainable tax productivity on vacant land. I will continue pushing for both of these
• To act on our budget investments at and near LRT stations by looking at the future tax uplift and making safety, accessibility, and land use changes sooner.

There are many good reasons to add more homes in our communities. More housing means better use of existing infrastructure, increased tax productivity, additional support for area businesses, as well as more eyes on the street for safety. Ward 11 communities are safe, full of amenities -  and people want to be our neighbours!

Lastly, I am committed to adding a dedicated staff resource to my team to support community members in how to understand and better participate in the development process. I will create this position within days of being elected.
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My plan provides a path forward for Calgary. It’s pragmatic, fair, and balanced.