City Administration is proposing major densification changes to zoning for established areas (essentially, communities planned and developed in the 1950s and 1960s), including Mayfair and Bel-Aire. Council votes on those proposed land-use changes on Tuesday, October 4.
There are two changes proposed:
- Amend the R-CG land use district to include “mid-block” densification (in addition to corner lot, end-block multi-dwelling buildings)
- Create a new land use district – H-GO to permit even higher densification in certain areas
These designations will permit everything from row houses to small apartment buildings up to three stories in height, will permit multiple buildings on one lot separated by a small interior courtyard, and will reduce parking requirements from 1 stall per unit to .375 stall per unit. For example, under R-CG, a standard 50X120 ft. lot could accommodate 4 dwelling units + 4 secondary suites (8 units total), with only 3 parking stalls.
City Administration intends that R-CG will become standard zoning throughout all established areas. City Administration did not carry out any public consultation or engagement; instead, they consulted only with developers to create the proposed land-use changes.
Read the Citizens Guide which explains the proposed changes and the problems with those changes.
Concerned community associations have pressed the City to designate Single-Detached Special Policy Areas, to no avail so far. Click HERE to read the letter submitted on behalf of many community associations to the City on this topic, and click HERE to read the follow-up letter.
While the restrictive covenants in Mayfair and Bel-Aire provide a first line of defence against these changes, we should not rest easy. We need to speak up on behalf of all established neighbourhoods.
What can you do?
- Write to our Ward 11 City Councillor, Kourtney Penner – Kourtney.Penner@calgary.ca
- Contact the Mayor and City Council:
- Make an online submission HERE
- Send an email to the Mayor: themayor@calgary.ca
- Send an email to the entire City Council: cityclerk@calgary.ca AND councillorweb@calgary.ca
- Sign up to attend and speak at the City Council meeting on October 4
- email the City Clerk’s office to register: publicsubmissions@calgary.ca
- attend the Council Meeting October 4 – October 4 Agenda
- Let us know what you have done (thanks!) – traffic@mayfairbelaire.ca
Learn more about the proposed land use changes:
- Federation of Calgary Communities Videos intended to respond to concerns about the proposed land use changes
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Bruce Williams and Peter Collins,
Planning & Development,
Mayfair Bel-Aire Community Association
