Hundreds of Calgarians to speak at marathon rezoning hearing this week

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Citywide rezoning will take center stage this week with a marathon city council hearing that could last seven days, making it the largest and longest council meeting in Calgary’s history.

As of Friday, 675 people were registered to speak at the hearing, which begins Monday at 9:30 a.m. It is expected to last several 12-hour days, with the procedure concluding around 9:30 pm each night.

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Included in the meeting agenda are more than 5,500 written comments from the public, totaling more than 13,000 pages.

“People are passionate about their communities and their housing,” said Acadia resident Alex Williams, one of many Calgarians who signed up to speak in front of council during the marathon meeting.

“Honestly, I think it’s good that so many people have signed up, it shows an engaged population.”

Williams said he supports R-CG’s proposed rezoning, which allows additional types of low-density housing, such as townhouses or duplexes and townhomes, on parcels previously zoned for single-family detached homes only.

“I think it’s important to open up those broader property rights to build a long-term resilient city, as well as a more adaptable city,” he said.

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“Our neighborhoods change and I don’t think we should use zoning as a way to restrict change.”

The city’s newer neighborhoods are already zoned to allow for a variety of medium-density housing forms, so R-CG’s proposal would not change the way development proceeds in them.

Older residential neighborhoods, many of which are zoned exclusively for single-family detached homes, would be hardest hit by a move to R-CG.

Currently, homeowners can build duplexes or townhomes in these communities by requesting a land use redesignation. Currently, the council approves 95 percent of R-CG rezoning requests.

Community association president warns against ‘hasty action’

Lakeview Community Association President Jon Himmens was one of 42 representatives from Calgary community associations who met with Mayor Jyoti Gondek on Saturday to express concerns about the proposed rezoning.

Himmens said the rezoning would eliminate some level of control in part of the city and hand the reins to private developers.

“We don’t want developers to be opportunistic and grab the low-hanging fruit and then leave us (the city) with a much bigger problem,” he said.

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Himmens argues that densification may not necessarily equate to affordability, but rather gentrification in existing neighborhoods.

“All community associations support densification and support the affordable housing initiative,” Himmens said. “The rezoning is a hasty move, which we do not believe was well thought out by all Calgarians.”

The R-CG rezoning is part of the city’s broader housing strategy, which the council voted in favor of in September of last year.

The outcome Himmens hopes for from the hearing is that the city council reject the rezoning proposal.

“There is no doubt that we have to find a solution; this is not it,” he said.

Himmens believes the city should take a community-by-community approach, possibly through things like local area planningwhat he considers a possible solution.

“The solution is not a response to the crisis, which we believe will lead to uncontrolled construction in the wrong places,” Himmens said.

‘Affordability is not the only issue…availability is a big concern’: tenant

Williams said, “Affordability is not the only issue on the table, availability is a big concern for Calgarians.”

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Williams, a renter, said he spent four months looking for a place to live and, despite offering three months’ rent up front, was turned down by dozens of landlords.

“I think this change is really small,” he said. “It’s not going to change much, we’re putting housing next to housing.”

“Should we do this or not is like debating why ice cream shops should be allowed next to bakeries. They kind of go to the same place and I think that’s okay.”

Gondek said Saturday he will review the written submissions the city received and looks forward to hearing from Calgarians who signed up to speak at the hearing.

City council members are legally required to remain open to persuasion during the public hearing.

After the public hearing, which is required to amend the city’s land use bylaw, the council will deliberate and vote on whether to amend the bylaw.

If approved, the rezoning changes are expected to take effect in August. according to the city website.

— With files from Scott Strasser, Laurice Gomes and Bill Kaufma

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