AN UPDATE ON THE REZONING APPEAL

For those awaiting Calgary's decision on the rezoning hearing that started last week, here's what you should know: The public hearing on Calgary's rezoning repeal is expected to extend into next week as City Council reviews a substantial number of public responses. The Council has stated that no decision will be made until all opinions have been heard, despite over 500 speakers having registered and more continually signing up. 

The short answer is: volume and process.

      1. Just over half of the ~520 registered speakers have presented so far;
      2. Additional speakers are still being added;
      3. City Council will pause the hearing temporarily due to previously scheduled council and committee meetings              before resuming later in the week.

City officials have emphasized that deliberations will not begin until every registered speaker has had the opportunity to present. As a result, a final decision is now likely to be pushed into next week. 

The vast majority of people who have spoken at city hall over the last six days are calling for a repeal of blanket rezoning. This includes input from industry groups such as the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB), who has expressed concerns that the policy has not fully achieved its intended goals, including:

      1. Improving housing affordability;

      2. Increasing "missing middle" development (townhomes and duplexes).

That said, it’s important to note that public hearings are only one component of the decision-making process, and Council will still need to weigh broader policy, financial, and legal considerations.

If Council proceeds with repeal, it will revert zoning for residential properties to their previous state BEFORE the blanket rezoning took effect, including:

      1. Reverting a large portion of residential land (300,000+ parcels) to lower-density zoning;
      2. Restricting where rowhomes and townhomes can be built (e.g., limiting mid-block development);
      3. Reducing the maximum number of units per parcel, from 4 to 3;
      4. Adjusting density and development guidelines under R-CG zoning.

This current hearing is the result of nearly 2 years of public hearings and policy changes. 

      1. The City identified a growing housing crisis, with 1 in 5 households struggling with affording shelter;
      2. The federal government tied funding to zoning reform and housing supply targets;
      3. Calgary adopted the "Home is Here" housing strategy.

With a final decision still pending, now is the time to understand how these proposed changes could affect residential development. For a deeper dive into the zoning updates and their implications, read our previous blog for a full breakdown. 

Have questions about zoning or redevelopment in your community? We're here to talk.