Council draws ire of Calgary developers after ‘housekeeping’ land-use changes defeated – Calgary

Two groups of developers are calling out Calgary city council after proposed ‘housekeeping’ changes to the city’s land-use bylaw were defeated, and a move to reconsider the vote was also shot down.

Global News has obtained two letters sent to city council on Thursday: one from the Calgary Inner City Builders Association (CICBA), and the other from a group of 18 high-rise developers.

In its letter, CICBA noted its members are “exceedingly disappointed and frustrated” with council’s decision.

“The introduction of politics to administrative, housekeeping amendments is a dangerous exercise,” the letter read. “It reduces our ability to deliver much-needed housing units and it erodes housing affordability across the city.”

Earlier this month, city council was presented with 12 amendments to the city’s land-use bylaw, which outlines the rules and regulations for development of land in Calgary within each zoning district.

The updates included updated language around rear setbacks, parcel coverage and garage rules, as well as the removal of requirements for mobility storage lockers, and the removal for rezoning and public hearing for child-care services in an existing building.

The proposal also included a language change around the period for appeals, aligning it with the provincial rules.

According to the city, the amendments “streamline process, reduce timelines and costs for applicants, and focus on enabling housing and services for families,” and were done in consultation with the building industry.

However, the changes were defeated in a tie vote with councillors Sean Chu, Sonya Sharp, Dan McLean, Jennifer Wyness, Andre Chabot, and Terry Wong voting against.

“My frustration is we have a bunch of people who talk about finding efficiencies, saving money, and creating partnerships with industry, and creating more affordable housing, but at every single turn they vote against that,” said Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner.

Earlier this week, council then debated a motion to reconsider the vote on the land-use bylaw amendments, which required a two-thirds majority.

However, that reconsideration vote was also defeated with councillors Sharp, McLean, Wyness, Chabot, and Wong voting against.

“It was pointed out to me by several members of council that had they been able to break apart the various housekeeping changes, they felt it would’ve been a better decision so we prepared that,” Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek told Global News.

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“Instead (of) letting that happen, enough members of council just turned it all down again.”

In the other letter to councillors, the highrise developers noted they “do not understand” why council would “not at least support reconsideration through voting separately on each of the individual amendments,” asking councillors to once again reconsider.

“These types of amendments represent necessary and impactful incremental improvements to our shared planning and development system,” the letter read. “These types of amendments result in reduced red tape and costs which can increase the supply and affordability of housing.”

In an interview with Global News, McLean, who represents Ward 13, said he agreed with what he read in the letter, and does support some of the housekeeping amendments, but defended his decision to vote against the reconsideration.

“I think if we broke them apart one by one they would’ve all passed, and I didn’t want them to all pass,” he said. “Bring them back separate if you want them to pass.”

Wong, the councillor for Ward 7, told Global News in a statement that he felt five of the updates were policy matters bundled into an omnibus vote, not housekeeping.

“I voted against the reconsideration as there was no official mechanism to ‘straw vote’ which amendments would be supported or rejected; thus I was not confident that an amended omnibus package could be achieved,” his statement read.

Wong said he is engaged in discussions to approve some of the “less contentious amendments” during a council meeting in June.

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