{ "file": "/tmp/tmp0i_wwgx4/b1d2e885-2744-42df-b56f-d167f3155aec.mkv", "language": "en", "segments": [ { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1181.405, "end": 1185.645, "text": "All right, welcome back to Calgary City Council. Mr. Clerk, would you please call the rule?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1186.225, "end": 1187.965, "text": "Thank you, Mayor. On the role. Councillor Tyres." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1189.905, "end": 1190.825, "text": "Councillor Wyness." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1194.545, "end": 1196.025, "text": "Councillor Wyness, did I hear you say here?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Wyness", "start": 1198.005, "end": 1198.745, "text": "Yes, I'm here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1198.745, "end": 1199.565, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1200.105, "end": 1201.065, "text": "Uh Councillor Yule?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1203.085, "end": 1203.965, "text": "Thank you. Councillor Kelly?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1205.405, "end": 1205.745, "text": "Present." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1206.145, "end": 1206.825, "text": "Councillor Dollywall?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1208.625, "end": 1209.025, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1209.705, "end": 1210.705, "text": "Councillor Pantasopos." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1211.425, "end": 1212.265, "text": "Councillor Atkinson?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1212.685, "end": 1213.205, "text": "Councillor Schmidt?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1213.925, "end": 1214.505, "text": "Councillor Clark?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1215.525, "end": 1216.145, "text": "Councillor Chabot?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 1218.225, "end": 1218.525, "text": "Present." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1219.025, "end": 1219.305, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1219.785, "end": 1220.345, "text": "Councillor Ward?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1222.465, "end": 1222.705, "text": "Here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1223.105, "end": 1224.105, "text": "Thank you. Councillor Jameson?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1225.365, "end": 1225.965, "text": "Councillor McLean?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor D. McLean", "start": 1227.085, "end": 1227.305, "text": "Here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1228.285, "end": 1229.005, "text": "Councillor Johnston?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1230.285, "end": 1230.485, "text": "Here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1231.005, "end": 1232.145, "text": "Thank you. Mayor Farkas." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1232.445, "end": 1233.185, "text": "I'm here. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1233.405, "end": 1233.645, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1234.105, "end": 1236.265, "text": "I'm gonna go over to uh Councillor Shabot, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 1238.025, "end": 1240.645, "text": "Thank you, uh worship. Sorry for not getting my RTS in." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1241.385, "end": 1242.245, "text": "I think um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1242.765, "end": 1244.505, "text": "to ensure that uh the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1245.185, "end": 1250.625, "text": "the public are well informed about our process and expectations, setting expectations now" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1250.945, "end": 1252.005, "text": "ahead of starting" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1252.425, "end": 1254.005, "text": "uh this public hearing again," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1254.365, "end": 1260.625, "text": "we we need to set um uh direction as far as what our intent is on a go forward basis with regards to the agenda." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1260.925, "end": 1263.625, "text": "Um it's been it's been a long couple of weeks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1263.825, "end": 1275.845, "text": "Um I know myself I'm way behind in so far as my emails and responding to citizens. Uh would like to be opportunity to do a little bit of catch-up work uh as well as uh as catching up with family." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1276.085, "end": 1281.385, "text": "Um it's been a long week, like I said, and we haven't really even had a chance to catch up even with family. In anticipation of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1281.645, "end": 1283.845, "text": "Good Friday and in preparations for that," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1284.245, "end": 1286.805, "text": "um I would uh like to propose that we" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1287.165, "end": 1289.605, "text": "uh end the public hearing today at six o'clock." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1290.165, "end": 1291.005, "text": "And uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1291.365, "end": 1295.245, "text": "and again, like I said, to try and catch up on emails and constituent issues." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1295.525, "end": 1297.965, "text": "uh taking the Monday off uh for that purpose" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1298.165, "end": 1301.505, "text": "and and reconvene at this public hearing on Tuesday morning. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1301.985, "end": 1304.505, "text": "it's a motion that I would like to put forward and let council" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1305.125, "end": 1308.545, "text": "uh debate and decide on the best path forward at the end of the day." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1308.925, "end": 1310.265, "text": "We need to set direction" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1310.725, "end": 1312.985, "text": "as soon as possible so that the public is well informed." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1313.185, "end": 1320.785, "text": "Yeah, and uh from a process standpoint, uh I believe you mean to to recess at six o'clock. Uh the public hearing would continue if uh we" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1321.165, "end": 1326.045, "text": "had remaining people who are signed up and it would just uh the this meeting would continue on Tuesday at 9 30." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 1326.985, "end": 1328.385, "text": "That's what I'm proposing. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1328.885, "end": 1332.205, "text": "All right, so that's been moved by Councillor Shabot. Is there a seconder for this?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1332.745, "end": 1334.225, "text": "Seconded by Councillor Jameson." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1334.585, "end": 1368.345, "text": "So the the motion in front of us is to uh to decide now that we will end today at 6 p.m. We'll conduct the public hearing, listen to uh as much uh submissions as possible until six o'clock, and then this meeting would uh reconvene on Tuesday at 9 30. It's unlikely at this point uh that the public hearing would conclude uh today. I believe we have another 200 folks uh total uh or so that uh have been registered that we've not been able to hear from. So this is uh on the floor right now. I'm going over to Councillor Schmidt, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1369.245, "end": 1369.925, "text": "I concur." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1373.125, "end": 1374.925, "text": "All right. Any further discussion on this?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1376.145, "end": 1377.165, "text": "Okay. Councillor Yule, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1378.845, "end": 1382.085, "text": "Maybe in your clothes, why why not 9 30 today?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1383.465, "end": 1384.645, "text": "Um and do the same." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1385.005, "end": 1386.765, "text": "R resume on Tuesday" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1390.345, "end": 1415.785, "text": "Uh I will just jump in as far as debate. I think out of respect for s uh the public and staff, especially given the weather right now, I don't want to uh see people in a situation where they feel like they have to rush down to City Hall to be able to make it. Um I I think also given that it's Good Friday, Easter Monday, uh I think having a little bit of a uh a break and weekend to be able to catch up on work as well as family, not just for council members, but also for staff and the" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1416.225, "end": 1418.065, "text": "the the public i is warranted here." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1418.425, "end": 1421.725, "text": "I will say in the event in the possibility that the public hearing" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1422.105, "end": 1424.165, "text": "uh perhaps closes" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1424.785, "end": 1431.965, "text": "because we run out of people before six o'clock today, I think we should still just honor that recess and not push through to debates or amendments today." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1432.205, "end": 1434.585, "text": "So if as a council we can make that commitment that" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1434.885, "end": 1443.965, "text": "Uh we will hear from the public today, but if we run out of people to talk to and the public hearing closes, we won't be rushing through a decision uh for those folks who may be uh watching along on the line." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1444.565, "end": 1446.785, "text": "So back to uh Councillor Chabot to close, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 1448.085, "end": 1450.125, "text": "Yeah no not not much more to add. It's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1450.605, "end": 1452.885, "text": "uh you did mention the weather issue and uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1453.385, "end": 1460.205, "text": "I know that uh I myself had to leave earlier this morning and not just this morning but other days uh as well just to make it here on time and I'm sure" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1460.525, "end": 1462.465, "text": "staff are in the same situation and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1462.885, "end": 1465.685, "text": "and it's gonna be likely similar going on. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1466.065, "end": 1467.425, "text": "it's extra time that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1469.125, "end": 1470.305, "text": "got everything off." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1472.665, "end": 1474.305, "text": "Um it's a little extra time" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1474.865, "end": 1477.065, "text": "uh for us to um again" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1478.565, "end": 1479.085, "text": "maybe" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1480.345, "end": 1481.605, "text": "relax a little bit or" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1481.905, "end": 1482.785, "text": "take the time to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1483.045, "end": 1485.005, "text": "um reach back out to constituents." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1485.425, "end": 1487.285, "text": "Uh I certainly have a lot of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1487.505, "end": 1488.885, "text": "of requests on my desk." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1489.245, "end": 1491.025, "text": "That I've been pushing out and uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1491.545, "end": 1495.805, "text": "I'd like to be able to at least respond to them if or meet with some of the individuals that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1496.085, "end": 1497.525, "text": "are now seeking in for um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1497.785, "end": 1500.825, "text": "to meet with me. In fact, I've had folks actually threatening me that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1501.025, "end": 1503.165, "text": "if I don't respond to them that they're going to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1503.465, "end": 1504.625, "text": "take action. And so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1504.845, "end": 1510.645, "text": "again, I I want to be as responsive as I can to my residents as well, and that's kind of what I'm looking for here as well. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 1511.025, "end": 1511.865, "text": "please support this." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1512.105, "end": 1517.625, "text": "Thank you. And uh this is m I this may be material to the decision as well. I'm sort of reinsert myself after the close." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1518.025, "end": 1522.805, "text": "Um Mr. Clerk, do you have a sense of the the total number of submissions that were received" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1523.085, "end": 1531.765, "text": "uh by council uh prior or rather post start of public hearing? Because I know that there's a website or e scribe has been updated as they've been coming in." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1531.925, "end": 1534.125, "text": "Apologies, Mayor, I don't have that number off the top of my head." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1534.245, "end": 1542.565, "text": "Yeah, my my sense is it's at least six or seven hundred submissions as well that the the public is owed uh an obligation that council will uh r read through those. So" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1543.065, "end": 1547.025, "text": "with that, uh Mr. Clerk, let's uh please engage the e-vote on the uh" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1548.205, "end": 1550.165, "text": "uh recess for six o'clock today." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1564.005, "end": 1566.745, "text": "On the recess motion, Councillor. Councillor Ward, your vote, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1570.925, "end": 1571.265, "text": "for me?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1572.905, "end": 1573.305, "text": "I'm a no." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1574.285, "end": 1575.385, "text": "Councillor Ward, sorry." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1578.225, "end": 1578.625, "text": "No." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1579.945, "end": 1580.365, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1580.745, "end": 1582.645, "text": "On the recess motion, Councillor Ewell, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 1582.785, "end": 1583.045, "text": "No." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1584.945, "end": 1586.565, "text": "On the recess motion, Councillor Dogwell." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1588.645, "end": 1590.305, "text": "And Councillor Atkinson, your vote, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1590.445, "end": 1590.805, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1591.785, "end": 1593.085, "text": "Councillor Tyres" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1594.725, "end": 1595.725, "text": "will mark her absent." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1596.785, "end": 1598.625, "text": "Councillor Kelly, your vote, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1600.045, "end": 1600.605, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1602.305, "end": 1604.145, "text": "And Councillor Johnston, your vote, please." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1609.865, "end": 1611.165, "text": "Councillor Johnson, your vote, please." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1612.605, "end": 1612.925, "text": "No." }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 1612.925, "end": 1613.365, "text": "Sorry." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1613.745, "end": 1614.085, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1614.805, "end": 1615.645, "text": "Mayor, all the votes are in." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1615.905, "end": 1618.025, "text": "Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Please uh display the results." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1623.845, "end": 1651.005, "text": "On that, the motion is carried 10 to 4 with counselors Johnston, Ward, Yule, and YNS uh opposed. So again, just to clarify, we will go through the public hearing today until 6 o'clock. Uh we will uh be reconvening this meeting on Tuesday at 9 30 a.m. If the uh public hearing is to continue, we'll be hearing from the public at 9 30. If uh the public hearing was concluded today, uh we will be going into the questions of clarifications on Tuesday at 9 30." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1652.245, "end": 1653.265, "text": "All right, so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1654.305, "end": 1659.605, "text": "just by a quick show of hands, uh how many people are in the audience that are here to speak?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1660.805, "end": 1661.285, "text": "Okay, great." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1662.525, "end": 1667.425, "text": "All right, so colleagues, uh we had many other panels have uh signed up since uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1667.905, "end": 1670.385, "text": "Uh we've last conducted our public hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1670.685, "end": 1730.345, "text": "I've attempted uh within the confines of the procedure bylaw to to as fairly as possible call uh a mix of names that had never been called before and names that hadn't. Uh I know that given the uh tracking of the panels is on the website, there's an expectation largely for members of the public who had maybe been waiting for their panel to arrive. So with that, uh my approach here is going to be to call one panel at a time. If the members of the panel are all here, we will hear from that panel. However, if there are slots that were not filled by that panel, I will fill them with names that had previously been called. So on a for every panel, we'll have a mix of folks who will be on the panel that's up, as well as filling backfilling from panels that uh um had not been previously called. So uh in other words, uh we we left off at the previous meeting at panel 106. So I'm gonna be calling panel 107, 108, 109, 110, and so on." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1731.565, "end": 1740.585, "text": "When I call for panel 107, we'll hear from all of the folks who are in panel 107. And if there's no one, if there's absentees from that, we'll refill the remainder of that panel" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1740.945, "end": 1747.365, "text": "so that sequentially, uh, this is my attempt at doing it the best fair way, given that many names have been called many times." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1747.585, "end": 1751.025, "text": "But then there's other people who may have showed up in the audience or been on the line" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1751.345, "end": 1764.225, "text": "uh waiting for a long time for their name to be called that hadn't been called yet. So uh I hope that's uh clear as mud. Uh we're gonna start by calling panel 107. Do we have Austin Surson with us?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1768.385, "end": 1769.985, "text": "Austin, was that you by chance?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1773.685, "end": 1776.185, "text": "Alright, everyone, uh, please mute if you're on the line." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1777.405, "end": 1780.945, "text": "I'm gonna go to uh 107 again, Ross Strong." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1785.905, "end": 1787.945, "text": "107 uh Joe Vipont." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1788.625, "end": 1789.545, "text": "Okay, come on down, Joe." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1790.085, "end": 1790.885, "text": "You'll be our first." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1792.705, "end": 1794.365, "text": "107 Mark Hayden." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 1796.065, "end": 1797.745, "text": "Mark Hayden here on the line." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1798.705, "end": 1802.145, "text": "Thank you, Mark. Uh please stand by. And everyone, if you're" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1802.385, "end": 1805.885, "text": "not currently speaking, please make sure your devices are on mute." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1808.925, "end": 1810.705, "text": "And turn off the live stream as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1812.145, "end": 1814.065, "text": "Uh on 107, do we have Scott Reed?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1817.545, "end": 1817.945, "text": "Nope." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1818.245, "end": 1819.225, "text": "Alright, so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1819.705, "end": 1831.125, "text": "again to recap, I've called all of panel 107. Two of the names were here, which means that we have three slots to fill based on catch up of previous names. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1834.105, "end": 1835.685, "text": "is it somebody on the teams by chance?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1840.345, "end": 1865.725, "text": "Yeah, it's likely uh to Councillor Atkinson's point, and it's probably somebody who's on the phone in the live stream simultaneously. All right, so to recap, I called all of panel 107. Two individuals were here, three were not. I'm going to fill the remaining three slots with people uh starting from the uh previous panel. So we're looking for three more names to join this. Do we have anyone with us or on the phone from panels one through 25?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1869.205, "end": 1872.545, "text": "So it looks like we have two individuals here. Yeah, please come on down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1878.305, "end": 1883.705, "text": "Do we have any people here from panels 26 through 5th group?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1886.405, "end": 1896.505, "text": "Alright, let's give this a moment to the the the technical staff to attempt to resolve. Is there anybody on the phone or in the chamber with us who had been assigned panels 26 through 50?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1901.505, "end": 1903.245, "text": "Sorry, did somebody just speak right now?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1905.825, "end": 1909.265, "text": "I think this is what hell is like." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1921.225, "end": 1930.305, "text": "So a question of privilege here. This does not appear to be a teams problem. It does not appear to be a a muting problem. I'm wondering if we have an issue with the" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1930.305, "end": 1934.945, "text": "Temporarily, can I recess to the call of the chair for us to uh resolve this technical issue?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1935.065, "end": 1939.545, "text": "if we believe that we have a uh a uh uh somebody working on the technical issue." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1940.105, "end": 1941.485, "text": "Okay. Well stand by." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1945.985, "end": 1947.245, "text": "I don't think we've recessed." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1948.105, "end": 1949.045, "text": "No." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 1949.545, "end": 1953.305, "text": "We need unanimous consent or we'll need to put a motion." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1953.325, "end": 1957.865, "text": "But I I think we need to stay in the meeting in order for the um IT to stay live. So" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 1958.745, "end": 1960.845, "text": "Alright, we will stall here, Councillor Kelly." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 1962.885, "end": 1964.945, "text": "So what are your plans for the weekend?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1964.945, "end": 1966.965, "text": "You know, it's it's actually quite uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1967.225, "end": 1971.985, "text": "to the credit of the team and the public, it's quite a surprise that this has not happened until now, based on" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1972.625, "end": 1977.645, "text": "a good uh almost solid hundred hours of uh proceedings. People have been pretty good uh for hitting the meat button." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1978.925, "end": 1979.185, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1981.265, "end": 1983.605, "text": "All right, we're gonna we're gonna attempt to continue. Was there" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1984.085, "end": 1988.205, "text": "Anyone on the phone or in person from panels 51 through 60?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1989.045, "end": 1990.785, "text": "Alright, we have uh one more individual here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1994.385, "end": 1996.165, "text": "So just to recap what I did here," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 1998.065, "end": 2004.225, "text": "I had called panel 107. Two people were here, and I filled the remaining slots with uh people who previously uh were called." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2005.505, "end": 2018.345, "text": "So why don't uh we start this panel? I believe we have Joe and Mark from 107 and then three folks in the audience that uh I hadn't catched their names. So Joe, why don't you start us off? You have uh five minutes, and I'll just state for the uh the public." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2018.925, "end": 2037.465, "text": "Uh we do have timers on uh right in front of the the podium there. So it uh goes to yellow when I believe you're a minute uh uh left and about red uh when you're out of time. And I'll just politely uh perhaps ask you to wrap up if you haven't by about five minutes. So uh please take us away, Joe. Thanks so much." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 2038.285, "end": 2038.885, "text": "Thanks everybody" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2043.785, "end": 2097.985, "text": "the hearings. You guys must be so and gals must be so tired. Um, but you're here because you care about this city. And I'm here because I care about the city. And everybody here on either side of the issue is here because they care about this city. So thanks to all of you for attending and for being engaged on this issue. I think it's a testament to democracy that that this this procedure takes place and to the interest in our populace. For the record, I'm the co-chair of the Calgary Climate Hub. I'm grateful to be able to share my perspective on uh this vision for the city. I'm here to oppose the repeal of blanket rezoning. You've heard all the arguments. There are a few facts that I can inject into this conversation that you haven't already heard. But to reiterate, blanket RCG1 means more resilient infrastructure, lower taxes, higher density, and a more vibrant, less homogenous community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2098.725, "end": 2099.345, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2099.945, "end": 2106.805, "text": "It's hard not to notice the disparity between those that have been opposing versus those that have been supporting people in this hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2107.185, "end": 2111.785, "text": "We have the have nots versus the haves, the youth versus the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2112.465, "end": 2119.145, "text": "not as young, um, the political newbies versus the political powerful. It's rather stark." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2119.745, "end": 2163.305, "text": "Being from Hillhurst and Ward 7, I'm surrounded by diversity. Uh single-family homes, duplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, and apartment buildings. There are renters, homeowners, people on Ash, new immigrants, students, millionaires, and even billionaires. Hiller's strength is in its diversity and its density. It allows for plentiful restaurants, businesses, transit, all while there are taxes in our area help subsidize the far off, underdense suburbs. For a brief moment in time, the city had red tape production, the management of affordability crisis, the housing crisis, the infrastructure crisis, and yes, even the climate crisis. And now we see that we may be going back to a time where all the positive movements of the last two years move even further backwards." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_30", "start": 2164.065, "end": 2187.925, "text": "Politically, you may feel a need to repeal this progressive mood move. But I urge you to consider continuing blanket RCG one. If that is not deemed feasible, please do consider replacing with policy that supports those that are not able today to be homeowners. We have a great city that is even that is getting even greater. Let's ensure that continues. Thank you for your time today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2188.385, "end": 2191.265, "text": "Thank you so much for being with us. We'll go to Mark next, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 2194.565, "end": 2200.745, "text": "Good morning. Thanks for uh having me, uh Mr. Mayor and uh counsel um and uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2201.305, "end": 2205.425, "text": "putting us uh uh being patient with us as we all uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2205.845, "end": 2222.545, "text": "uh give our opinions. Uh I'm Mark Hayden, I've been uh a resident of uh Northern Hills area, north central Calgary, for over 25 years. Um for the past two years I've served on the board of the Northern Hills Community Association." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2222.945, "end": 2228.265, "text": "And more recently taken on the role of president." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2229.925, "end": 2239.845, "text": "I'm here to express our general opinion that I've had in my experience, as well as what I've heard from our residents and members," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2240.025, "end": 2245.045, "text": "not to prescribe a specific solution," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2245.285, "end": 2255.485, "text": "but to uh express the uh opinion that though there are issues with the current blanket rezoning, that a full repeal" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2255.845, "end": 2262.045, "text": "Would not serve our community to our best interests." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2263.685, "end": 2279.945, "text": "Historically, we have been representing a neighborhood at the edge of town. We're a mix of recently built up, developed neighborhoods surrounded by continuing development and undeveloped land." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2280.485, "end": 2281.445, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2281.825, "end": 2285.445, "text": "The previous zoning" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2286.405, "end": 2287.405, "text": "regime" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2288.905, "end": 2294.685, "text": "put undue pressure, in my opinion, and of many uh residents in our area" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2295.205, "end": 2296.585, "text": "to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2297.465, "end": 2298.765, "text": "develop dense" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2299.505, "end": 2305.505, "text": "uh neighborhoods in the edge of town because uh the old regime" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2306.085, "end": 2306.705, "text": "um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2308.085, "end": 2317.065, "text": "pretty much discouraged uh any sort of gentle densification in uh the more established inner city neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2319.765, "end": 2326.145, "text": "That said, we do understand that with the blanket rezoning, we may have gone too far the other way." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2326.465, "end": 2332.165, "text": "The point of zoning is to be a tool in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2332.785, "end": 2337.125, "text": "planning development. And if it's all uniform, then there isn't" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2337.525, "end": 2339.545, "text": "much room for that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2339.945, "end": 2346.205, "text": "For that in the zoning rules, if it's too uniform." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2348.345, "end": 2358.725, "text": "However, we are surrounded by neighborhoods that were encouraged by the lack of inner city densification, and that has placed a lot of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2361.345, "end": 2376.565, "text": "that has placed a lot of strain on our infrastructure. Our transit is running over capacity. Our roads get congested because we have a lot of density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2377.125, "end": 2383.845, "text": "Compared to a typical outer suburb neighborhood that has to commute to the inner city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2384.105, "end": 2387.805, "text": "So we find that the blanket rezoning" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2388.245, "end": 2391.605, "text": "eases pressure on that. However, we are also" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2391.905, "end": 2401.885, "text": "sympathetic to those people who face redevelopment with increased density because we've seen that in our area." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2402.285, "end": 2412.905, "text": "Previous green spaces being rezoned for higher density development than we would have expected or be accustomed to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2413.365, "end": 2417.785, "text": "is the norm and has been for many years here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2418.385, "end": 2420.065, "text": "So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2420.805, "end": 2424.205, "text": "I don't have a specific solution" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2424.765, "end": 2427.865, "text": "to that, but I would urge council to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2428.245, "end": 2439.945, "text": "commit to zoning reform if there is repeal of the blanket rezoning. And if there isn't a repeal of the blanket rezoning, examine ways to make" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2440.405, "end": 2442.265, "text": "The current RCG" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2442.645, "end": 2477.465, "text": "zoning more predictable for residents. When I was listening on a previous uh public hearing, there was panel 102, I believe, uh, for example, uh, that uh outlined some very good ideas for for perhaps uh defining when discretionary uh different discretionary uses for RCG would be would be put in place uh can uh on a contextual basis. So we wouldn't see development proposals that that are uh uh a jarring." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2478.085, "end": 2481.445, "text": "you know, are incongruous to what's existing beside them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2483.325, "end": 2487.005, "text": "But uh in general, that's our opinion is that uh the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2487.625, "end": 2498.745, "text": "the the uh the original regime doesn't serve didn't serve us well in the past 20, 30 years and uh we would like to see continued changes or continued reform." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_51", "start": 2498.965, "end": 2503.225, "text": "uh uh uh whatever path is taken forward. Thanks, Lot." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2504.005, "end": 2511.925, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh we'll go now to the three presenters here in the chamber with us. Uh we didn't catch your name, so just maybe please approach in the order you're seated." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2518.985, "end": 2523.365, "text": "If you don't mind just uh letting us know your name and uh your panel number and it's good to see you again, man." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 2524.065, "end": 2531.025, "text": "Uh hi. Uh thank you, uh Mayor and members of council. I'm Turn Kaplan. I live in Ward 8 and I was on Panel 8." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2532.025, "end": 2554.425, "text": "Uh whether we like it or not, Calgary is a big city. No matter their geographic division, Calgary is top five in Canada for population, and undoubtedly the social, economic, and to an extent cultural center of both the eastern Canadian Rockies and the prairies. Therefore, Calgary must act like a big city. One essential element of this is a modern housing strategy, a housing strategy that allows a city to build up, not just out." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2555.485, "end": 2569.565, "text": "This bylaw is by no means uh by no means the be-all-end-all of the city's housing strategy, but having no plan simply isn't an option. Repealing this bylaw would set Calgary back another decade, as I as I think is made pretty evident by this hearing alone." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2570.865, "end": 2587.725, "text": "Over the course of this hearing, there's been a lot of talk of the new generation not being able to imagine buying their own homes. Personally, I find there is a multitude of problems with this statement, ranging from its assumption that everybody needs a single family home and the implication that renting is undesirable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2588.225, "end": 2595.945, "text": "The greatest issue, however, is that my generation will not be able to foot the bill for the exponential cost of continued sprawl. Never mind a house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2598.045, "end": 2622.665, "text": "I also heard frequent mentions of the bylaw resulting in change that is too much too fast. Yet Calgaryans have been saying this for decades, and that is why we find ourselves in this situation. Sure, it would have been nice to go from R1 to R2, to let gentle density build up, well, even more gently, but the time has passed for that. We cannot stick our heads in the sand anymore and try to maintain a small town feel in a city that is approaching 2 million." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2623.345, "end": 2628.925, "text": "That isn't to say there isn't a place for single family homes, but it cannot be 60% of the city's land use." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 2629.425, "end": 2658.985, "text": "And some neighborhoods, like Somerset or Country Hills, will most likely always be single family. But restricting density to lengthy hearings for each individual development isn't a good use of your tax dollars, and it's not what I want to spend my future tax dollars on. And I'd like to close with saying that there's a large section of the Calgary population that cannot or will not speak at this hearings. So you should know that the political pressure on you isn't as big as it may feel. I urge the members of council to not repeal the bylaw. Thank you for your time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2659.625, "end": 2662.625, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh we'll ask our next presenter to please approach." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2665.325, "end": 2667.405, "text": "If you wouldn't mind letting us know your name and panel number." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2667.905, "end": 2668.305, "text": "Chair." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 2669.185, "end": 2672.345, "text": "My name is Grant Simon. I am Ward 4." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2672.765, "end": 2694.825, "text": "I spoke in 2004 in front of City Council. Councillor McLean asked City Administration about an example of a location that had blanket rezoning in place. City administration did not acknowledge that. I ended up being the next speaker, and I talked about Auckland, New Zealand. We started their blanket rezoning in 2016." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2695.405, "end": 2706.285, "text": "I was on panel one, but I was in Disneyland last week. In fantasy, just like the expected outcomes, a blanket rezoning implementation by the city of Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2706.805, "end": 2708.425, "text": "I'll give you an Auckland update." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2709.285, "end": 2712.245, "text": "Do you need me to speak louder in 2026?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2713.125, "end": 2715.365, "text": "Let's get out of fantasy and back to reality." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2716.245, "end": 2725.845, "text": "In Auckland, the median is now $1 million for a detached home for the third month at $1,015,000, up 1.5% year on year." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2726.305, "end": 2737.465, "text": "Up from 777,000 10 years ago, which happened to be 2016 when they implemented blanket rezoning. $23,800 average yearly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2738.805, "end": 2759.565, "text": "In 2024, rentals up 4.5% from the year previously. April 5th, 2023, Auckland government reversed the decision of blanket rezoning, citing a failed experiment. The government is finally addressing the national disgrace that is our broken housing market. So back to Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2761.625, "end": 2768.305, "text": "Deeply applications based on blanket rezoning RCG that do not meet building codes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2769.205, "end": 2770.725, "text": "Sufficient infrastructure?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2772.085, "end": 2778.305, "text": "I guess that's why the city is budgeting $10.6 million on infrastructure maintenance and deficiency." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2779.125, "end": 2787.585, "text": "Concerns about CMHC pulling funding incentives for housing. Who are these fundings dispersed to? Is it the city? It's not the citizens." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2789.145, "end": 2796.185, "text": "November 20th, 2025, offices to residential conversions produced at 490 homes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2797.025, "end": 2801.205, "text": "All receiving government incentive funding, taxpayers' money." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2802.705, "end": 2807.685, "text": "Backyard suite funding incentives, just get infrastructure fixed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2809.065, "end": 2810.905, "text": "City community outreach tool." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2811.725, "end": 2825.285, "text": "I am on our community board. The first community outreach tool I read was done by a consultant for a property on the 60th Avenue block. Documents stated development references for 19th Avenue." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2825.725, "end": 2831.025, "text": "It's just cut and paste just to check another box in the approval process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2834.905, "end": 2845.805, "text": "As a community member board, we are, have, and will be dealing with blanket rezoning, which requires volunteer boards to deal with communities breaking apart" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2846.865, "end": 2851.325, "text": "instead of volunteer time on plans to bring our communities closer together." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2853.245, "end": 2867.065, "text": "Fixing homeless, drop in center statistics on their clients. In 2023, 6,839, 2024, 8,731, 2025, 8,789." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2868.865, "end": 2876.365, "text": "Drop in helped find 3,100 homes since 2017, almost 10 years ago. I don't think that's sufficient." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2878.265, "end": 2887.845, "text": "Housing prices in my community from MLS Real Estate. In July 2024, the average detached home sold for $540,000." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2888.505, "end": 2895.825, "text": "One year later, June 2025, the average detached home sold for $599,500." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2897.005, "end": 2899.785, "text": "$59,500 increase." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2901.285, "end": 2903.765, "text": "The fact that I'm here again is disappointing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2905.145, "end": 2909.485, "text": "This could have been put to bed as early as over a month ago." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2910.385, "end": 2912.245, "text": "It's a two step process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2912.825, "end": 2915.665, "text": "Step one, repeal blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_13", "start": 2916.405, "end": 2926.825, "text": "Step two, restart restructure based on information gathered by this public forum. Less intrusive, less aggressive. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 2928.065, "end": 2931.865, "text": "Thank you so much. We'll ask our finalist, our final panelist uh to please approach." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 2940.785, "end": 2949.285, "text": "Good morning. My name is Naomi Bakana. I'm from Panel 59. And I am the president of the University of Calgary Students Union." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 2949.825, "end": 2976.965, "text": "So in my role, I represent the interests of over 30,000 undergraduate students across our various campuses. And while we have students living all around the city, wards seven and eight have historically had a large student presence due to the University of Calgary sitting in Ward 7. As counselors are aware, after rezoning past, Ward 7 and 8 received an overwhelming amount of developments." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 2977.485, "end": 2987.385, "text": "And for years, the University of Calgary Students Union has been at the forefront of housing debates, and we continue to do that today in our involvement with the Calgary Student Alliance." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 2988.185, "end": 2993.945, "text": "Today, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 2994.085, "end": 3014.745, "text": "The biggest concern that students are confronted with today, which I assume is not a great surprise, is affordability. From dealing with rising tuition to seeing an influx of users within our campus food bank to the high Canadian youth unemployment rate, which was 14.1% in February." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 3015.245, "end": 3096.805, "text": "Students are forced to constantly choose the cheap option more often than not because that's what they can afford. There are students right now who are sleeping in their cars, and I know there are some folks around the room who this morning started their cars, let it sit for a minute so when they headed here they weren't so cold. However, there are students right now paying thousands in tuition, sleeping in their cards, overcrowded units, and settling for unsafe options if it means they can lay their heads at night. Students are a unique population that doesn't tend to fall within a specific bracket of this conversation. And this is why it's crucial that our experiences are taken into considerable thoughts. There are many students that I represent who feel hopeless to speak out because they feel that they will get brushed off. And within these students is a strong international student population who come to the Calgary who come to give back to the Calgarian economy, yet sometimes have to look elsewhere due to unsustainable housing. If we want to continue to attract talent and diversify our city, the city needs to provide the adequate resources like rezoning that give developers the opportunity to build affordable options for students. And to speak to my own personal experience, I was born and raised in the city and have lived in neighborhoods like Montgomery, Ogden, and now Nolan Hill." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 3097.105, "end": 3120.245, "text": "And last year was the very first time that I was involved in the stressful process of house searching. And that, paired with the mental turmoil of balancing my job and my studies, was quite overwhelming. The housing market as it stands is so bad that as my mom and I were searching, we looked for opportunities to build a basement suite to provide more housing options." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 3120.605, "end": 3142.565, "text": "I love the city. It's home. And there are so many opportunities that exist. And this is why it's my duty as a resident to speak up and provide my insights. And when it's my time to become a homeowner, I would hope that the choice that I made to stand up here was not in vain. And that my peers and I would be happy that the city decided to invest in them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 3142.945, "end": 3164.545, "text": "So, as city counselors are coming to the end of these panels and are ready to make a vote, I want everybody to remember the tens of thousands of students who will be impacted by the decisions that are made, the tens of thousands of students who struggle to find themselves safe, affordable options, and most importantly, the tens of thousands of students who are the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3165.725, "end": 3170.605, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh that concludes this panel. Let's please go to Council Yule for questions." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 3172.185, "end": 3177.385, "text": "Yeah. My questions for um Mark Hayden. Are you still on the line, Mark?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3179.065, "end": 3179.845, "text": "Yes, I am." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 3180.205, "end": 3187.605, "text": "So I just wanted to confirm your opinion today is representing the opinion of the Northern Hills Community Association." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3190.365, "end": 3197.665, "text": "Uh yeah, my opinion uh i in terms uh or the opinion I'm expressing about the uh the old" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3197.845, "end": 3237.525, "text": "Blanket rezoning or the pre-blanket rezoning uh regime not serving our community well is the opinion I've uh gotten from our community associations activities. Uh yes. Um we don't really have a we don't have a strong opinion officially on uh what to do in the event of repeal uh or retaining the blanket rezoning. There there hasn't been a uh a consensus established there beyond the fact that we do need to commit to uh reforming uh our rezoning. Um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3238.045, "end": 3253.805, "text": "My personal opinion would be to uh evolve what we have, um, but the opinion that we haven't been served well uh by the old zoning uh zoning system uh is is the community association's opinion." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 3254.325, "end": 3257.585, "text": "And when you say old zoning, you mean before blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3259.105, "end": 3260.005, "text": "That is correct." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 3260.685, "end": 3268.005, "text": "And how so just to just remind us how many communities um Northern Hills Community Association represents." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3269.965, "end": 3279.625, "text": "So Northern Hills uh is in uh in Ward 3 and comprises five neighborhoods in north central Calgary. Uh uh" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3280.225, "end": 3289.585, "text": "of approximately fifty five to sixty thousand residents. It's about the size of Medicine Hat all by itself and and uh and represents a" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3289.785, "end": 3292.045, "text": "significant portion of Ward three." }, { "speaker": "Councillor T. Wong", "start": 3293.125, "end": 3297.805, "text": "Well thanks Mark. You're the first community association from Ward 3 to speak, so I appreciate your your time today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3299.585, "end": 3300.785, "text": "Thank you. Over to" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 3302.485, "end": 3305.705, "text": "Thank you so much, Mark. Uh thank you and over to Councillor Schmidt, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3306.265, "end": 3306.785, "text": "Turn," }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3308.845, "end": 3309.785, "text": "thanks for coming today." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3310.925, "end": 3315.185, "text": "And I remember meeting you at the doors. I believe we had a conversation there. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 3315.345, "end": 3316.225, "text": "um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3316.465, "end": 3321.665, "text": "I gotta say, not a lot of folks your age take this deep an interest in this subject. So do you wanna" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3322.125, "end": 3323.645, "text": "just sort of tell us why" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3324.665, "end": 3328.405, "text": "how you came to take an interest in this and why it's so important to you?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3329.285, "end": 3360.285, "text": "Um, well, I think uh I take an interest in it because it's um I I like um the housing domain and the city development and city building, but um I think I think it's very important because uh it has a lot of impacts on uh my everyday life. I take public transport everywhere and um I live in an apartment building and I think uh in other places I've lived as well, it's um clear to me uh the the benefits and and how um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 3360.985, "end": 3364.265, "text": "higher density in places uh uh can um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 3365.085, "end": 3373.865, "text": "can uh really uh i have um make make people's lives better, make public transport better and m make um yeah, like that." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3375.025, "end": 3378.945, "text": "How how come that's important for your future? Because" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3379.645, "end": 3393.825, "text": "Well, because um I think as many people have rightly pointed out, um it's not very clear cut for people my age nowadays to imagine where they're gonna live and how they're gonna live uh once they're adults. But I think um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_34", "start": 3394.345, "end": 3412.665, "text": "uh giving people the option uh of, you know, and making uh making it acceptable to, you know, live in um in um different types of housing that are in single family and making people see the benefits of that and how that can be really valuable is why it's important to me and my friends and people in my school as well." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3413.905, "end": 3414.085, "text": "so" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3415.045, "end": 3438.605, "text": "You know, I for I guess for clarity on that comment, I mean I don't really want you to go back into what other people have said, but there's an interesting perspective here that you can add where we've often heard that the types of housing being built when people notice that the yards are smaller, that there's fewer parking spots, that they say that's not a healthy way for people to live. So for you." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3439.245, "end": 3456.465, "text": "How do you view that type of housing and you know the fact that say your first house that you're able to own doesn't have as big a yard or doesn't have parking, what effect would that have on your life versus say a city that would only offer you single family homes?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3457.065, "end": 3501.045, "text": "Um well personally for me I think that's fine because it offers uh the opportunity for a lot more communal space. You know, uh places where maybe you don't have as big of a backyard or as big a as um as a space in your house um is should be replaced or or compensated with with uh communal areas, you know, parks and and libraries and and um gyms, the recreation centers. And it's doing these things uh with your community that I think is is a great benefit of of housing that um is less on the individual and that gives more financial and um and social room for people to be together in these types of places and that also makes the quality of these uh third places better. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3502.445, "end": 3509.425, "text": "Thank you. That's uh given us a lot to think about. I appreciate you coming. Uh Naomi, I have a quick question for you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 3510.145, "end": 3510.705, "text": "So" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3511.065, "end": 3515.965, "text": "you your presentation focused on the effects of housing on" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3516.545, "end": 3521.225, "text": "people who are currently students. What about for" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3521.805, "end": 3528.165, "text": "Your colleagues who are graduating and considering what to do next? What" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3529.025, "end": 3530.405, "text": "what about this is" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3530.945, "end": 3533.425, "text": "relates and is relevant to that?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3534.205, "end": 3582.505, "text": "Yeah, no, that's a really great point. So my focus was mainly on the current students just because that's our the population that I do represent. However, I'm also a graduating student, and there's a lot of students that are looking to stay in this city post-graduation because they have, you know, given so much time, taking the time to get a degree, building so many meaningful connections as they've you know gone throughout their undergraduate journey. This decision affects that population so much, especially as we're going into becoming new homeowners or you know, looking to rent a place. It's moving from the residents living to the city living and ensuring that there are safe, affordable, and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 3584.225, "end": 3586.685, "text": "Thoughtful options that are available." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 3588.665, "end": 3592.045, "text": "And what would you see happening if those options weren't available?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3592.925, "end": 3604.825, "text": "Unfortunately, I would see a lot of people moving away, even though that they've invested so many time. I've had so many conversations with people who chose to come to study here and are" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_45", "start": 3605.065, "end": 3616.945, "text": "questioning whether or not they actually have the opportunity to stay. The job market is tough as it is, but the fact that the housing market adds on to that burden is not desirable." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 3617.845, "end": 3619.265, "text": "Okay, thank you as well for coming." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3619.445, "end": 3619.905, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 3621.325, "end": 3623.625, "text": "Thank you so much, uh, Councillor Pantasopoulos, for this panel." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3623.625, "end": 3625.905, "text": "Yeah, Ms. Bacana, one more, one more question. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3627.025, "end": 3649.785, "text": "We've had a lot of folks uh come and present prior to you uh certain groups' needs. So for example, there was an individual talking about needs for disabled housing and some very specific solutions, seniors uh housing and what they need, and um non market, excuse me, et cetera. And and obviously there's lots of very unique needs, and a student's needs are very unique as well, whether it's just coming for eight months and giving up." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3650.205, "end": 3659.725, "text": "So I'd love to hear your thoughts on conversation from other Calgarians about the challenge with blanket across the whole city versus targeting." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3659.985, "end": 3674.225, "text": "So, for example, targeting senior care by actually putting capital on our shoulder towards building more senior facilities for student housing, actually being thoughtful and spending money directly to address student housing as compared to sort of everywhere. What are your thoughts? Do you think" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3674.745, "end": 3676.305, "text": "we should target that," }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3676.885, "end": 3690.745, "text": "focus on student housing, your specific needs for 100 units, or should we enable 100 units across the whole city, regardless of where they are, regardless of proximity to transit? What do you think would be better served for students when we think about a housing strategy?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3692.185, "end": 3699.965, "text": "Yeah, no, that's uh giving me a lot to think about just in this 10 seconds that you're so good. Um but" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3700.685, "end": 3730.225, "text": "honestly, any option that is favorable to students is the option that I'm fighting for. Um, whether that be targeted or you know, blanket, because the thing is with student housing, that is like you mentioned, some students are here for eight months or a year or four years throughout their degree. But then there's also that recent graduate perspective to take into consideration, and so they are left outside of the student housing bracket. So I would say." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3731.005, "end": 3732.085, "text": "Both?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3732.845, "end": 3740.825, "text": "No, I appreciate that. Appreciate it. Maybe just particularly on student housing, one of the the uh comments from a lot of folks in community is generally where" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3741.945, "end": 3747.225, "text": "density makes sense. We have the you may have heard things like LAPs, local area plans, is along transit routes." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3747.405, "end": 3752.605, "text": "So transit oriented development, et cetera, versus you know, if you have a choice of an Aplex, put that" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3753.045, "end": 3756.025, "text": "where a bus or a C train is versus in the middle of a community." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3756.325, "end": 3761.665, "text": "So your thoughts from a student perspective, if if we had to choose, I appreciate you mentioned and, but if it was a or," }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3761.665, "end": 3762.025, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3762.145, "end": 3777.065, "text": "you what would make more sense from students on transit focused, if we were to put our capital and our efforts there, or again, there's such a shortage that students would be agnostic, just build it everywhere, build as much as you can. What's your your perspective as the student leader?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3778.645, "end": 3779.565, "text": "From" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3780.165, "end": 3793.065, "text": "this year that I've had, I would say that transit and housing are the two largest concerns that we hear from students. And so being able to have purpose-built housing near transit hubs would be ideal for the student." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3793.185, "end": 3826.985, "text": "That makes no I appreciate that. It's so important because we have to have this, you know, there's a blank, there's a problem, how do we solve and individually there? And I think maybe finally, it sounds like the um uh uh basement and garage suites, and there's a conversation going on in or right now. The rules are in or you can build a basement or a garage, and and there's a conversation about an and. So if you have a single family home, you can build a garage and a basement. So from your perspective, from student housing, that's a critical component of where UFC, Mount Royal, and other post secondaries. That's an important consideration." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3827.205, "end": 3828.305, "text": "Yeah, 100%." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Pootmans", "start": 3828.505, "end": 3833.985, "text": "Wonderful. Thank you so much. Thank you for your leadership in coming down. You represent your uh university very well. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 3835.025, "end": 3836.585, "text": "Thanks, uh Councillor Atkinson, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 3837.785, "end": 3846.485, "text": "Sorry, don't go anywhere. I think the student student issue in housing is as you've mentioned, there's folks" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 3847.065, "end": 3859.185, "text": "currently attending. But you also mentioned, so you're you're a representative for the SU at the University of Calgary, but you also for a moment there mentioned you're part of an alliance with other um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 3859.885, "end": 3862.185, "text": "other institutions. Can you speak a bit to that?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3862.585, "end": 3880.005, "text": "Yeah, so we are part of the Calgary Student Alliance. So that is comprised of the University of Calgary Students Union, the University University of Calgary Graduate Students Association, Mount Royal University, Students Association of Bow Valley College, AU Arts," }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3881.365, "end": 3882.065, "text": "SAIT," }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3882.665, "end": 3891.085, "text": "and a few other, like the just a group of all the smaller, larger universities and colleges around the city." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 3891.945, "end": 3902.145, "text": "And I know you're here as a rep for the SU. I don't know if you can speak at all to whether this has been an issue that you've discussed uh across that." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 3902.545, "end": 3911.425, "text": "wider organization and sort of what what you've been talking about uh across the the different institutions, all the students across these different" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3911.685, "end": 3934.825, "text": "Yeah, definitely. I know that my the chair of the Calgary Student Alliance is online and hoping to speak sometime soon, who can speak to that a bit more. But from what I can say of the conversations that we've been having is that kind of what I mentioned the transit aspect, the housing aspect, those have been very big conversations. So a lot of what I've been pulling from today is" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3935.545, "end": 3951.685, "text": "the voice of the students that I represent, but also the voice of the students across the city. It's we're kind of banging on the same drum, singing the same tune, and really wanting to emphasize the importance of, you know, student housing, transit, uh, and all of these things." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 3952.045, "end": 3960.845, "text": "amazing. It's definitely appreciate you bringing that and sort of the the yes and approach that you're bringing in terms of this conversation. Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3960.845, "end": 3961.305, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 3963.225, "end": 3969.145, "text": "Thank you, colleagues. That uh concludes this panel. Uh thank you so much for for being here with us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3970.545, "end": 3972.805, "text": "All right, for our next panel, I'm gonna call" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3974.665, "end": 3978.905, "text": "Brian Donaldson, please, and the remainder here 108, Nick Reed," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3980.445, "end": 3981.565, "text": "Whitney Punchak," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3983.945, "end": 3984.945, "text": "Doug Roberts," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3986.745, "end": 3987.685, "text": "Nathan Green." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3987.685, "end": 3987.965, "text": "Here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3989.025, "end": 3990.005, "text": "Uh was that you, Doug?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 3991.325, "end": 3992.385, "text": "Yes, yep, I'm here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 3994.845, "end": 3999.385, "text": "Thanks, uh, thanks, Brian. Thanks, Doug. Was there another uh name on the phone who jumped in?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4001.025, "end": 4001.245, "text": "Nope." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4002.565, "end": 4003.885, "text": "Uh do we have Nathan Green?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4004.825, "end": 4005.685, "text": "Yep, thanks, Nathan." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4008.285, "end": 4009.405, "text": "Do we have Kelsey Wiggers?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4010.765, "end": 4011.645, "text": "Yeah, I'm present." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4012.045, "end": 4013.445, "text": "All right, Kelsey, please stand by." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4014.785, "end": 4015.185, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4015.685, "end": 4023.305, "text": "Okay, we have our four here. I'm gonna fill uh is there anyone from uh 61 through 65 in the chamber or on the line?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4025.405, "end": 4028.485, "text": "Mayor Farkas, I'm from panel fifty-nine. Am I able to speak?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4029.185, "end": 4031.205, "text": "Uh who spoke just now?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4032.385, "end": 4034.045, "text": "Julia Law from panel fifty-nine." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4034.825, "end": 4037.065, "text": "Was that uh 69 or 59?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4038.325, "end": 4039.105, "text": "Fifty-nine." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4039.525, "end": 4040.885, "text": "Okay, uh we're not quite" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4041.065, "end": 4052.965, "text": "we're we're not quite at you yet. Uh I'm gonna fill we have our four names here, and I'm gonna fill the remaining two with the individuals who just raised their hand uh in the chamber. I think we have two folks here. Thank you. Uh please come on down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4058.385, "end": 4060.285, "text": "All right, uh Brian, uh, why don't you start us off?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4062.165, "end": 4066.205, "text": "All right. Um I'm on panel 93. Oh, there's my slide deck. Perfect." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4067.085, "end": 4067.525, "text": "All right." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4070.185, "end": 4075.145, "text": "My name is Brian Donaldson. Um I'm a resident of Ward 1, and I'm here representing myself today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4076.445, "end": 4083.965, "text": "So most of what you've heard in this public hearing has been advocacy for or against the repealing of blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4084.985, "end": 4087.145, "text": "I wanted to take a different approach" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4087.345, "end": 4091.105, "text": "to deeply understand the data and separate the signal from the noise." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4091.925, "end": 4099.245, "text": "So I went through the public submissions, both from 2024 and today, to analyze the feedback and find the patterns." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4100.665, "end": 4102.485, "text": "What I'll show you is not a position." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4103.025, "end": 4106.625, "text": "It's what emerges when you look deeply into the data. Next slide, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4109.265, "end": 4115.705, "text": "Here's a visualization of the 2024 public hearing data from all the written submissions and presentations." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4116.685, "end": 4122.465, "text": "It shows that there is an 87% opposition to blanket rezoning and 13% support." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4123.805, "end": 4128.765, "text": "But the commonly held belief is that the opposition was about 70%. It wasn't," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4129.565, "end": 4130.925, "text": "it was 87%." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4132.985, "end": 4145.065, "text": "But 87% opposition doesn't mean that 87% of people are saying the same thing. When you look inside that opposition, the picture is much more nuanced. Next slide." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4147.065, "end": 4152.125, "text": "The opposition to blanket rezoning is not monolithic. It breaks down into three buckets." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4153.145, "end": 4160.525, "text": "Of those that opposed blanket rezoning in 2024, about 40% supported some form of density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4161.405, "end": 4164.385, "text": "About 25% opposed density altogether." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4164.825, "end": 4180.605, "text": "And the remainder had issues with the city's engagement process, infrastructure capacity, and the overall trust concerns for city administration and council. And these buckets are detailed on the right hand side of the slide, and we can talk more about them in the QA session." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4181.485, "end": 4187.185, "text": "But now let's look at the 2026 data for the current public hearing on repealing blanket rezoning. Next slide." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4189.485, "end": 4190.525, "text": "This data" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4190.965, "end": 4194.005, "text": "includes all the publicly available written submissions." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4194.725, "end": 4205.385, "text": "And it shows 77% support for repealing blanket rezoning and 23% opposition. But these numbers don't accurately reflect the submissions. Next slide." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4207.545, "end": 4213.365, "text": "The corrected data shows an 80 20 split for supporting versus opposing the repeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4214.325, "end": 4225.345, "text": "The submission question referred to quote the issue, and this was confusing to a lot of people. In fact, about 8% selected opposed, but they actually meant in favor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4225.685, "end": 4229.905, "text": "But only about 1% made the reverse error, so the error is not symmetrical." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4230.965, "end": 4233.745, "text": "And the corrected results shift by a few percentage points." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4235.185, "end": 4239.505, "text": "But how do the 2024 and 2026 results compare? Next slide." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4242.525, "end": 4251.925, "text": "So these graphs sh show blanket rezoning opposition both in 2024 and 2026. And you might expect that two years later the pattern would look very different." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4252.465, "end": 4253.245, "text": "It doesn't." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4254.865, "end": 4260.405, "text": "In both 2024 and today, the opposition to blanket rezoning breaks down in almost the same way." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4261.285, "end": 4271.905, "text": "And here's something important. The concerns bucket only includes those who didn't clearly indicate opinions on density one way or the other. And I did this to avoid double counting." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4272.325, "end": 4273.365, "text": "But here's the thing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4274.265, "end": 4281.325, "text": "When we include those who support or oppose density and also have concerns, it gets very interesting. Next slide." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4283.185, "end": 4288.825, "text": "Those who have concerns are shown superimposed in yellow over the graphs from the previous slide." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4289.685, "end": 4297.825, "text": "In 2024 and now, about three quarters of respondents have concerns about process, infrastructure, and trust." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4298.585, "end": 4305.385, "text": "And look at those pure red areas. That represents only about 5% who firmly oppose density no matter what." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4306.725, "end": 4307.205, "text": "So," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4307.985, "end": 4309.125, "text": "what does this data say?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4310.945, "end": 4318.385, "text": "This isn't about growth and density alone. It's about how decisions are made and whether people feel heard and engaged." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4319.705, "end": 4321.645, "text": "So I've covered a lot in a short time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4321.825, "end": 4325.845, "text": "So I'll stop here and I'm happy to get into it further during a QA." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4326.765, "end": 4328.485, "text": "But I want to leave you with a question." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4330.785, "end": 4335.265, "text": "What might the responses look like if those concerns were addressed?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 4336.625, "end": 4337.405, "text": "Thank you for listening." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4338.645, "end": 4341.385, "text": "Thank you so much. We'll go now to Doug, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4344.625, "end": 4351.905, "text": "Thank you very much. My name is Doug Roberts, panel 108. I had a written submission that I uh I attached, which I'd like to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4352.425, "end": 4354.045, "text": "uh refer to in a few minutes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4355.265, "end": 4363.485, "text": "Uh my background in this area includes acting as development chair for the Richmond Knob Hill Community Association from 2010 to 2018," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4364.105, "end": 4367.365, "text": "and also as the Glendale resident representative on the working group" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4367.785, "end": 4373.485, "text": "for the Westbrook Community's Local Area Plan from 2019 to 2023." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4374.285, "end": 4377.245, "text": "In listening to the submissions and discussion over the past week," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4377.685, "end": 4378.485, "text": "week and a half," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4378.625, "end": 4382.605, "text": "seems to me that somewhat of a consensus seems to be emerging on several issues," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4382.945, "end": 4389.245, "text": "including one that densifying and diversifying the housing options in Calgary's established communities, while challenging," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4389.525, "end": 4391.465, "text": "is important for a number of reasons," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4391.805, "end": 4399.065, "text": "including a the fiscal, the city's fiscal sustainability, including taking better advantage of existing infrastructure and amenities," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4399.645, "end": 4403.085, "text": "and helping to keep municipal tax increases in check." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4403.665, "end": 4410.785, "text": "Secondly, environmental sustainability, and thirdly, allowing residents to transition from one form of housing to another" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4411.165, "end": 4416.705, "text": "as they go through the various stages of life without being forced to leave the communities they have grown to love." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4417.685, "end": 4428.805, "text": "Secondly, two unit developments, not counting suites, such as semi detached homes and duplexes, are generally compatible with single detached homes as they share the same parcel coverage height" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4429.085, "end": 4432.405, "text": "and other building envelope limitations as single detached homes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4433.065, "end": 4439.225, "text": "And therefore, there isn't really much need to limit where in low density areas those developments should be allowed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4440.465, "end": 4447.825, "text": "Three plus unit developments, again again, not accounting suites, such as triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, and townhouses," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4448.345, "end": 4456.605, "text": "are less side by side compatible with one and two unit developments due to their larger parcel coverage, height, and other building envelope limitations," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4457.005, "end": 4462.065, "text": "and greater potential to create issues such as overshadowing, overlooking, parking, etc." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4462.545, "end": 4467.545, "text": "And this seems to be the primary source of pushback against the blanket rezoning bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4468.725, "end": 4475.285, "text": "Fourthly, thoughtful community-involved planning is considered to be needed to determine suitable locations" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4475.745, "end": 4481.485, "text": "for these three plus unit developments within the low density areas of Calgary's established communities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4482.945, "end": 4489.185, "text": "Examples of what tend to be considered more suitable locations for these three plus unit developments seem to include" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4489.425, "end": 4492.645, "text": "A in close proximity to transit hubs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4492.845, "end": 4495.185, "text": "Such as C train and BRT stations," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4495.725, "end": 4498.925, "text": "B on or adjacent to higher traffic streets," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4499.425, "end": 4505.025, "text": "C adjacent to schools and green spaces, and finally corner parcels." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4506.365, "end": 4511.465, "text": "My reason for speaking today is to ensure that council is aware that what I just described" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4511.905, "end": 4515.805, "text": "already exists in a number of Calgary's established communities," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4516.165, "end": 4518.305, "text": "including my community of Glendale" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4518.685, "end": 4524.225, "text": "and the other nine communities in which redevelopment is governed by the Westbrook Community's Local Area Plan." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4524.785, "end": 4527.045, "text": "Or Westbrook LAP for short." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4527.685, "end": 4529.025, "text": "The Westbrook LAP" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4530.045, "end": 4537.385, "text": "was one of Calgary's first new district LAPs and was a result of an extended planning process that began in the fall of 2019" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4537.865, "end": 4542.525, "text": "and culminated in the approval of the plan by council in 2023." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4543.065, "end": 4552.105, "text": "It involved a working group comprised of stakeholders from affected communities, including community association representatives, resident representatives such as myself," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4552.465, "end": 4556.005, "text": "local business representatives, and developer representatives." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4556.845, "end": 4567.965, "text": "It involved multiple planning and consultation sessions over the period for both primarily with the working group, but also towards the end extended to include the broader public." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4571.545, "end": 4578.425, "text": "Now, although the creation and the eventual approval of West Beck LAP preceded the blanket zoning bylaw," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4579.005, "end": 4585.485, "text": "it was pretty clear at the time that exclusionary zoning was under attack across North America and its days were numbered." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4586.565, "end": 4588.505, "text": "So as a result, the working group" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4588.925, "end": 4597.965, "text": "Push to make sure that the uh Westbrook LAP addressed this issue of redevelopment of the affected community's low density areas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4598.325, "end": 4606.345, "text": "And as a result, in section 2.2.1.6 of the Westbrook LAP, which I would like to have called up on the screen, it's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4606.685, "end": 4607.885, "text": "page 10" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4608.345, "end": 4609.605, "text": "of my written submission." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4610.425, "end": 4614.105, "text": "I'd like to direct council's attention to policy B," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4614.645, "end": 4620.185, "text": "which provides that building forms that contain one or two residential units, again excluding suites," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4620.605, "end": 4624.145, "text": "Are supported throughout the neighborhood, local, and limited scale areas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4624.645, "end": 4626.005, "text": "And policy C," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4626.965, "end": 4632.745, "text": "which provides that building forms that contain three or more residential units, should be supported on parcels with rear lanes" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4633.165, "end": 4637.545, "text": "in the following areas transit station area, core zones, and transition zones," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4637.985, "end": 4645.025, "text": "along or adjacent to a main street, one corner parcel, one adjacent or across from a school," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4645.505, "end": 4648.125, "text": "park, or other open space of a certain size." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4648.645, "end": 4653.085, "text": "The inclusion of these planning policies in the Westbrook LAP has means that in those are" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4653.205, "end": 4655.925, "text": "Time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 4657.205, "end": 4676.225, "text": "just to say that because of the Westbrook LAP, the fact that these communities are zone low density zoned RCG does not mean that a three plus unit development can be developed on any of those parcels, only if it meets the requirements of the LAP. And that isn't very important to understand." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4676.805, "end": 4679.985, "text": "Great. Thank you so much, sir. We'll go now to Nathan, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4684.625, "end": 4705.085, "text": "Good morning, Mayor Farkas, Counselors. My name is Nathan Green. I'm a resident of Ward 7, and I'm here to speak on behalf of my family and especially my three daughters who are eight, six, and two years old. I oppose, we oppose the bylaw to repeal rezoning in its current form, which is a full repeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4706.385, "end": 4709.545, "text": "Children ought not save up for their parents," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4710.465, "end": 4719.705, "text": "but parents for their children. I'll say that again. Children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4720.365, "end": 4726.885, "text": "These are the ancient words of St. Paul to a group of Christ followers in Corinth, Greece, nearly 2,000 years ago." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4727.605, "end": 4732.325, "text": "But the normative principle he articulates is so important to the decision before you today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4733.125, "end": 4736.245, "text": "The simple reality is there is a generational gap." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4737.145, "end": 4750.285, "text": "The baby boomer, largely homeowning generation had a much easier time purchasing property if they earned the median salary than millennials and younger do trying to break into the market now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4751.445, "end": 4755.085, "text": "In the last five years, this gap has gotten dramatically worse." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4755.745, "end": 4764.045, "text": "That gap and the severe issue of housing and affordability is why the housing strategy and rezoning were implemented in the first place." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4764.385, "end": 4770.065, "text": "The decision before you today is whether we should go back to the way things were." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4772.925, "end": 4781.485, "text": "Rezoning has played a role in moderating prices for rent and home purchases, especially in the townhouse and row house sector." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4782.325, "end": 4792.365, "text": "Repealing rezoning will just recreate the conditions that only widened the gap between haves and have-nots, which is largely the gap between old and young." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4793.365, "end": 4798.945, "text": "Many people have suggested that going back to the previous zoning and planning process is somehow more thoughtful." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4800.125, "end": 4801.445, "text": "Thoughtful for whom?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4803.785, "end": 4810.065, "text": "I'd argue it was so slow moving and preferential of incumbent interests in entrenching wealth," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4810.705, "end": 4815.405, "text": "which is not thoughtful at all about the predicament widely faced by young people today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4816.645, "end": 4824.605, "text": "The LAP process isn't fundamentally problematic, but its outcome seemed to just be a pretty colorful map." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4826.065, "end": 4836.685, "text": "Why don't LAPs conclude with rezoning applications to reflect the conclusions of that planning process? A colorful map doesn't do anything for young people." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4838.925, "end": 4843.485, "text": "Young people making less than the median salary, frankly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4844.345, "end": 4850.885, "text": "Largely feel screwed over and shut out of most neighborhoods if they're going to return to single family only." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4852.525, "end": 4873.885, "text": "Today's price environment is not great. It's still not great. It's getting better, but we've got a long way to go. And frankly, I'm here for my children more than anything. Because if we go back to the way things were, I am extremely worried that unaffordability will deteriorate to the point where they will have no choices." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4877.405, "end": 4899.805, "text": "The decision before you isn't an actually more thoughtful process. It's to go back to the way things were, with no promise to ensure meaningful variety of housing options can be developed in many parts of this city. And I want to speak to a view I've heard repeated a lot of times, which is that people's housing purchase is their biggest investment. I take issue with that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4900.265, "end": 4910.105, "text": "Our children, the next generation, that should be our biggest investment in making sure that they have choices, that they can thrive, that they can succeed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4911.585, "end": 4950.565, "text": "Going back to the way things were without a promise to implement significant plan zoning changes in appropriate areas near transit corridors, employment, healthcare hubs, educational institutions, it's not a good idea to do that today. I suggest coming back with a better alternative or amending the current option. And for what it's worse, I'm in favor of doing basement suites and backyard suites on the same lot. And I think not forcing three parking spots at the same time. That's a big cost, and frankly, that's an option I'd like to do in the future to help house my parents and my children." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4951.845, "end": 4963.245, "text": "So at the end of the day, I think it's the normative principle I articulated at the start, which should be animating and informing this decision making process. Children ought not save up for their parents," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4963.525, "end": 4965.505, "text": "but parents for their children." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4966.345, "end": 4977.965, "text": "Repealing rezoning without an immediate replacement is asking the younger generation to make sacrifices to protect the wealth and community character of their parents' generation." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4978.965, "end": 4980.245, "text": "That's not more thoughtful." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_24", "start": 4982.225, "end": 4985.625, "text": "To close, I'd just like to wish you all a happy Easter this weekend." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4987.065, "end": 4987.865, "text": "Happy Easter, Nathan." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 4989.365, "end": 4990.985, "text": "We'll go next to Kelsey, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 4996.525, "end": 5010.565, "text": "Good morning. My name is Kelsey Wickers and I'm a twenty-eight-year-old Gen Z resident of Ward Eleven, and I'm on panel one oh eight. I've resided in Calgary for most of my life. I have two degrees from the University of Calgary with a background in both business and arts, with experience in risk policy, logistics, and analytics." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5010.725, "end": 5016.165, "text": "I'm speaking today as I'm strongly in favor of a motion to fully repeal blanket upzoning for a multitude of reasons." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5016.485, "end": 5021.865, "text": "To begin, I'd like to outline how the logical argument behind creating affordable housing is fundamentally flawed. It goes like this." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5022.165, "end": 5054.565, "text": "If there is a home for sale for, let's say, $500,000, then hypothetically builders could buy it and rebuild higher density units at more affordable prices for the end consumer. A necessary assumption for this argument to work is that the new prices of developed homes are actually affordable and lower than the original purchase price. But what does reality dictate? Builders are business people and run their companies as such. Take this build as a prime example. 1426 23rd Avenue Northwest, please flip to Exhibit A. It appears that this now 24 unit parcel was built on land that was previously had four single family dwellings. You can see in exhibit C D and E." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5054.885, "end": 5060.305, "text": "Average prices in the area before this complex was built ranged between $450 to $650K for single family homes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5060.625, "end": 5066.945, "text": "What is the current sale price for this complex, you might ask? $18 million for 24 units. Please see exhibits A and B again." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5067.185, "end": 5081.005, "text": "Let's pretend that a person wanting to buy an affordable housing unit could buy just one. $18 million divided by $24 is $750,000. I'd like to understand how this is more affordable when there are currently several single family dwellings listed ranging from the mid $500K plus in the same area." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5081.365, "end": 5110.985, "text": "With this development, not only is the consumer's land size smaller, but it becomes more expensive. Not to mention, it does not appear that one could even purchase just one single unit. We can see that this specific example has instead invited speculatory investors to buy up the newly created supply of homes and profit off of dominating the rental market. Clearly, this policy isn't generating more affordable housing for homeowners. It's simply better business for builders and investment companies alike. The Calgary Real Estate Board has also noted that zoning changes do not guarantee affordability, and we can see that clearly represented by the example above." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5111.485, "end": 5133.185, "text": "Connected to this issue, I'd also like to address some claims from individuals in their 20s supporting blanket of zoning due to housing affordability concerns. I would respond to this in two ways. First, as shown above, this approach does not consistently achieve affordability. Secondly, home ownership does not requires deliberate financial decision making. A basic principle is that financial outcomes improve through increasing income andor reducing expenses." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5133.345, "end": 5205.145, "text": "I am also working towards buying my first home and have made intentional choices to support that goal. Living at home, purchasing used vehicles, and minimizing unnecessary spending. In contrast, I've witnessed many in their 20s prioritize comfort and instant gratification, financing new vehicles, buying brand name clothing, and maintaining discretionary expenses rather than building savings. Buying a home does not happen overnight. It requires long-term discipline and sacrifice. As someone who has taken these steps, I find it difficult to align with the sense of entitlement reflected in this perspective. Lastly, we must also analyze the definition of democracy. According to UNESCO's definition, democracy is a system of governance in which the power resides with the people, allowing them to participate in decision-making processes, typically through voting. It emphasizes principles such as equality, freedom, and justice, fostering both political engagement and representation. Canada, as a country that prides itself on these principles, should in every respect ensure that it protects and practices the very principles that make it part of the democratic country we are. Unfortunately, in 2024, Calgary's council members pushed through blanket upzoning despite the fact that the strong majority of Calgarians, approximately 70% of Calgarian respondents at the public hearing and the ballot box, were opposed to blanket upzoning. Our council members did not accurately represent the voices of the constituents they pr represented in this instance." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5205.465, "end": 5211.325, "text": "How is it possible that within one of the world's strongest democratic countries, one of Canada's largest cities, saw this breakdown occur?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5211.645, "end": 5216.065, "text": "Furthermore, what sort of message does ignoring the democratic process sent to our younger generations to come?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5216.445, "end": 5229.585, "text": "Let there be no mistakes. The only way to restore public trust and democratic legitimacy is to repeal blanket upzoning in its entirety. Furthermore, in the context of 2025, the majority of council members were elected on the basis of their commitment to repeal blanket upzoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 5229.925, "end": 5274.185, "text": "Voting to fully repeal blanket upzoning will begin to take steps to ensure that both the democratic process is restored and that constituents can begin to build trust in current council members too. I want to conclude once more by emphasizing a clear request for full repeal of blanket upzoning and a return to planned, logical, community-based growth. Counselors may be tempted to amend the bylaw rather than appealing it, but let's forget that blanket upzoning, again, one, initially violated the democratic process, and two, would not satisfy the goal of achieving achieving affordable housing. Tweaking the rules will not solve the core governance flaw that bypasses local conditions and context. Our city needs to target growth in a logical manner by consulting with communities and targeting density in areas that make sense via local area plans and corridor planning with proper notice and hearings. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 5275.185, "end": 5277.325, "text": "Thank you so much for being with us. Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 5278.225, "end": 5285.925, "text": "we have two individuals who raise their hand in the audience. If you don't mind, just uh please approach and uh introduce yourself by name and let us know which panel you're on." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 5287.665, "end": 5288.985, "text": "One at a time, sorry." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 5294.405, "end": 5298.365, "text": "My name is Kate Easton. I was on panel 68." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5298.865, "end": 5302.085, "text": "I am currently a resident of Ward 6." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5303.545, "end": 5308.845, "text": "I have lived in Calgary for about 70% of my life" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5309.825, "end": 5328.965, "text": "in different phases. I've moved here and moved away several times and keep coming back. In that time, I've lived in many different kinds of housing and neighborhoods. As a teen, I lived in a suburban neighborhood that had no grocery store and no schools, and you had to drive or take the bus to get anywhere." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5330.105, "end": 5334.385, "text": "As a young adult, I lived in the Belt Line in apartments." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5334.645, "end": 5340.305, "text": "My first home was a townhouse close to Mount Royal University." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5341.085, "end": 5357.425, "text": "And that I think was my favorite neighborhood because we lived close together and we got to know each other and we developed a very strong community. And I really still think fondly of those neighbors." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5360.785, "end": 5372.165, "text": "We purchased our current home in Glendale about a year ago after living in Ontario for four years. And coming back to Calgary" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5372.845, "end": 5385.085, "text": "really highlighted a lot of changes, one of which being that the arterial roads, which previously had been busy, now seemed full and much busier than before." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5387.925, "end": 5391.385, "text": "And so today I'm here because I want to speak" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5392.725, "end": 5396.185, "text": "in opposition to repealing the blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5397.245, "end": 5443.005, "text": "The neighborhood I live in, Glendale, is a very empty neighborhood. It's hard to get to know the neighbors. Everyone is very far apart. I go running and cycling in the neighborhood, and I rarely encounter anyone. It recently reopened as a Turkish restaurant. They make delicious food and I really hope they can stay in business. But without the residents to support that, I doubt they will be able to maintain their business for long. They will go the way of the previous businesses. I want more neighbors. More neighbors makes a better community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5443.885, "end": 5444.525, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5448.065, "end": 5461.665, "text": "I am an I'm an engineer by training, and so I look at things in terms of problems to be solved and root causes. And what I see here in these hearings, I've watched a few days of them," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5462.805, "end": 5463.505, "text": "is that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5464.525, "end": 5468.525, "text": "what we are debating is something that doesn't solve any problems." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5468.725, "end": 5481.105, "text": "Blanket rezoning solved a few problems. It helped us get some federal funding. It increased housing starts. It increased the tax productivity of the land." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5481.945, "end": 5484.665, "text": "And arguably it increased property values." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5485.545, "end": 5495.105, "text": "It eliminated a process that took a lot of counselors' time without providing benefit to the developers or to the opposed residents." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5497.585, "end": 5502.945, "text": "And it helped reduce arterial traffic, which results from a far flung city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5504.665, "end": 5508.125, "text": "So I asked you, what does repealing this policy solve?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5509.145, "end": 5520.005, "text": "It doesn't solve anything. It just brings us back to individually applying for rezoning for each property parcel. And we'd still be doing all of the same things." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 5520.685, "end": 5584.165, "text": "So, what I call on council to do is take some leadership, listen to all of the people in favor of repeal, and understand what really is the problem that they're getting at. Is it traffic? Is it shading from larger buildings? Is it parking? Is it noise? What are these problems? Because all of these problems can be solved outside of zoning rules and should be solved outside of zoning rules. Repealing the zoning doesn't actually address the issues that residents have raised here. So I think you should listen to the residents. And by the way, I don't think it's a majority that are in favor of repeal. Polls have showed that it is more of an even split. So I think council needs to take leadership and actually listen to the problems being raised and try and deal with them. And I think blanket rezoning should remain in place because it solved problems and repealing it solves nothing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 5586.525, "end": 5590.585, "text": "Thank you so much. We have uh one final presenter for this panel, please uh approach." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 5594.845, "end": 5604.165, "text": "Good morning, Mayor Fakas, and uh members of council. My name is Sim Kartanda, and I represent the Faculty of Arts in the University of Calgary Students Union." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5604.725, "end": 5612.185, "text": "The President has spoken today on the big picture. I'm here to hone in on the minute pixels." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5612.905, "end": 5624.385, "text": "I stand before you today representing 9,000 students. And so, in numerical terms, that's 10% of wards 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 14 each." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5625.485, "end": 5634.265, "text": "We are the researchers, the artists, the entrepreneurs who were either born in this city or chose this place as a place to start our lives." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5634.805, "end": 5653.445, "text": "But as we see it in lecture halls, a shadow hangs over our studies. It is the shadow of a city that feels like it is slowly closing its doors to us. During exam seasons, one of my constituents jogs down the memorial pathway to relieve stress. Another volunteers at the Melkor YMCA." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5654.785, "end": 5666.145, "text": "Just three minutes away from Hador. Personally, I walk through Eau Claire up to Crescent Heights viewing point to dream about what my future in the big, blue, big blue sky city looks like." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5667.625, "end": 5681.025, "text": "We love Calgary for the promise it has always held, but if you that if you work hard, you can always build a life here. Today I'm here to ask does that promise still exist for my peers and the young people of this city?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5682.105, "end": 5702.745, "text": "To be a young person in Calgary in 2026 is to live in a constant state of financial vertigo. We are graduating into a world where cost of education has increased 32% since 2019. Average rent is at $1,600 a month, probably the price of some mortgages." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5703.465, "end": 5730.025, "text": "And the cost of simply existing is more punishing than ever. The cost of not living, just existing, is more punishing than ever. Every day I hear from students who are skipping meals to pay for textbooks, spending two hours committing from shaughnessy or working three jobs just to afford a shared room in a basement. We are doing everything we were told to do to succeed. Yet the mat simply doesn't add up anymore." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5730.985, "end": 5738.805, "text": "For our parents, the reward for hard work was a home of their own, the stake in the community, with neighborhood stampede breakfasts and a sense of belonging." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5739.285, "end": 5745.785, "text": "For us, that dream has been replaced by a wall. We aren't looking for a massive yard. We are looking for a foothold" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5746.625, "end": 5747.985, "text": "in a city that we love." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5748.785, "end": 5758.085, "text": "We are looking for a city that prioritizes our ability to live, thrive, and pay taxes over the preservation of a status quo that no longer serves us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5760.745, "end": 5764.965, "text": "This isn't just about students. Now honing in on the pixel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5765.605, "end": 5783.725, "text": "It's about the young families squeezed into one bedroom apartments because nothing else is in their price range. It's about the young professionals who spent five years building a career here, paying taxes and coaching co ed flag football at the Foothill Soccer Facility, only to realize they can never afford to put roots down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5784.705, "end": 5805.685, "text": "When we talk about zoning, we're really talking about who we value. When we make it harder for diverse types of housing or restrict where those homes can go, we're effectively telling young families that they are a secondary consideration. We're telling the next generation of Calgaryans that they are guests in their own city rather than future owners of it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5806.385, "end": 5815.765, "text": "Council, you are the architects of the city we will inherit. The decisions you make regarding these zoning proposals will echo for decades." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5816.225, "end": 5819.025, "text": "And fortunately, I have to live those decades." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5820.165, "end": 5839.245, "text": "If you vote to repeal blanket rezoning, or at least without replacing it with another policy that resolves some of the common complaints, we are choosing a future of stagnation and sprawl. A city where only those who have already made it can afford to live in our established neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5839.485, "end": 5867.205, "text": "But if you choose a path that creates real tangible space for the missing middle, you are creating vibrancy. You are choosing to let that mural artist, the energy economist, the robotic startup co-founder, and myself, if you're just security policy analyst, feel like we have a permanent place at the table. My appeal is clear. Think about Carl Green 2026, but also think about what it looks like in 2030, 40, 50, and maybe 200." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5868.845, "end": 5871.585, "text": "Please look at the faces of the young people in this room," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5872.845, "end": 5874.445, "text": "the young people in your wards." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5875.145, "end": 5886.005, "text": "Think about the families looking for their first front door. Use your vote to guarantee that Calgary remains a city of opportunity for everyone, not just those who got here first" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5886.665, "end": 5888.185, "text": "and those who can afford" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_01", "start": 5888.645, "end": 5897.225, "text": "an approximately $600,000 mortgage. Give us a reason to believe in the Calgary dream again. Give us a city that has room for us. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 5898.925, "end": 5899.845, "text": "Thank you so much, sir." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 5900.605, "end": 5908.325, "text": "I'm gonna go over to Councillor Kelly, but before I do, uh Deputy Mary Jameson, would you mind just taking the chair for uh one moment? I need to step up for a minute." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 5911.445, "end": 5912.585, "text": "Councillor Kelly, please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 5913.045, "end": 5914.405, "text": "Uh for questions for the panel." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5915.765, "end": 5916.185, "text": "And well" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5916.905, "end": 5922.165, "text": "Susan, this hearing's been so long that we're starting and ending with different deputy mayors. I'm thrown off." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5923.265, "end": 5926.245, "text": "Uh Miss Easton, if you don't mind. Uh" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5927.685, "end": 5931.425, "text": "We just heard from uh Mr. Atanda there about" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5931.685, "end": 5934.385, "text": "challenging us to think about uh" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5936.105, "end": 5942.485, "text": "our neighborhoods, not just tomorrow, but in 2030, 2040, 2050. Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5944.005, "end": 5965.045, "text": "when I take a look at Glendale specifically, where where you live, um I can see that there's been like a 30% population decrease before the blanket rezoning. And it's pretty much been a direct downward trend. You talked about the restaurant, uh, the restaurants, and that you're when you're cycling and running, you're you're you're not seeing any people. Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 5965.505, "end": 5979.645, "text": "I wonder if you can provide us a little bit of that that local expertise. Like, why do you think there's so many less people living in uh in your neighborhood? And what what does that look like to you in 2030, 2040, 2050?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 5981.465, "end": 6020.805, "text": "Um, I mean it's it's hard to project out to the future, but I I think the the decrease in population has been because it it started out as a a neighborhood of families, and those families have grown up. Um a friend of mine, his his mother still owned their bungalow in in uh Glendale, and um she recently passed away. Um so we've we've gone from having families living in these bungalows on these giant lots to just one or two people living in them, and and that's why the population has decreased. Um we are seeing some young families move into the neighborhood. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 6021.585, "end": 6034.285, "text": "But I mean these houses they are old. They were built in the fifties. Um when we looked at houses, we looked at a lot of houses everywhere from Haysborough to Cougar Ridge. And um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 6034.905, "end": 6039.085, "text": "In Glendale, there were quite a lot of houses that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 6039.385, "end": 6060.745, "text": "frankly needed to be knocked down. And we didn't have the time or the money or the expertise to knock those houses down. It really takes developers to do that. There was one house we looked at, and the the real estate agent was like, Oh, I really hope someone buys this house. It's a gem. I wouldn't like to see it knocked down. And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 6061.405, "end": 6062.685, "text": "unfortunately," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 6063.345, "end": 6115.725, "text": "It needed to be knocked down. Someone that lived there had been smoking there for years and years, and the walls were just impregnated with smoke. It was a health hazard. There was no way you could you could live there. It had to be knocked down, and it was. And two beautiful homes have been built in its place. So I think for Glendale to be revitalized and for it to grow its population in the future, we need that. We need some of these rundown homes, these homes that are no longer livable, that that have been lived in by a family for for their most of their life, unfortunately they need to be they need to be replaced. And it's the developers that have the money to do that. And dividing the lot into multiple units makes that financial financially viable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 6116.305, "end": 6149.625, "text": "So that's where I see it going. I mean, there is currently a lot of development on the edge of Glendale on the arterial roads. And I have said to my husband as we drive by, who would want to live on 17th Avenue? It's so busy and so noisy, and the air pollution from the traffic, uh the particulate matter would be a health hazard. And yet we're building homes on arterial roads. And I think that that is wrong. I think it is morally wrong to do that. We need to build these homes inside the community where people should actually live." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6154.385, "end": 6159.985, "text": "Uh thank you for the perspective. I really uh appreciate it a lot. Uh Mr. Donaldson, if you don't mind." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6161.845, "end": 6191.965, "text": "Um thank you for bringing some additional data to our to our conversation here today. That's that that's always appreciated. I'm sure that uh a few folks listening, whether on this side of the horseshoe or online or in the audience, sort of perked up when you said uh uh it's n the the opposition to blanket rezoning is actually uh in terms of the submissions is actually more than you think it is. Uh but then when you uh broke it down in terms of what that" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6192.245, "end": 6196.065, "text": "binary for or against is actually about." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6196.505, "end": 6219.785, "text": "I really I really appreciate that nuance because unfortunately nuance is kind of missing a little bit in our by we have a binary decision vote for again for it or against it. So you have a little bit more insight here. I'm wondering if you can uh give us a little bit more detail in terms of uh for those that might be um against the uh uh uh against what's before us here today, um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6220.245, "end": 6230.005, "text": "the the what you're seeing in the data for why they're against it. I think you had a slide there with uh a little bit more detail that you didn't have time to get into in your in your five minutes, if you wouldn't mind." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6230.125, "end": 6232.025, "text": "Okay. Thank you for the question," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6232.625, "end": 6233.645, "text": "Councillor Kelly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6234.345, "end": 6237.545, "text": "So uh let me just start with this. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6238.725, "end": 6240.045, "text": "yes, the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6240.765, "end": 6242.785, "text": "the opposition to uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6243.505, "end": 6248.785, "text": "to blanket rezoning and the support for repealing it is" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6249.845, "end": 6252.885, "text": "you know you know pretty massively outweighs the other." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6253.545, "end": 6259.525, "text": "At least from the written submissions and the presentations that have happened" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6261.005, "end": 6262.805, "text": "that happened two years ago." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6263.765, "end": 6265.165, "text": "I have not yet" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6265.885, "end": 6282.205, "text": "put together all the presentations that happened this year. And there are a number of submissions that came in after the deadline. I know this because Councillor Johnson put this out on X and posted." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6283.165, "end": 6296.365, "text": "And so just this is a uh tangent, but I I really would like to advocate for that data becoming public. I see no reason for it to be private to council. I I think that it should be transparent. Um but in any event, um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6296.365, "end": 6300.345, "text": "Let me interrupt you there just right now. Are you talking about the public uh the public submissions?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6300.345, "end": 6314.305, "text": "public submissions. Yeah, we we can't see them. If they came in after uh March 16th, uh the public doesn't see those. Now maybe eventually they will, but I know that counselors can see them because Councillor Johnson posted the results uh on X." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6314.305, "end": 6323.965, "text": "Maybe if I may, just there like in terms of point of order, I my understanding was that like everything that's gone up has been has been distributed. Uh Chair, could we confirm that with clerks?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6324.685, "end": 6327.225, "text": "Yeah, let's check in here with clerks about the the status line." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 6327.765, "end": 6334.565, "text": "Yeah, apologies, Mayor. I didn't have the number uh with me uh conveniently handy earlier. There have been 833" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 6334.925, "end": 6337.945, "text": "public submissions received since" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 6338.445, "end": 6353.965, "text": "the agenda was published. Those public submissions, some of them, a small minority of them, have been kept confidential because of the way they were received or the fact that they contained personal information. But the vast majority of them should be available through Calgary.ca." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6354.185, "end": 6360.105, "text": "Okay, and I'm just here to tell you they're not. So um at least I couldn't find them, and I looked." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6360.065, "end": 6367.425, "text": "Maybe if I may again just on the on the same point of order, uh uh Chair, can we just confirm that those are publicly available on the website?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6368.245, "end": 6372.405, "text": "Could we uh maybe just verify which URL uh for members of the public to" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 6372.405, "end": 6389.325, "text": "They should be available at calorie.ca slash uh ph just bear in mind that the um the distributions of the submissions, um this meeting has spanned multiple days, so you I think they're they'll be under the March 23rd date. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 6389.945, "end": 6390.965, "text": "under today" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 6391.565, "end": 6394.845, "text": "Well the the most recent ones will be under today's date, correct?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 6395.465, "end": 6395.845, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6396.085, "end": 6397.125, "text": "thank you very much. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6397.165, "end": 6425.205, "text": "In any event, um, sorry for that tangent, but um the the the the data the the newer data that that comes in doesn't really move the needle. I saw Council Johnson post that said that the opposition was about 79 percent. Um, or sorry, I'm gonna get this wrong. Now the opposition, the support for repealing is around 79 percent. And my data, my corrected data showed at around 80 based on the submissions up to March 16th. So it's consistent." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6425.765, "end": 6436.805, "text": "But that's not, in my mind, what's the most interesting. What's the most interesting is what is behind it, right? When you uncover that data. So if you want to flip to slide six," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6437.405, "end": 6457.445, "text": "and this sh this is this shows it when you put it in buckets for both 2024 and 2026, it's fairly similar, right? So it's showing 48% support. This is of the people who indicated that they up uh either oppose blanket rezoning in 2024 or in 2026 they uh support the repeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6457.745, "end": 6461.865, "text": "Okay, so somewhere between 40 and 48 percent, depending on which year it is," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6462.405, "end": 6464.945, "text": "of those people actually support density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6465.785, "end": 6468.905, "text": "Although they said we don't want blanket rezoning, but they support density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6469.625, "end": 6476.405, "text": "Maybe a quarter, roughly, say no, we we oppose it. And then the rest, which is 30 to 35 percent, said, well," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6477.905, "end": 6484.325, "text": "uh, we don't we're not commenting one way or the other. We have some pretty big concerns, right? Concerns about trust" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6485.105, "end": 6488.505, "text": "uh with the process, concerns about infrastructure." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6489.105, "end": 6490.485, "text": "And these kinds of things." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6491.245, "end": 6492.465, "text": "So now" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6493.625, "end": 6495.705, "text": "what I was saying in the presentation was" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6496.525, "end": 6500.005, "text": "those in the yellow with the process trust concerns," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6500.765, "end": 6503.445, "text": "I didn't include" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6503.985, "end": 6507.805, "text": "them if they also expressed an opinion, either support," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6508.265, "end": 6510.665, "text": "either pro or con for blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6511.305, "end": 6512.445, "text": "But on the next slide," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6516.125, "end": 6523.185, "text": "I put those in yellow. I didn't superpose the yellow over top of the other one. So anything that's yellow or yellow ish." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6523.725, "end": 6531.185, "text": "Shows about three-quarters of people in both of the years, 2026 and 2024, express concerns." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6531.885, "end": 6584.885, "text": "Right? So that's like roughly 75% of people are saying we got some concerns here. Now a good chunk of those also support density, and some of them are against density, but it it makes you wonder if they're against density, why are they against it? Are they just against it because they're against it, or are they against it because they're they have concerns about the trust, right? So when you when you separate out those who just said they're they're against uh blanket rezoning altogether, they didn't give any other reasons about trust or anything like that, that is about 5%. Okay, so that's what that little red pie is. So keep in mind, this is this is 5% of the people who indicated general opposition. So it's 5% of 80%, which is about 4% overall, if you do the math. So it's a pretty tiny slice of people that are just like, no, no way, I don't want this in any way, shape, or form." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6585.425, "end": 6586.665, "text": "Very small percentage." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6587.685, "end": 6590.845, "text": "The vast majority of people are saying," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6591.165, "end": 6595.005, "text": "um, yeah, we support this in some form, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6595.145, "end": 6603.405, "text": "this process is wrecked, man. This is this is screwed. It needs to be redone. The way it was done is not acceptable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6604.605, "end": 6616.385, "text": "So that's the question that I was uh posing at the end of the presentation was just for you guys to think about you know, how how might these numbers look different, right, if if those trust concerns were addressed?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6616.865, "end": 6618.065, "text": "How might that look different?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6618.865, "end": 6636.045, "text": "I I really appreciate you bringing that up because most of the neighbors that we've had from Ward 4 that that have come forward, this is actually exactly what they're talking about. It's the it the it to your point, it's it's not s for some people it's about the density, but for the majority of folks, at least in Ward 4, it's about the" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6636.825, "end": 6647.605, "text": "um the ability to have a say. It's the blanket part of it that that they're that they're struggling with. And when you look at the data on that on that note, is there anything in your data that would say?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6649.325, "end": 6668.665, "text": "If we did this in a in a in a in a meaningful sort of community engagement community engaged sort of way through something such as like local area planning, which in Ward 4, most of our neighborhoods don't have never had that discussion, don't have that, do you think that that would start to address address some of what you're seeing in the data?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6669.165, "end": 6673.785, "text": "So one of the things that the data shows is that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6675.925, "end": 6682.165, "text": "the the the problem that people are having is not being listened to, it's being engaged with." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6682.565, "end": 6708.625, "text": "So people can come to these hearings and talk and and and the counselors are listening, but there's a difference between listening and engaging, right? And this is this this this was quoted with um uh concerns about LAPs and other things, right? Is that there's an opportunity to speak, but that's different than an opportunity to engage, and people want the opportunity to engage. If you flip back a couple slides, um one more, one more" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6709.165, "end": 6713.105, "text": "this one here. So this actually shows um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6715.225, "end": 6719.425, "text": "um what what people are saying, right? What's kind of behind these comments? So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6719.985, "end": 6726.205, "text": "um so of those that that overall oppose blanket rezoning but support density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6726.785, "end": 6731.005, "text": "Um they say, well, we support density, but just not in a blanket form, right? Or" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6731.945, "end": 6740.805, "text": "we prefer some form of local area planning, some revised form. Um the current local area planning isn't isn't up to snuff in a lot of people's minds." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6741.265, "end": 6780.185, "text": "And we want targeted and corridor-based kind of growth. So these are the people that that keep in mind, I just keep saying it, but I want to make this point. This is people who are opposing blanket rezoning, but they're saying we can support density if it's like this. And then those with concerns, the process, right? So the engagement, the timing of the processes, uh the infrastructure. So people have a lot of concerns about not only the physical infrastructure, but also just the uh the readiness, um, you know, support in in schools and um you know in and in the the local public structures." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6781.005, "end": 6781.545, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6782.625, "end": 6790.945, "text": "and the trust is huge, right? So people don't trust how the process unfolded last time. Um they're hoping it's gonna be better this time, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6791.565, "end": 6802.145, "text": "And this is not my opinion, by the way. I'm just I'm just saying what the data says, right? So this is this is what I read out of the data, like as a as a data scientist kind of person, this is what I see." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6802.685, "end": 6832.685, "text": "And and I appreciate that perspective that you're bringing here today, because I think uh for most of us when we look at this, whether it's you know, a house being built next door to me that doesn't match my like what I what I believe my community character to be, or whether it's like I'm I'm long-term looking to be able to afford a house and I'm concerned that one option or the other will make that unaffordable to me. I I appreciate this sort of like there's a lot of emotion in both of those, whereas this this is a a little bit more just like nuanced and and and straight up." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6832.685, "end": 6838.085, "text": "I just try to take the tr take the emotion and the and the advocacy out of the presentation altogether." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6838.445, "end": 6862.985, "text": "And I will maybe just say in terms of this, like it uh while you know, depending on how you run the data, you I I would imagine that these percentages would change slightly. Um, but certainly if anecdotally for feedback for you, it it kind of matches for me what it is that it I'm hearing from people and the questions that I that I've been asking. And it certainly matches the effectively what I was hearing at the doors when I was uh when I was campaigning as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_40", "start": 6863.445, "end": 6863.925, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 6864.585, "end": 6877.545, "text": "thank you very much. I'll give I'll let some of my colleagues maybe if they have any questions for you dig in a little bit uh more on the on the opposition or or or the foreside if they have some uh some uh questions and they're looking for some additional nuance. Thank you, Mr. Dawson." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6877.845, "end": 6886.125, "text": "Thanks, colleagues. We're about 55-0 minutes to our break here. Bear in mind that there's many people in the audience that came down on a pretty terrible day to" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6886.525, "end": 6903.445, "text": "see us. It would be great to be able to have at least one more panel uh before uh we break. Over to Councillor Chabot, please. And the one last thing I'll say is uh Councillor Johnston's name was mentioned, and I have been asking presenters not to call out specific counselors, but I had mentioned in my previous ask." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6903.685, "end": 6913.345, "text": "Quoting a member of council is is adequate. It's a data point by which the the public has been informed. So again, if it's a personal attack on an individual or calling out or" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6913.585, "end": 6921.865, "text": "addressing a specific person, uh that's out of bounds. But if you're here providing evidence that was presented by a member of council in a quote, uh I think that's fine." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6922.305, "end": 6923.205, "text": "Over to you, Councillor Shabot." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6923.465, "end": 6925.765, "text": "Thanks. Mr. Donaldson, thanks uh for being here for your" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 6926.345, "end": 6927.865, "text": "providing us with that input. Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6928.265, "end": 6929.205, "text": "I'm just curious." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6930.725, "end": 6932.125, "text": "Have you taken a position on this?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6933.645, "end": 6934.365, "text": "For or against." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6936.145, "end": 6939.985, "text": "You know, I I do have a position on this. Yes, is the answer." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6941.085, "end": 6942.285, "text": "And your position is?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 6942.965, "end": 6952.745, "text": "Well, my position isn't important. Um and I don't come representing a position. I come representing data. Um so you've had" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6952.925, "end": 6963.845, "text": "whatever whatever the clerk was quoting um hundreds of presentations so far people emphatically supporting one position or the other" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6964.605, "end": 6965.285, "text": "and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6966.725, "end": 6970.905, "text": "I don't necessarily think I'm going to bring anything new to the table by" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 6971.125, "end": 6982.645, "text": "by quoting by giving a position and quoting what it is. I think what I bring to the table is impartial data analysis and that's what I'd like to present and talk about." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6984.525, "end": 6986.885, "text": "It's interesting that you're providing us with data," }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6987.345, "end": 6993.485, "text": "but you're providing us data on positions that people have taken for or against. But yet you yourself aren't" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 6993.485, "end": 6995.345, "text": "Councillor Shabot, the answer was given to you." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 6996.445, "end": 7001.785, "text": "you're not and you're not answering whether you're adding to one or or the other of that date those data points." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7003.665, "end": 7005.385, "text": "Yeah, you heard what I was saying. You're right." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7006.945, "end": 7009.465, "text": "All right, so that's all the questions I had for you. Thanks." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7009.705, "end": 7010.345, "text": "Thanks, Councillor." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7011.025, "end": 7012.905, "text": "Um next question is for" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7013.225, "end": 7014.525, "text": "uh Mr. Roberts." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7016.125, "end": 7017.005, "text": "Online, I believe." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7018.225, "end": 7018.785, "text": "Yes, I am?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7019.125, "end": 7025.765, "text": "Thanks. You you didn't get a chance to finish your presentation and I was kind of interested in seeing how you want you were going to conclude. Do you mind?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7027.225, "end": 7031.545, "text": "Uh sure. Uh that was all I yeah, just the conclusion that I missed. It was uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7031.865, "end": 7041.605, "text": "That uh the 2024 blanket rezoning bylaw has raised legitimate concerns regarding the manner in which the low density areas of Calbreid established communities will redevelop." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7042.305, "end": 7045.225, "text": "However, that does not necessarily mean that it should be repealed" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7045.905, "end": 7050.885, "text": "and that the city should return to its previously fiscally and environmentally unsustainable approach" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7051.225, "end": 7055.885, "text": "of having 90% of its population growth accommodated through concede suburban falls." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7062.165, "end": 7064.105, "text": "That's the new district LAPs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7064.525, "end": 7070.165, "text": "And the Westbrook LAP is an existing example of how, with the inclusion of appropriate planning policies," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7070.485, "end": 7075.665, "text": "district LAPs can help to ensure that the redevelopment of the low density residential areas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 7078.225, "end": 7080.105, "text": "Unless you're the current speaker, please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7094.265, "end": 7101.305, "text": "Accordingly, instead of repealing the 2024 blanket rezoning bylaw, I strongly urge City Council to direct City Administration to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7101.785, "end": 7105.405, "text": "essentially revisit all of Calgary's approved and in-progress" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7105.625, "end": 7107.105, "text": "district LAPs" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7107.345, "end": 7114.225, "text": "and ensure that they contain planning policies, including locational restrictions for three plus unit developments" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7114.545, "end": 7118.345, "text": "that are comparable to those that already exist in the Westbrook LAP," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7119.245, "end": 7127.025, "text": "designed to help ensure that the low density residential areas of Calgary's established communities become even more desirable areas in which to live." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7127.305, "end": 7130.385, "text": "As they redevelop, diversify, and densify." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7130.925, "end": 7131.365, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7131.845, "end": 7135.625, "text": "Thank you for that last closing statement because" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7135.985, "end": 7144.205, "text": "it you you sort of alluded to it in your presentation. You talked about neighborhood local limited scale and how um multifamily was not" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7144.465, "end": 7148.185, "text": "permitted uh through the LAP process in some of those areas." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7148.505, "end": 7151.145, "text": "But subsequent uh LEPs that have been approved." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7151.385, "end": 7154.385, "text": "Uh did not include that that sort of" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7154.745, "end": 7155.625, "text": "designation." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7156.085, "end": 7158.565, "text": "So I I guess what I'm hearing is you're suggesting that" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7158.905, "end": 7166.465, "text": "if council should choose to repeal this, that we should need to go back and and revisit some of those ones that were approved post implementation of blanket zoning." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7168.445, "end": 7176.685, "text": "Actually, I would suggest uh the Heritage LAP is the only other of the eight existing approved" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7176.865, "end": 7178.705, "text": "district LAPs that has" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7179.325, "end": 7185.345, "text": "essentially comparable um occasion restrictions in its section 2.2.176." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7185.865, "end": 7194.485, "text": "Heritage was uh was being created at roughly the same time, essentially the same time as the Westwood one. The first LAP, the North Hill one." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7194.965, "end": 7202.025, "text": "um had I guess an early version of the locational rules, except it has a significant distinction" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7202.465, "end": 7205.325, "text": "in that it um it says" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7206.205, "end": 7220.705, "text": "um it provides lane parcel as one of the options as opposed to a prerequisite and then a series of locational like instead of it has to be a lane parcel and it has to meet one of these following you know in one of these locations." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7220.945, "end": 7224.485, "text": "It says it has to be a lane parcel or it has to be." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7224.845, "end": 7231.605, "text": "So what it essentially means is that you can do a three plus unit development on any lane parcel in the communities that are governed by the North Hill" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7231.925, "end": 7234.185, "text": "LAP. The ones that came after" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7234.485, "end": 7239.645, "text": "were all approved after the blanket rezoning bylaw that was approved by council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7240.045, "end": 7240.585, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7241.225, "end": 7246.265, "text": "because the the bylaw had been approved, administration, I in my understanding, is" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7246.705, "end": 7250.185, "text": "in working on those subsequent LAPs, they took the position." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7250.725, "end": 7251.145, "text": "That" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7251.545, "end": 7259.005, "text": "um they had to not include any of those locational policies in the subsequent LAPs because they felt" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7259.345, "end": 7261.165, "text": "the council's direction" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7261.465, "end": 7265.925, "text": "was that three plus unit developments should be possible to build them anyway." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7266.865, "end": 7273.505, "text": "Um I've took an exception take an exception to that interpretation because to me, if you go back and look what council said," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7274.005, "end": 7275.665, "text": "council said that they should be" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7276.025, "end": 7277.825, "text": "it should be possible to build them" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7278.505, "end": 7279.585, "text": "in any community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7280.485, "end": 7286.805, "text": "In Calgary, it is the council did not say it should be possible to build them on any parcel" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7287.125, "end": 7288.705, "text": "in every community" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7288.965, "end": 7303.825, "text": "of Calgary. They simply wanted to ensure that every community could have these sort of slightly higher density forms of low density developments. So in fact, uh a year after the bylaw was passed, the up zone bylaw passed," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7304.485, "end": 7308.605, "text": "um, administration tried to remove the locational policy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7308.965, "end": 7312.885, "text": "From policies from the uh, I think it was the Heritage," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7313.305, "end": 7316.845, "text": "uh, Westbrook and North Hill LATs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7317.285, "end": 7328.245, "text": "Um, again, under this, what I consider this misconception that they felt, council's direction was that it it had to be possible to build one of these three plus unit developments on any parcel in every community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7328.745, "end": 7332.805, "text": "Um fortunately, that uh council did not um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7332.965, "end": 7336.285, "text": "or denied that uh that motion and it it failed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7336.525, "end": 7337.585, "text": "Um so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7338.125, "end": 7340.185, "text": "from my perspective, that was good because." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7340.785, "end": 7346.805, "text": "Essentially, what these locational policies do is they create, they kind of take the place of what" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7347.145, "end": 7359.065, "text": "exists in new greenfield communities in the form of master planned communities, right? Developers of new greenfield communities understand that people looking to buy a single detached home or a semi" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7359.885, "end": 7367.545, "text": "aren't necessarily, you know, wouldn't be that or be would be concerned if there's a possibility of something significantly larger going in right next door." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7367.965, "end": 7380.085, "text": "So they master plan the new communities and say, okay, you know, this these block faces over here, these will this is where the single detached homes will go, and over here is where the semis will go, and over here is where the row houses will go." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7380.425, "end": 7389.605, "text": "And they don't do that with zoning because all of the new communities, the low density areas, have RG zoning, which is the greenfield equivalent to RCG." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7390.005, "end": 7399.265, "text": "What they do is they do it contractually. If you're a potential buyer and you go look and say, I like this parcel here, I'd like to, you know, I'd like to have a single detached home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7399.645, "end": 7402.125, "text": "Built for me on this parcel, you'll find" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7402.445, "end": 7418.985, "text": "that there's maybe three builders assigned to that parcel. And each builder has maybe four models of home that you can choose from. So if that's the parcel you want, you're gonna find that there's maybe you can choose between one of 12 home models to have built." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7419.225, "end": 7426.705, "text": "And all of those 12 models are essentially the same, you know, the same basic configuration and that kind of stuff. And that whole block base will be like that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7427.105, "end": 7433.585, "text": "Well you'll know that, you know, whatever goes in on the rest of the block page is going to be essentially the same as what you're having built on your core cell." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7433.925, "end": 7435.665, "text": "That doesn't exist in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7436.225, "end": 7439.545, "text": "in established communities. There is no master plan design" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7440.105, "end": 7440.665, "text": "except" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7441.305, "end": 7445.385, "text": "you know to the extent that we can do something like that in the U District LOD." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7445.725, "end": 7452.505, "text": "Thanks. That's um yeah, I I I didn't need you to go into that much detail, but I appreciate uh what you were saying there." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7452.825, "end": 7464.025, "text": "So I have a question for you then. Um in light of what you were saying in regards to the LAPs, and and uh you can't fault administration obviously for taking the position they did because council had approved blanket zoning." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7464.185, "end": 7469.225, "text": "Which in which in itself implied that that this type of housing would be permitted" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7469.445, "end": 7483.165, "text": "uh in every um the residential property and some of the LAPs were out of alignment with that and they were only trying to bring things back into alignment with the with the land use bylaw. Now having said that, um you um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7483.645, "end": 7506.345, "text": "You were alluding to um to a a change should council repeal this. So the question to you now in regards to that is uh being as you seem to be very supportive of the LAP process, would you be then supportive of city initiated redesignations in those LAPs in those areas that are identified for higher density zoning so that everything then falls back into compliance?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7508.545, "end": 7520.485, "text": "Um, no, actually. Uh first of all, I'm not suggesting that it should be repealed. I'm saying there's no need to repeal RCG zoning because RCG zoning, any zoning, is really one." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7520.825, "end": 7522.385, "text": "Of two" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7522.965, "end": 7527.905, "text": "factors that need to be considered in looking at a parcel and what can be built on it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7528.445, "end": 7538.385, "text": "In addition to a zoning, any proposed discretionary development on a particular parcel not only has to satisfy the rules of whatever zoning applies to that parcel," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7538.705, "end": 7541.445, "text": "it also has to satisfy the rules of any" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7541.865, "end": 7546.585, "text": "local area policy or local area plan that applies to that policy. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7547.025, "end": 7550.965, "text": "it's a two headed approach that Calgary uses in its planning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7551.685, "end": 7559.585, "text": "The f you know, to suggest that somehow the LAP has to be completely consistent with the zoning is is kind of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7559.865, "end": 7564.345, "text": "silly when you think of it, because if the LAP has to be consistent with the zoning," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7564.765, "end": 7568.025, "text": "if the two of them have to be completely consistent, well then why do we need two?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7568.465, "end": 7577.065, "text": "Why don't we just have zoning? Or why don't we just have an LAP? My understanding, and if there's been lots of examples of this, the LAPs" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7577.265, "end": 7582.565, "text": "essentially form a second layer of controls, if you want to call it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7582.945, "end": 7591.925, "text": "Um, that complement and in some cases restrict what can be done under uh the uh the the zoning. And they are they represent" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7592.245, "end": 7599.665, "text": "this more thoughtful planning, and it was community involved planning, as I said. There were community representatives and broad consultation on the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7599.925, "end": 7600.725, "text": "LAP." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7601.125, "end": 7612.965, "text": "These were these, I think, just reflect or represent the thoughtful community plan uh um to say, you know, let's get more fine grained than what we can do just with." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7613.485, "end": 7621.285, "text": "Just with um with land use districts. Land use districts are you know kind of the general thing, but then let's look at layering that with" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7621.585, "end": 7629.605, "text": "restrictions and you know policies in the LAP that create nuance. And there's another example. I mean, for example, some of the policies" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7629.785, "end": 7632.665, "text": "in the LAP that are open to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7633.205, "end": 7634.545, "text": "um commercial development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7634.965, "end": 7638.825, "text": "If that policy or that parcel is nearly um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7639.205, "end": 7642.005, "text": "You know, the the C train station at 45th Street," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7642.425, "end": 7644.965, "text": "there are policies in the LAP that says that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7645.285, "end": 7647.365, "text": "vehicle-oriented developments" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7647.685, "end": 7648.365, "text": "are not," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7648.685, "end": 7652.645, "text": "you know, are strongly discouraged discouraged. So here's an example of where" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7653.045, "end": 7657.465, "text": "you know the zoning that might apply, the commercial zoning would say, Yeah, you can do anything." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7657.705, "end": 7659.905, "text": "You can do you know, vehicle oriented, whatever." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7660.165, "end": 7666.765, "text": "But the the LAP said, wait a minute, if it's within this distance, you know, a certain distance or a core zone or whatever of a" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7667.065, "end": 7669.225, "text": "of the sea train station, then" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7669.445, "end": 7677.205, "text": "you know, a drive-through uh at a you know at a McDonald's is a significantly significant disappearance. So that's an example of how" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7677.525, "end": 7687.165, "text": "the LAP creates another layer and more nuance than what you know we can expect to find in the land the various land use districts of the of the Land Use province." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7687.645, "end": 7694.045, "text": "Okay, thanks for that. Um Ms uh is it Wigg Wiggers? Wiggers, Miss Wiggers is still on the line." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7695.405, "end": 7696.225, "text": "Hi, that's right." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7697.145, "end": 7719.845, "text": "Um I'm hoping I can get an answer out of you that's not necessarily as comprehensive as maybe some of the other answers I heard today, but in in general, uh would you be supportive of a of a process of uh having city initiated redesignation uh that's aligned uh to some degree with uh with what's identified within the LAP if blanket zoning were to be repealed?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7721.785, "end": 7723.265, "text": "Could you give an example?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7723.765, "end": 7752.085, "text": "Uh so an example would be um where areas are identified as as um neighborhood local but not limited scale and and incorporating some some land use initiate city initiated redesignations in those areas that would be supportive in the LAP for RCG zoning as an example, maybe not to its full extent, but at least partially uh doing uh some of those areas and redesignating them as a city initiated redesignation." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7753.905, "end": 7765.285, "text": "I think that would be appropriate in areas where you are looking at new developments. So if it's a new area that's kind of like Greenfield going to be built up," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7765.565, "end": 7769.465, "text": "that would be appropriate. In established communities, I don't think that's appropriate." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7769.685, "end": 7774.785, "text": "Another thing I didn't have a chance to touch on because I wanted to trend as much as possible into a short amount of time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7776.265, "end": 7777.705, "text": "When you purchase a home," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7778.405, "end": 7783.045, "text": "you also try to look for items that align with how you want to live." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7783.805, "end": 7791.245, "text": "And being a large expense, I don't think it's fair or equitable to go back on saying how" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7792.505, "end": 7797.345, "text": "the zoning would be in an area where you've already purchased a home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7797.545, "end": 7800.725, "text": "So say I purchased a home ten years ago in an R1 neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7801.065, "end": 7808.225, "text": "I purchased a home in an R1 neighborhood because I wanted to live in an R1 neighborhood. I don't think it's fair then to now dictate" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7808.505, "end": 7810.585, "text": "how people should be living" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7810.825, "end": 7811.185, "text": "just" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7811.585, "end": 7812.585, "text": "based upon" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7812.845, "end": 7813.485, "text": "um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7814.365, "end": 7815.205, "text": "changing" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 7815.665, "end": 7829.365, "text": "uh the the community like status quo. I think it would be appropriate in areas where it is appropriate to do so, but it would need to be in new development so that everyone knows what they're getting into and they agree to it." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7831.185, "end": 7837.385, "text": "So it's your position that whatever we have as existing land uses should re remain in perpetuity?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7840.125, "end": 7848.505, "text": "I think it should remain as it is until there is more public engagement on the matter and people are able to have a voice and say how they feel about it." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7849.065, "end": 7850.245, "text": "Okay, thanks." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 7850.425, "end": 7851.705, "text": "No further questions. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7851.725, "end": 7852.105, "text": "Yep." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 7852.545, "end": 7854.065, "text": "Thank you, uh Councillor Schmidt, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7854.445, "end": 7857.665, "text": "Uh Mr. Donaldson, very quick question for you." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7859.525, "end": 7860.625, "text": "Give you a very quick answer." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7861.365, "end": 7868.405, "text": "The data was very helpful and fascinating. Is are there any other aspects to this data that" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7869.065, "end": 7881.785, "text": "You weren't able to get that you think would have been helpful in informing these answers. I'm thinking, you know, where they live in the city, age, homeowning status, those types of things as well." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7881.925, "end": 7888.105, "text": "Oh, sure. More data is always better. But I think what that data" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 7888.365, "end": 7894.865, "text": "would show is you know, there could be differences in different regions," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 7895.745, "end": 7909.265, "text": "which actually, if you think about it, speaks quite loudly to this idea of blanket rezoning, the blanket part of rezoning, right? Which is what people seem to have the opposition to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 7909.965, "end": 7911.725, "text": "i i i is the blanket part." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 7912.245, "end": 7923.845, "text": "Not just the rezoning but the the the the blanket part. And then of course as is was just mentioned by the last uh speaker about the um the lack of public engagement um is the concern." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7924.125, "end": 7925.585, "text": "Okay. Perfect. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7925.685, "end": 7926.345, "text": "Yeah, my pleasure." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7926.345, "end": 7946.565, "text": "And then uh Mr. Roberts, also very briefly for you, I received your s submission. I read it at length. I found it fascinating. And your um submission today was also fascinating. What I got out of that is a conclusion, and if you could just tell me if this conclusion is correct, is that you see" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7947.385, "end": 7958.465, "text": "That there is a way that this blanket rezoning and better structured LAPs with more clarity can work together to address these issues. Am I correct in saying it that way?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 7960.585, "end": 7967.105, "text": "Yes you are and I believe that's already the case as I say in in the communities that are governed by the Westbrook LAP." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7967.965, "end": 7971.345, "text": "I am I've been advised by a member of the city administration that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7971.565, "end": 7973.425, "text": "the developments that have taken place," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7973.885, "end": 7981.405, "text": "you know, have been approved are all been consistent with the the Westbrook LAP, that they are continuing to follow those locational rules" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_50", "start": 7981.685, "end": 7985.545, "text": "that they tried but were unsuccessful in having removed uh last year." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7986.305, "end": 7988.305, "text": "Excellent. Okay, thank you. Those are my questions." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 7988.885, "end": 7990.425, "text": "Thank you. Councillor Atkinson, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 7992.745, "end": 7996.165, "text": "Kate Easton please. You you spoke" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 7997.265, "end": 8008.385, "text": "about community vibrancy, which actually hasn't been something that has come up and sort of the restaurant changing over and it's actually something that I've noticed even in in my neighborhood. Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 8009.965, "end": 8010.865, "text": "can you" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 8012.385, "end": 8019.165, "text": "can you talk about why that matters? Like you you mentioned living in different places and sort of the but" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 8019.685, "end": 8050.465, "text": "I don't know. I think like one of the things is as communities change, there's this in-between point, right? Where we get to where there's maybe not enough people to keep things or going or get things going, but then there kind of flips a point. And we've heard from even some folks in West Hillhurst who were talking about a grocery store opening or these kinds of things and changing their relationship and experience with the neighborhood. You're in a community that seems like it's in this flux right now. And can you talk a bit about your experience with that?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8051.645, "end": 8058.605, "text": "Yeah, um, I mean, I guess first I'll I'll say why we chose to move into this community. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8059.605, "end": 8086.265, "text": "We didn't we didn't realize that it was an R1 community when we bought. We didn't think about that. What we thought about was its proximity to where our parents lived and its proximity to transit. We can walk to the C train, we can walk to the BRT. And you know, the the local businesses that are available within walking distance. So that was what was important to us in in buying into that community. And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8087.045, "end": 8140.485, "text": "I think having the C train there has really changed that community on the fringes, but because of the historic RC1 zoning, the core of the community has been very, very slow to change. With the RCG zoning, we are seeing change happening a little bit faster. And it seems to be happening at the point that we need it to happen. We're at the point where a lot of community members that have lived there with their families their entire lives are now living there alone. And they're gonna get to the point where they can't mow that giant lawn anymore or don't want to and move into a smaller place, or unfortunately, maybe pass away." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8141.365, "end": 8144.365, "text": "We need to the community um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8145.305, "end": 8163.825, "text": "We'll be bringing more people in to buy those houses, but some of those houses, as I said before, some of them, yeah, you can buy them and live in them. We we bought one that was on a smaller lot. Um, it needs some work, but it was still viable. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8165.265, "end": 8167.165, "text": "But a lot of those houses really" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8169.025, "end": 8186.245, "text": "you're gonna have a hard time attracting like a young family is not gonna buy those houses because they need a lot of work. Um and so I think the RCG zoning really helps the would really help the community to revitalize because you can get" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8186.945, "end": 8208.545, "text": "You can attract developers in to replace those those houses on the giant 120, 1x50 lots with a more dense housing form that that is financially viable for the developer, it's uh better for the city in terms of tax revenue, and it's better for the community because we get more neighbors and and um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_59", "start": 8210.145, "end": 8214.125, "text": "having more people close by really supports those those local businesses." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 8215.085, "end": 8219.925, "text": "That's great. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Thank you all for your presentations today. It was very good." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 8220.485, "end": 8221.805, "text": "Thank you, Councillor Johnston, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8222.485, "end": 8223.845, "text": "Uh Mr. Donaldson." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 8227.485, "end": 8227.765, "text": "Hi." }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8228.525, "end": 8230.825, "text": "Yeah, sir. I just wanted to uh clarify" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8231.445, "end": 8233.965, "text": "that uh yeah, I also had trouble finding" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8234.285, "end": 8239.025, "text": "the late submissions on the public side of it. Um but it is updated now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_10", "start": 8239.745, "end": 8240.385, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8241.505, "end": 8242.085, "text": "so" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8242.705, "end": 8246.465, "text": "do you think you will be able to go through them this weekend?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8247.045, "end": 8248.085, "text": "Yeah, for sure I will." }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8248.245, "end": 8248.885, "text": "Okay. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8248.885, "end": 8249.185, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8250.125, "end": 8260.405, "text": "Yeah, um would you be able to send it to the maybe somebody could send me a link um of where that is, unless it's just gone up in the last 24 hours, because I did look yesterday and didn't find it." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 8260.665, "end": 8262.405, "text": "Uh Mr. Clerk wants to jump in here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 8262.785, "end": 8333.785, "text": "Yeah, thank you, Mayor. Just for clarification on hearing your your your concerns about landmarking where those were exactly, we've put duplicate copies on the Calgary.ca slash pH website under the March 23rd meeting. Just for clarity for the public and for council so they know how these late distributions happen. When we receive materials, we put them in batches and we distribute them to council through eScribe and on Calgary.ca in the day under which they are actually distributed. So to find them, you can go to this website under the where it says public hearing meeting of council. You'll see each day of this particular meeting there is a set of late submissions. So you'll see late public for each of these particular dates, and that's batches of those late public submissions. So just for convenience for the public, we've also put copies of those late public submission distributions under the March 23rd date just for ease of reference. But it's actually a duplicate copy of materials that were have always been on Calgary.ca as they've been distributed throughout the meeting." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 8333.905, "end": 8334.345, "text": "Thank you very much." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 8334.345, "end": 8335.825, "text": "I hope that clarifies things." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8335.865, "end": 8350.045, "text": "Yeah, thank you. That's helpful. I appreciate that as well. So, Councillor Johnson, I I think you were asking me if I would uh um update my numbers based on the data. Yeah, I will commit to doing that and I can uh send that to you and whoever else is interesting. I'll I'll send it to everybody." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 8350.685, "end": 8351.105, "text": "Okay?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_32", "start": 8351.605, "end": 8351.865, "text": "Yeah," }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8352.245, "end": 8353.565, "text": "Okay, thank you, Mr. Donaldson." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8353.565, "end": 8353.885, "text": "thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 8354.945, "end": 8355.865, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 8356.285, "end": 8358.625, "text": "Any other uh questions, Councillor Johnston?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 8360.985, "end": 8361.285, "text": "Nope." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 8361.485, "end": 8361.645, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8363.045, "end": 8364.985, "text": "All right. So for" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8365.125, "end": 8368.405, "text": "we have about 25 minutes to the regularly scheduled break." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8369.065, "end": 8384.425, "text": "Uh Council, I am going to ask uh for names for just individuals who are in the chamber here with us, out of respect that uh many people have made their way down and the weather is changing and and frankly getting worse. Um I will call names from 109." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8384.885, "end": 8391.265, "text": "And if you're on the phone, unfortunately, we are going to go specifically to people who are here in person. So I'm not asking not" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8391.685, "end": 8394.425, "text": "I'm not asking for names of folks who are on the line." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8395.565, "end": 8397.565, "text": "So do we have in person with us" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8398.045, "end": 8399.165, "text": "Patrick Mills," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8399.565, "end": 8401.385, "text": "Rachel Leah, or Cheryl Ritter?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8404.625, "end": 8406.225, "text": "Do we have Amir Eisenberg?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8407.865, "end": 8408.605, "text": "Come on down, Amir." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8418.345, "end": 8419.685, "text": "Do we have Kelly Hornik" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8423.905, "end": 8425.885, "text": "on 1010, Sterling Carlson," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8427.805, "end": 8428.885, "text": "Ole Wokoda," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8430.925, "end": 8431.945, "text": "William Thomas," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8433.885, "end": 8434.725, "text": "Jeff Marsh?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8435.745, "end": 8436.605, "text": "Okay, come on down, Jeff." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8440.205, "end": 8441.265, "text": "Do we have Jeff Banks?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8443.865, "end": 8445.285, "text": "Or Ashton Lancaster." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8449.985, "end": 8454.485, "text": "Okay, so we have uh Amir and Jeff with us. I'm gonna seek three more people" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8454.885, "end": 8458.925, "text": "here from the audience. Uh do we have anyone in the audience who was here" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8459.345, "end": 8461.825, "text": "uh from panel 65 through 70?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8463.365, "end": 8464.225, "text": "Or those no." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8464.565, "end": 8466.725, "text": "Oh uh 70 through 75," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8469.345, "end": 8470.785, "text": "75 through 80." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8471.905, "end": 8472.585, "text": "Okay, come on down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8476.765, "end": 8478.405, "text": "How about 80 through 85?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8479.785, "end": 8480.545, "text": "Okay, come on down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8485.205, "end": 8486.285, "text": "Panel 81," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8487.105, "end": 8489.005, "text": "or sorry, uh panel eighty six." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8490.825, "end": 8491.645, "text": "87," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8493.905, "end": 8494.725, "text": "88," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8496.445, "end": 8497.205, "text": "89," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8500.985, "end": 8501.825, "text": "from 89?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8502.365, "end": 8505.085, "text": "Okay, come on down. And then that will be our final panelist." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8506.045, "end": 8509.545, "text": "So we have uh Amir and Jeff, and then three other individuals here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8510.285, "end": 8513.685, "text": "After we hear from this panel and we hear from members of council," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8514.005, "end": 8523.505, "text": "uh, we are going to recess. However, I'd ask for the folks in the audience to please stay. I'm gonna pre assemble a panel to call for for 1 p.m." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8523.765, "end": 8525.625, "text": "ish the the same way. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8525.885, "end": 8527.005, "text": "I want to make sure that if" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8527.285, "end": 8536.965, "text": "Uh we'll we'll be setting up another panel in this similar way out of the people who are in the audience with us. Just out of respect that you guys have made your way through uh uh down here in the in the store in the roads." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8537.345, "end": 8538.845, "text": "So uh with that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8539.085, "end": 8541.105, "text": "uh let's start off with Amir, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8550.105, "end": 8550.825, "text": "Okay, I'd like to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8551.165, "end": 8557.705, "text": "say thank you for all the hard work you've done so far. It's truly an honor and a privilege to be given the opportunity to speak today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8558.845, "end": 8562.845, "text": "And uh there's a bit of anxiety because I didn't think I was gonna get a call before lunch." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8564.505, "end": 8569.905, "text": "My name is Amir Eisenberg, I'm a member of Ward 11, and I'm representing my family and my neighbors." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8570.945, "end": 8576.805, "text": "I volunteer for two community associations and have been a director for both boards for the past 10 years." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8577.425, "end": 8584.445, "text": "At one point I was on four boards, so believe me, I've heard a lot about the many issues that communities are dealing with." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8585.765, "end": 8593.065, "text": "I'm here to express my strong support for the repeal of Blanca Rezoning, which was an emotional and irrational response to create affordable housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8594.445, "end": 8605.385, "text": "This brash and reactionary policy change that was made in response to a brief uptick in population growth two years ago has had devastating effects for many residents" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8606.045, "end": 8614.305, "text": "who suddenly are faced with no other choice but to root relocate away from the construction of a new multiplex that will be adjacent to their once pleasantly situated home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8616.125, "end": 8625.465, "text": "I'm confident that you'll be able to find a much more targeted solution to housing availability and affordability through a collaborative approach with individual community associations" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8625.945, "end": 8633.005, "text": "who are more than willing to densify in key areas of the community that make the most sense and maintain the character of the neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8634.665, "end": 8638.405, "text": "We've heard at this hearing over the past two weeks of two dreams." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8640.225, "end": 8646.765, "text": "One is the dream of the vulnerable young citizen looking for any way to afford a home for the first time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8647.945, "end": 8657.745, "text": "The other dream is that of the citizen who has worked their way up the housing ladder, sacrificed their whole life to have a home that offers the peace and privacy for their family that suits them best." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8659.285, "end": 8666.645, "text": "Some council members are conflicted because they may have signaled support for both sides of the fence for their election." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8667.345, "end": 8671.345, "text": "Others may be conflicted because they would like to deliver both dreams," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8672.245, "end": 8676.845, "text": "but have been presented with the false decision that if they repeal the rezoning," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8677.905, "end": 8680.165, "text": "they won't meet the dreams of affordable housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8681.545, "end": 8692.865, "text": "The first dream is still attainable with a full repeal of blanket rezoning because you're going to come up with more ideas and better solutions that give back the community associations and their development committees their voice." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8694.525, "end": 8699.825, "text": "As a member of community associations for a decade, I've seen" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8701.565, "end": 8703.665, "text": "development committees actually disappear." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8704.425, "end": 8724.205, "text": "We used to have very active people on those boards. People that used to send out way more emails and communications about development than any other factor of what was happening in the community. Those places, those communities, the community the communities have been silenced by this rezoning because they have nothing to say. They can make a few comments, but the development goes ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8725.825, "end": 8729.165, "text": "The parties who have benefited most from blanket rezoning" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8729.665, "end": 8742.965, "text": "are not the vulnerable, but the developers who have profited by building expensive, low quality, non contextual multiplexes without any consideration to their contribution to what was aptly named earlier as community uglification." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8743.445, "end": 8744.365, "text": "I love that word." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8744.905, "end": 8756.925, "text": "The rezoning has materialized into a bonanza for developers who can confidently outbid regular buyers because the rezoning is a slam dunk for them. And recently, in Ward 11," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8758.105, "end": 8765.265, "text": "locally close to me, there's been five applications on RC1 lots for eight" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8765.985, "end": 8777.765, "text": "unit multiplexes that is expected to be grandfathered in before anything happens. These guys are doubling down and making sure that they get their applications in before anything changes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8780.725, "end": 8798.185, "text": "Some speakers indicate that all communities should have to drop to the lowest common denominator. In Calgary, that's not the case. Calgarians value the ability to have a choice, to have a community of family-friendly single-family homes, if so desired. And most communities were planned and designed at their outset to have a variety of choices." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8799.205, "end": 8812.945, "text": "Personally, from my experience, I've lived in townhouses, I've lived in six unit multiplexes, I've lived next to bus routes, and as time went on when I could move into the next place in the family unit that I'm in now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8813.705, "end": 8825.225, "text": "There might have been a perfectly good house that I that I really liked that fit all the bills, that checked all the boxes, but maybe it was on a snow route. Maybe it was next to, you know, uh some some other big" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8825.545, "end": 8834.645, "text": "sort of development or or something that was already there that I didn't want to live next to. But I had a choice, and I think that eroding that choice is is kind of diminishing the character of neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8836.485, "end": 8837.885, "text": "So how do we meet both dreams?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8838.765, "end": 8848.925, "text": "Firstly, by taking advantage of the newly announced federal funding with no strings attached and using it to support modest housing in nodes and corridors where the city already owns property and is not yet benefiting from." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8850.185, "end": 8858.565, "text": "Secondly, by fully repealing the blanket rezoning and fully engaging communities to determine how and where additional densification should occur in their communities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8858.785, "end": 8862.545, "text": "Thank you, Amir. You're just a time, but maybe a final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8863.245, "end": 8878.065, "text": "Well, I'd like to say that the dreams of the young start off with simple affordability, but they they grow to include more as life changes, and in many cases their dreams will become our dreams to have choices available. So I asked, please don't steal their dreams." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 8878.225, "end": 8878.585, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8878.585, "end": 8879.985, "text": "Thank you so much for being here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 8880.545, "end": 8882.005, "text": "We'll go now to Jeff next, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 8891.005, "end": 8901.865, "text": "Mayor Farkas and members of Council, my name is Jeff Marsh and I'm a resident of Houndsfield Heights, Briar Hill. I'm currently the president of our community association and this is the capacity in which I'm addressing you today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 8902.565, "end": 8946.505, "text": "Of interest, I'd like to note that in my decade of community advocacy, I believe that this is the first time I've spoken to counsel in favor of a motion under consideration. And in this case, our community does support this motion, but only as the entire package as it's proposed. With respect to the repeal itself, it has no direct meaningful consequence for Houndsfield Heights Briar Hill. Being part of the Riley local area for which a local area plan has been enacted, for all intents and purposes, blanket rezoning will remain in effect for us. Neighborhood local, the lowest intensity urban form in the local area plan, maps to RCG zoning in the land use bylaw, and our local area plan doesn't actually have any uh limited scale. The administration refused to implement that uh despite being asked." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 8948.545, "end": 8962.625, "text": "So, sure, after appeal, applications requiring RCG zoning within our neighborhood would once again need redesignation. And yes, this is extra work for all of you, since each application would have to come before council. Despite that, though," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 8962.845, "end": 8967.665, "text": "all of these approvals are entirely insured by the overarching neighborhood local" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 8968.105, "end": 8978.865, "text": "policy in the LAP. So it's more work for everyone, but it's it's a moot point and it's gonna happen. So there's no direct impact for the repail for us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 8980.645, "end": 9032.905, "text": "Our community association does feel, though, that repeal citywide will negatively impact our neighborhood and it will increase the pace of and ergo the pressures associated with redevelopment that we are already experiencing and our residents continue to struggle with. Developers who've perfected successful RCG building models citywide since blanket rezoning went into effect will be reluctant to abandon them and will naturally gravitate to where they can still be plied, which is in communities such as ours that have local area plans in place without limited scale considerations. That said, we appreciate being consulted about how redevelopment occurs with our community, as obstenbly happened through the local area planning process, and we respect that other communities deserve to be engaged to a greater extent on how redevelopment occurs within their boundaries than they have been with the current implementation of blanket rezoning. So, in that context, we can get behind its repeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 9033.685, "end": 9061.505, "text": "The transition rules for parcels for which redevelopment's already been proposed, while not ideal from anyone's perspective, are probably as good and as fair as we're going to be able to come up with. Most importantly for our community, however, though, are the proposed changes to the RCG designation. We strongly support them in that they provide a much needed counterbalance to the increased development pressures we'll face with an uptick in local redevelopment activity." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 9062.465, "end": 9096.005, "text": "These proposed changes will offset that increased pace in that what will be constructed will be considerably more respectful and contextual, and it's the lack of context associated with many new RCG redevelopments in our community that our neighbors struggle with the most. When our land use director, uh Beth Atkinson, addressed you earlier in the hearing, she went into more detail about this, and I won't repeat that here, but I will say that from our community's perspective, front setback is by far the biggest lack of context problem right now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 9097.565, "end": 9108.065, "text": "One other thing that I'll note is that this motion before you, it's not a fet accompli, but it's a first step if you if you go ahead with this." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 9108.565, "end": 9139.985, "text": "We still need to modernize land use policy to enable our city to sustainably grow, but do so in ways that works for Calgaryans. Local area plans are an excellent way to do this. However, recently been through the process as a community rep, I'd like to impress upon you that this process very much needs to be tweaked to better solicit local knowledge from communities and residents to ensure that the resulting local area plan does indeed deliver upon local wants and needs. Right now, the process is far too prescriptive and a lot of local context is being lost." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 9140.765, "end": 9162.665, "text": "To summarize, Hounsfield Heights Briar Hill is supportive of repealing blanket rezoning, but respectfully requests that should council decide to do so, it needs to be done in conjunction with the transition rules and the RCDC designation changes also proposed. To do otherwise would place an unfair and detrimental burden on our community and all others for which local area plans are already in effect. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 9163.525, "end": 9174.265, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to uh the first of our three uh speakers that I didn't identify your names, so please come and uh approach. Uh let us know who you are and which panel you're on." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9178.885, "end": 9181.585, "text": "Hi there, Steve Bentley from Panel 81." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9185.485, "end": 9198.305, "text": "And uh I'm with Cal I'm with part of the Calgary Climate Hub. Uh Mayor, City Council, I I I I appreciate the opportunity to come and speak to you. I always appreciate this opportunity, and I'm always kind of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9198.765, "end": 9215.225, "text": "blown away at at you guys being able to sit and listen to all of this from the yes to the no to the stuff you do agree to to wild conspiracy theories, to you name it. Uh my hat's off to you. I honestly, sincerely respect the hell out of you for being able to do this. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9215.405, "end": 9217.065, "text": "I am against their appeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9217.985, "end": 9228.685, "text": "And um the challenge when speaking this late in the game is to say something interesting that hasn't already been said. So I'm going to talk about Iran and the Strait of Horror Mews." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9229.785, "end": 9231.025, "text": "Um so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9231.765, "end": 9238.025, "text": "it's very, very likely, or one one hopes that in the room, when that man" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9238.265, "end": 9248.605, "text": "Decided to go and drop bombs over there, one hopes there was at least one person in the room who said, Mr. President, if you break it, you bought it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9249.385, "end": 9265.765, "text": "That's the Middle East. You you go in there, that's you're gonna own it. And the the the daunting and horrifying thing that I have to say to you is that if you rip out the only solution that this city has really ever m advanced on housing, and only significant solution," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9266.465, "end": 9278.985, "text": "well now it's on you. Like it's just on you. It's this council because it's zero hour on housing in this city. The previous council, whatever you thought of them, the previous mayor, whatever you thought of them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9279.245, "end": 9284.665, "text": "They exercised real bravery to do what they thought was the right thing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9285.145, "end": 9287.645, "text": "And quite a lot of them paid the cop paid the price for it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9288.445, "end": 9297.585, "text": "But uh ultimately that's that's the daunting thing that stands in front of you. Now, to further torture my analogy on Iran," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9298.405, "end": 9306.125, "text": "uh I the the the other thing to consider is that, you know, as that becomes a total disaster for that man." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9307.205, "end": 9313.165, "text": "No doubt again, there's someone in the room saying, well, out of the out of the bad options that are in front of you," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9313.945, "end": 9322.705, "text": "the least bad is just to declare victory tomorrow and get the hell out of there. And so similarly, I would expect if you repeal this," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9324.125, "end": 9337.925, "text": "you're going to be trying to find a solution, and you're going to be having to find a solution that isn't the one that was put in place. It's going to have to be a brand new thing that other councils haven't tried. And so similarly, somebody will be advising you just, well, you know." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9338.265, "end": 9340.105, "text": "Pull together a blue ribbon panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9340.825, "end": 9356.045, "text": "Do some sort of policy paper that nobody's gonna read and then just hoof that can down the road. And I'll tell you there's a history of Calgary City Councils hoofing the can down the road. We call 'em kick the can councils, and and I it's my great hope." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9356.525, "end": 9381.605, "text": "That this isn't a kick-the-can council. I always have a hope with a new group of council members that have that are educated and smart people that have come and put their put their their lives on hold to come and represent Calgarians. I've got hope every time for a council that they're gonna they're gonna do the right things. I I believe in my heart of hearts, even if I disagree with you a hundred percent of the time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9382.125, "end": 9454.985, "text": "You're here because you believe that you can make things better. That's what I try to say to myself. And so ultimately it makes for a it's an it's an awesome responsibility in the the traditional sense of the word awesome. It's not not something cool. It's kind of horrifying that you have to carry all this stuff. But it's a big, big important challenge. I again I I I I think there's I don't know the exact fit. I'm not a policy guy. I hope we're listening to policy people instead of people like me who aren't policy people when we're making these decisions. But it's really critical that we see this as a as the problem that it is. We also have to be aware that historically this city this city has made all most of its decisions to just comp continue to build on the far outskirts. And with beyond any shadow of a doubt, that's the most expensive way to city build. If you're building via sprawl and you keep building outwards, come on. It's just simple. The more roads you gotta make, the more pipes you gotta lay down, the further out you go, the more it costs. And so, is this a big spending council?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_12", "start": 9455.365, "end": 9469.305, "text": "Is this a a smart council that's going to be relying on policy? We don't know yet. But I I I it's a daunting task. I thank you for the effort that you put in. And um well, happy Easter and uh if you break it, you bought it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 9470.605, "end": 9471.605, "text": "Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 9472.225, "end": 9473.905, "text": "We'll go now to our next presenter, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9481.825, "end": 9482.165, "text": "Hello." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9484.045, "end": 9484.685, "text": "Hello there." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9485.665, "end": 9486.045, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9486.685, "end": 9488.145, "text": "my name is Thomas Coyle." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9488.845, "end": 9491.365, "text": "My friends call me Tommy and I hope I'm your friend." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9492.105, "end": 9493.445, "text": "And Mayor Fargis" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9493.585, "end": 9494.905, "text": "Farkas in the council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9495.985, "end": 9497.685, "text": "Uh thanks for having me." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9498.725, "end": 9499.085, "text": "I" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9499.285, "end": 9502.685, "text": "I can he bring anything here that's not already been here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9503.325, "end": 9505.445, "text": "So but I've I've got myself." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9506.425, "end": 9507.045, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9508.045, "end": 9510.065, "text": "I'm against the blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9510.745, "end": 9511.645, "text": "I think it's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9512.185, "end": 9513.345, "text": "a bad idea" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9513.685, "end": 9513.965, "text": "for" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9514.125, "end": 9514.865, "text": "everybody." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9515.845, "end": 9517.225, "text": "And if it carries through now," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9517.625, "end": 9520.065, "text": "way down the road somewhere, someone's going to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9520.325, "end": 9521.505, "text": "suffer because of it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9522.525, "end": 9524.865, "text": "I believe that the people who benefit" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9525.345, "end": 9527.665, "text": "from the blanket rezoning are developers" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9528.005, "end": 9529.085, "text": "and home builders." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9529.745, "end": 9531.385, "text": "They're making money in this," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9531.685, "end": 9533.485, "text": "and what they're building is not" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9534.245, "end": 9535.645, "text": "subsidized housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9535.905, "end": 9538.265, "text": "It's no housing a first time home buyer." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9538.645, "end": 9541.405, "text": "John and Mary, Jose and Marie can go in and buy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9541.725, "end": 9542.725, "text": "You work hard." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9543.105, "end": 9545.505, "text": "You can get the money for a down payment and buy a house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9545.825, "end": 9546.985, "text": "But no these ones." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9547.945, "end": 9551.785, "text": "They're not building homes for first-time buyers, as it says, are subsidized." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9552.365, "end": 9555.625, "text": "They're building things, I call them like cabins in the sky." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9556.565, "end": 9558.025, "text": "You can't swing a cat in them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9558.665, "end": 9562.005, "text": "And I use the example of 17th Avenue Southwest and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9562.585, "end": 9563.785, "text": "45th Street," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9564.285, "end": 9565.145, "text": "where there's a" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9565.285, "end": 9566.305, "text": "railroad crossing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9566.705, "end": 9567.725, "text": "A wee bit further" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9568.185, "end": 9570.265, "text": "west down the road, you've" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9570.885, "end": 9573.045, "text": "got the two schools, Vincent Massey." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9573.545, "end": 9577.045, "text": "And I think Westgate and I think there's another school and you've got hundreds of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9577.405, "end": 9579.565, "text": "students and children crossing that road." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9580.285, "end": 9584.185, "text": "And it's like when I stand in I stand up there and then I look at the EWE." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9584.885, "end": 9587.665, "text": "I'll actually caught I see one is renting there. They're renting" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9588.405, "end": 9593.785, "text": "a one bedroom is starting at uh 18 starting at 1800 a month." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9596.045, "end": 9596.645, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9596.945, "end": 9598.105, "text": "I stand and I look at them" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9599.025, "end": 9599.865, "text": "and there's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9600.425, "end": 9604.005, "text": "as I see you can't if somebody dies up on the top floor, how are they going to get them out?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9604.785, "end": 9607.365, "text": "If I'm up there, they'd need to put me out the window and lower me down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9608.145, "end": 9610.245, "text": "They wouldn't be able to walk me down the stairs if I'm dead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9611.225, "end": 9611.905, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9614.085, "end": 9617.565, "text": "and when I when I look at it, it takes me back to the house that I was born in," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9618.005, "end": 9619.605, "text": "which was a Glasgow tenement." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9620.665, "end": 9623.865, "text": "And the the neighbors were great, the neighbors loved each other," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9624.365, "end": 9625.565, "text": "but it was terrible housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9626.445, "end": 9627.345, "text": "I see that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9627.765, "end": 9631.045, "text": "the the these cabins in the sky, that's how I see them going." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9631.225, "end": 9632.285, "text": "It's terrible housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9633.225, "end": 9633.765, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9635.205, "end": 9640.185, "text": "the older neighborhoods have been decimated. I I've always thought I came to Calgary in 1980" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9640.505, "end": 9641.605, "text": "and I bought myself a house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9642.685, "end": 9643.685, "text": "I've never gone to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9644.185, "end": 9647.225, "text": "a univers I don't have a university education. I was at a school" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9647.885, "end": 9649.225, "text": "for my 15th birthday." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9649.885, "end": 9653.725, "text": "When I came here I worked hard. In 1980 I bought a house and I still have that house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9654.425, "end": 9659.425, "text": "But it would be hard to I could sell that and make money and try to buy one in at an older neighborhood, which I like." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9659.805, "end": 9661.805, "text": "But I can't compete against a developer" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9662.925, "end": 9665.325, "text": "because they're coming in and they they've got big money, whatever" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9665.645, "end": 9668.565, "text": "a list price is in a home, they'll they'll add way way more." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9670.165, "end": 9671.685, "text": "This kind of rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9672.045, "end": 9684.785, "text": "Uh oh and when the when the the developers get finished with the inner neighborhoods, they'll start moving out to places like my neighborhood in Falcon Ridge. Uh they just love them because they have back alleys and they can use that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9685.025, "end": 9686.545, "text": "for space to put in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9686.845, "end": 9688.605, "text": "eight plexus, ten plexus." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9689.245, "end": 9689.865, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9692.245, "end": 9695.665, "text": "for me the the the rezoning shows a wee bit of lack of forethought." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9696.105, "end": 9698.685, "text": "There's no planning, destroying the quality of life." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9699.145, "end": 9701.225, "text": "This is uh this is uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9702.305, "end": 9703.425, "text": "like clearances." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9703.965, "end": 9705.145, "text": "They're clearing places." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9706.725, "end": 9714.345, "text": "Way back sometime 50 or 60 years ago, somebody at Calgary City Hall shuffled paper and never did their job properly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9715.145, "end": 9718.865, "text": "And as a result, we have a burst pipe out in Boness," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9719.465, "end": 9720.905, "text": "which" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9721.585, "end": 9725.045, "text": "may have been avoided if work was done properly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9725.505, "end": 9725.905, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9727.865, "end": 9728.745, "text": "like you," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9730.825, "end": 9732.945, "text": "I represented the city of Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9733.505, "end": 9735.205, "text": "I worked for Calgary Transit." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9735.805, "end": 9739.905, "text": "And I loved my job. I loved it. You have no idea how much I loved that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9740.425, "end": 9742.765, "text": "And after a thousand people would come and say to me," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9743.405, "end": 9744.545, "text": "How can you drive a bus?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9744.945, "end": 9746.745, "text": "I'd say it's the greatest job in the world." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9747.385, "end": 9752.045, "text": "Every single day, when weather like this, may I be doing it that garage at Spring Gardens." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9752.545, "end": 9756.225, "text": "Get my bus out, get to the bus stop and call dates. I'd even bring in donuts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9757.725, "end": 9761.905, "text": "And I'd have the bus nice and warm for people coming in, and I'd speak to every single person." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9762.905, "end": 9766.045, "text": "What I'm saying is, my heart and soul was in that job." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9767.145, "end": 9767.585, "text": "I'm" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9767.905, "end": 9768.765, "text": "begging you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9769.405, "end": 9771.385, "text": "to take off your business hats," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9772.405, "end": 9774.345, "text": "put your hat and soul into this," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9774.725, "end": 9777.165, "text": "and throw this blanket rezoning out the window." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9778.365, "end": 9779.885, "text": "And work on something better." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9780.965, "end": 9781.465, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_23", "start": 9782.185, "end": 9784.385, "text": "more than that, I can't say with thanks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 9785.585, "end": 9786.325, "text": "Thank you so much, Tom." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 9787.965, "end": 9790.205, "text": "We'll go now to our final speaker here in the chamber." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9794.365, "end": 9795.105, "text": "Yes, I'm" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9798.465, "end": 9800.185, "text": "I'm Tom March," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9800.845, "end": 9803.285, "text": "and I'm on panel 86." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9806.185, "end": 9808.185, "text": "I know you've heard all" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9808.805, "end": 9811.385, "text": "this before, so I'll keep it short." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9812.145, "end": 9818.405, "text": "I'm just a Calgary homeowner and taxpayer and felt it was necessary to be here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9819.325, "end": 9832.245, "text": "I'm in favor of the council bringing back the city zoning system that existed in the land use bylaw prior to the city rezoning approved in May 2024." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9833.665, "end": 9838.785, "text": "I believe the change was not done to improve city planning or development," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9839.005, "end": 9847.005, "text": "but was only implemented as a condition to obtain a couple of hundred million cash grant from the feds." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9848.145, "end": 9861.145, "text": "As a result, the city relinquished their control of planning and development to builders and contractors, and some 300,000 plus homeowners lost their zoning protection." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9862.385, "end": 9872.185, "text": "Since the blanket rezoning decision effectively removes all zoning protection from low density residential properties such as mine," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9873.125, "end": 9876.885, "text": "I don't believe that the amendment route is the way to go." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9877.325, "end": 9880.685, "text": "You can't amend something that no longer exists." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9881.605, "end": 9885.785, "text": "Once again, I'm in favor that the city council" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9886.245, "end": 9887.025, "text": "through" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9888.805, "end": 9890.725, "text": "with the full and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9891.805, "end": 9901.405, "text": "I'll try that again. That the City Council follow through with the full and complete repeal of the citywide blanket rezoning bylaw" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9901.845, "end": 9902.405, "text": "and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9903.205, "end": 9913.545, "text": "return to the zoning designations and related rules and policies that we lost in 2024. No amendments." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 9914.325, "end": 9915.485, "text": "Thank you for your time." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 9916.545, "end": 9920.585, "text": "Thank you so much. We're gonna go to Councillor Chabot for questions for this panel." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9921.925, "end": 9922.605, "text": "Ms. Marsh?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9924.565, "end": 9924.945, "text": "Thanks." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9926.885, "end": 9929.165, "text": "So based on what you said, um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9929.965, "end": 9937.405, "text": "You said that you wanted us to follow through with all the recommendations, including all of the amendments in recommendation number four?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9938.245, "end": 9938.905, "text": "That's correct." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9938.965, "end": 9940.745, "text": "Okay. Yeah, I'm not sure that" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9941.505, "end": 9943.225, "text": "that's been fully vetted with" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9943.625, "end": 9947.565, "text": "with community and or the industry in regards to all of those amendments. Would you be" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9947.945, "end": 9957.005, "text": "supportive of um uh being engaged in that process? Should council decide not to move forward with all of them today and and still look at further engagement to" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9957.265, "end": 9958.085, "text": "refine those?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9960.025, "end": 9967.605, "text": "Well, I said that would be it would be very helpful, but again, if this goes forward out of sync, it's it's really it's really gonna" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 9967.945, "end": 9971.145, "text": "cause a lot of redevelopment pressure within our community." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9972.525, "end": 9973.265, "text": "Thanks. Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9973.585, "end": 9980.805, "text": "And you mentioned about um neighborhood local limited scale, how the limited scale element was um not included in your LAP?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 9980.965, "end": 9998.745, "text": "We we explicitly we explicitly asked for several things, limited scale being one. We actually asked for some special study areas that were unique and different, but I said the uh unfortunately the the planning the the the team we worked with from the city was great, but they didn't seem to be empowered to be able to act on any of the" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 9998.645, "end": 10001.565, "text": "Of course this would have been post-implementation of the blanket zoning, right?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10002.285, "end": 10006.865, "text": "Uh I'm not quite sure. R LAP would have gone in right around the same time." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10006.885, "end": 10007.405, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10007.425, "end": 10010.425, "text": "They the blank it was in the in the pipe, I think, at the same time." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10010.505, "end": 10014.025, "text": "Right, but the final approval wasn't until after the blanket zoning." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10014.385, "end": 10014.685, "text": "Wasn't" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10014.685, "end": 10016.185, "text": "Honestly, I can't quite remember." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10016.185, "end": 10018.105, "text": "I have to double check that, but I think so." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10018.585, "end": 10021.665, "text": "Okay, thanks. Um I guess the next question is gonna be" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10021.965, "end": 10031.245, "text": "uh if council were to move forward with this repeal, um you sounds like you'd be interested in revisiting the LAP to see if we could reintroduce that element?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10032.465, "end": 10052.565, "text": "Yes, I think limited scale in terms of the existing structure. That that's the existing structure that would work. I think I think we would actually be better served to actually introduce um more granular urban forms, which could actually allow, right, to to allow and encourage things we want. Like you could allow" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10053.205, "end": 10075.765, "text": "You go back to having uh you know our RC1, RC2 equivalent urban forums, but you could also do different combinations, or you could also do urban forms that did things like stacked housing that we've heard about to allow things for more accessibility and mobility, just to try to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10076.585, "end": 10083.045, "text": "We can achieve the same density with more granularity and retain more character." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10083.525, "end": 10086.985, "text": "Um would you be it sounds to me like" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10087.725, "end": 10088.765, "text": "you uh" }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10089.605, "end": 10100.225, "text": "were engaged in the LEP process and you agreed with some of the principles that were adopted in it, which looked at increasing intensity of use within the area. So you're not opposed to density generally." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10100.385, "end": 10113.545, "text": "No, but it it makes the most sense to get the get the intensity where it makes where it's the most beneficial to both the community and the and the uh the future homeowners and the future residents." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10113.545, "end": 10116.765, "text": "Okay, what you're opposed to was the broad brush approach that was utilized." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10116.925, "end": 10117.425, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10117.725, "end": 10126.605, "text": "And would you be um supportive of uh city initiated redesignation in a more refined um um sort of uh approach?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10130.505, "end": 10131.425, "text": "In theory, yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10131.565, "end": 10131.785, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 10131.605, "end": 10134.025, "text": "Okay, thanks. No further questions. Thanks for being here." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 10135.065, "end": 10136.625, "text": "Thank you, Councillor Daliwell." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10136.945, "end": 10148.785, "text": "Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Mr. Marsh. Uh just a question of c clarification. You you just said that repeal is a mood it is moot to you because you have an LAP." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10149.105, "end": 10151.685, "text": "It's if if as far as a direct and meaningful" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10152.005, "end": 10153.045, "text": "impact, yes." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10154.725, "end": 10156.145, "text": "So okay." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10156.925, "end": 10163.225, "text": "I'm just trying to understand which one you prefer. You prefer blanket or you prefer LAP?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10164.485, "end": 10178.305, "text": "I think LAPs are actually the way to go. I think the LAP process needs to be tweaked to get LAPs that are as effective as they can be, but I think I th so I I would I think it makes more sense for our neighborhood it's it's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10178.985, "end": 10191.765, "text": "I said we have an LAP, so I consider it to be a moot point, but I think for the city as a whole, I think we'd be better served to repeal this and if necessary expedite the LAP process with some tweaks to the process to better recognize local context." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10192.005, "end": 10195.765, "text": "You already have Riley LAP, which came in after the blanket zoning." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10196.725, "end": 10200.625, "text": "And again, I I I don't quite it it was right around the same time." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10201.065, "end": 10205.305, "text": "Yeah. So you had the you you y you did have s some." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10205.725, "end": 10206.545, "text": "uh" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10207.045, "end": 10210.325, "text": "experience with blanket to influence LAP." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10210.945, "end": 10229.485, "text": "Well, because blanket rezoning was in the pipe, that's as a for instance, that's why the planning team would not allow limit us to consider implementing limited scale because blanket rezoning was already in the pipeline. So, right, we weren't allowed to consider using the limited scale tool on neighborhood local." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10229.605, "end": 10250.785, "text": "And but you you you prefer LAP. You you if if let's say hypothetically blanket zoning is repealed, you're okay with existing Riley LAP that exists right now because it has very um for instance 19th Street is neighborhood connector you got a big uh commercial center and and and so" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10251.145, "end": 10252.665, "text": "LAP will work for you fine." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10253.145, "end": 10259.925, "text": "No, we would our LAP needs to be revisited because it said aspects of our LAP were influenced by" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 10260.665, "end": 10261.225, "text": "Blanket zoning" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10261.225, "end": 10277.865, "text": "by blanket zoning. So there's other reasons why it needs to be revisited as well, but in this context, um, Ray said, like we were not allowed to consider implementing limited scale, which if I I believe it would be appropriate for certain areas of the Riley local area." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10278.065, "end": 10303.445, "text": "And I think you answered, uh I think I just again, I think Councillor Shabot, you answered it. The re one of the recommendation number four is if we again, assuming it's repealed, we revert back to original RCG lots that were already designated RCG. And the new recommendation is to change criteria about uh the the rules around that. And you said you're supportive of that because existing rule is RCG mostly going on the" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10303.665, "end": 10307.185, "text": "on the corner lot. This one is proposing even going." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10307.725, "end": 10310.325, "text": "onto the block, uh you're okay with it?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10310.765, "end": 10322.965, "text": "Well so right right uh sorry if we went back to the old RCG rules then uh I my understanding is basically four plus fours would be allowed throughout our neighborhood since we're all neighborhood local," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 10322.965, "end": 10323.385, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10323.385, "end": 10326.765, "text": "since we're effectively RCG. Um but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10327.065, "end": 10362.345, "text": "And it's it's the it's the contrast between say a four plus floor and the the old single bungalow beside it that causes a lot of a lot of the struggles our our residents have in accepting this. So if instead it was only corner adjacent units and it was three plus threes and lot coverage came down to 55%, I think, it would just go a long way to making the proposals we're seeing for RCG developments in our neighborhood. They would fit in a lot better and it would it would it would just make things a lot smoother. People would be much more accepting of it." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10362.785, "end": 10368.425, "text": "No great. Thank you for answering my questions. My w I have one other question for Mr. Eisenberg. Just one question." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10371.245, "end": 10376.365, "text": "Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. You used the term vulnerable young people. Could you define what that is?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10377.685, "end": 10379.085, "text": "Well, you know, I have" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10379.365, "end": 10412.405, "text": "I have three young boys. They all want to own their own home one day. They feel like we had it easier, and we we didn't, you know, they're not gonna have the opportunities that we had. They feel vulnerable by that. Uh what they're really vulnerable is uh the tax burden that we all share. And uh the city has to come up with with ways of of streamlining things and making things more affordable for the new home buyer once they get into their place and uh so they don't they don't feel the squeeze of that tax burden that that we are all dealing with. A lot of property taxes have gone up." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10413.265, "end": 10423.265, "text": "I think it was a blended thing that I read. It was between three and five percent. Some property taxes have gone up 18% in one year." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10423.965, "end": 10427.025, "text": "And that is enough to make anybody feel vulnerable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10427.985, "end": 10438.665, "text": "So I I agree with one what what a previous speaker said is uh you know, the young younger people and and uh people that want to be first home buyers, they just want to get a foothold in the market." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10439.025, "end": 10454.065, "text": "And uh it's it's really hard for them and it's a daunting task. But we all did it and uh we all did it with fixer uppers and we did it with small places and we put in sweat equity and uh they have to know that it's possible to be done and they need to be reassured that it can be done." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10454.285, "end": 10457.685, "text": "Okay. Uh just follow up and then I'll end. Uh" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10458.165, "end": 10488.405, "text": "Two years ago this policy came in. You think that and one of the one of the arguments behind bringing this policy was more uh housing inventory, uh more supply, trying to overcome the demand and maybe then stabilize pricing or even bring the pricing down, creating affordability for vulnerable young people or those who are in the need of housing. You think this is uh we should give it more time, or you think this is not gonna work in your opinion?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10489.685, "end": 10517.985, "text": "You know what, a one-size-fits-all thing does not work. It's got to be done in a in a thoughtful and meaningful process. It has to be worked with uh in a collaborative process with community associations. And uh, you know, it's been said many times before, zones and corridors are where where these things best happen. I heard a guy speak earlier uh when I was here on Monday night about how he's a builder, and if they build something that is is not offensive to uh the people that live next to it, then there's very little complaints." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10518.465, "end": 10533.885, "text": "You know, so I I believe that you know the new zoning uh it it fast tracked um the development, but it didn't create affordable housing. Uh everything that I've seen is has taken a single family dwelling and put up eight units that were more expensive than the original dwelling." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10535.065, "end": 10542.085, "text": "Okay, great. I lied one last question. You think this city, this council should be thinking about after appeal still?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10542.865, "end": 10547.525, "text": "Housing being one of the key focus areas and especially affordable housing." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10548.565, "end": 10549.605, "text": "Well, uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 10549.885, "end": 10573.105, "text": "a lot of people ran on their um on their campaigns and got elected in on this sole issue. So I think that this is a uh a primary factor. It should be prioritized, and uh yeah, it has to be addressed. Everyone in the in the city is talking about it. It's the number one issue on community associations, it's the number one issue I speak to when I talk to people in my neighborhood. So it's a hot topic and it needs to be addressed." }, { "speaker": "Councillor R. Dhaliwal", "start": 10573.545, "end": 10576.085, "text": "Thank you, Mr. Eisenberg. Thank you, Mr. Marsh. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 10576.865, "end": 10578.305, "text": "Thank you, Councillor Tyres, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10579.025, "end": 10597.525, "text": "Oh yeah, we had some really interesting uh things that people said here. Don't be a kick the can council, community uglification, um just cabins in the sky, like people are very uh descriptive. I really appreciate that. My question's for Mr. March. Um Mr. March?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10598.765, "end": 10599.605, "text": "Or March." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10600.265, "end": 10604.745, "text": "I know there's a Marsh and there's a March, and I want to talk to Mr. March." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10606.705, "end": 10607.425, "text": "Marsh?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 10607.425, "end": 10608.865, "text": "And I think there's two toms, too." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10608.865, "end": 10609.705, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10611.085, "end": 10628.185, "text": "Yeah, that's what I saw that two toms two. Yeah, okay. Um you had mentioned uh okay, so you had lost zoning protection for your home. That's how you felt that um that blanket rezoning caused you to lose the protection of your home. That's what you said." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10628.505, "end": 10630.125, "text": "That's right. I" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10630.605, "end": 10633.385, "text": "when I purchased, I talked to my lawyer" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10633.905, "end": 10634.565, "text": "who uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10635.905, "end": 10641.105, "text": "made me clearly understand what the caveats and the zoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10642.165, "end": 10643.485, "text": "uh meant to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10644.125, "end": 10647.945, "text": "uh how my property was going to be stable and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10648.185, "end": 10648.945, "text": "not uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10649.525, "end": 10651.965, "text": "uh there's a house next door for sale" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10652.905, "end": 10653.605, "text": "to me" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10654.565, "end": 10655.605, "text": "and um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10657.365, "end": 10660.045, "text": "okay uh uh it could be uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10660.905, "end": 10661.765, "text": "12plex" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10662.325, "end": 10662.905, "text": "tomorrow" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10663.105, "end": 10664.045, "text": "I wake up to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10665.405, "end": 10666.525, "text": "uh I have no" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10666.745, "end": 10667.585, "text": "secure" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10668.585, "end": 10670.165, "text": "uh security left" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10670.425, "end": 10672.645, "text": "be I I'm slowly being" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10673.605, "end": 10674.165, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10674.345, "end": 10677.305, "text": "uh expropriated out of my older neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10678.945, "end": 10681.385, "text": "This concerns me." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10682.125, "end": 10683.405, "text": "This was the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10684.445, "end": 10687.165, "text": "biggest purchase of my life," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10688.305, "end": 10691.865, "text": "a home. Uh nowadays, maybe uh the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10692.105, "end": 10695.945, "text": "expectations are different. You get out of school, you uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10697.525, "end": 10698.405, "text": "get a job," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10699.125, "end": 10701.025, "text": "buy a mortgage, and move in." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10701.585, "end": 10703.245, "text": "That wasn't it in my day." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10704.605, "end": 10706.525, "text": "Uh I took for a lot of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10707.565, "end": 10712.065, "text": "Uh time to well worked 10 years to get the first" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10712.505, "end": 10713.445, "text": "down payment." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10714.325, "end": 10715.425, "text": "And then uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10715.985, "end": 10718.665, "text": "moving into the final residence" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10719.305, "end": 10726.125, "text": "was another 10 years. So 20 years plus any uh equity I built up in my property uh getting into the market." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10727.245, "end": 10729.725, "text": "Uh uh then uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10731.245, "end": 10732.985, "text": "as I said, I I made" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10733.525, "end": 10736.785, "text": "checked things out carefully, uh the zoning and uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10737.125, "end": 10738.285, "text": "the type of neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10738.825, "end": 10739.625, "text": "And uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10740.605, "end": 10745.105, "text": "the stability I wanted, uh, I'm staying there, I want to stay there," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10745.645, "end": 10747.505, "text": "but uh anything can happen now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10748.265, "end": 10751.505, "text": "Uh we had a good zoning system where" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10751.945, "end": 10755.925, "text": "different areas of the community were zoned differently." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10756.445, "end": 10756.925, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10757.565, "end": 10759.305, "text": "uh I picked my zone." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10760.365, "end": 10761.025, "text": "That was" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10761.465, "end": 10768.225, "text": "that's what I'm concerned, or that's why I don't like this new blanket zoning uh with the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10768.685, "end": 10773.645, "text": "Previous zoning system, you could choose where you want it to be." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10774.565, "end": 10784.385, "text": "Okay, understood. And you had also mentioned that you don't want any amendments. Can you elaborate on that? You said you can't amend something that doesn't exist." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10784.385, "end": 10784.785, "text": "You took" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10784.785, "end": 10785.705, "text": "We found that dangerous." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10785.705, "end": 10790.705, "text": "individual zoning regions throughout the city. There it's now one zone." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10790.985, "end": 10791.785, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10792.085, "end": 10793.005, "text": "trying to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10793.905, "end": 10798.005, "text": "patch that, what is it, like putting lipstick on a pig? You still have a pig?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10798.445, "end": 10800.085, "text": "Uh there's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10800.805, "end": 10803.985, "text": "uh you can uh you can't make a" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_16", "start": 10804.345, "end": 10811.345, "text": "donkey into a racehorse, whatever example you want. That's the way I feel. We should go back to where we were." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 10811.885, "end": 10814.465, "text": "Okay. Completely understood. Thank you so much, sir." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10814.825, "end": 10815.105, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 10816.505, "end": 10819.925, "text": "Thank you. And we're gonna go to one of the two mics. Uh Councillor Atkinson, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10822.545, "end": 10834.325, "text": "Uh well why don't we start with Mr. March first? Uh if I could. Yeah, sorry. Uh you're just in your comment there. So your understanding is that with the repeal" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10835.385, "end": 10841.665, "text": "that the current zone no longer exists? Is that your your thinking on this?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10841.665, "end": 10843.265, "text": "Well, we have one zone now." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10843.365, "end": 10846.965, "text": "Right. But so that zone existed prior to" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10847.725, "end": 10867.805, "text": "the the citywide rezoning coming into place, and it will exist still on the back end of repealing. It's just that your zone will go back to uh say an RC1 or an RC2, but the zone for RCG, the the that zone will still exist." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10869.165, "end": 10870.265, "text": "I don't understand." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10870.265, "end": 10880.105, "text": "Okay. No, that's fair. That's great. That's all I I needed to clarify. Can I speak with Mr. Marsh now, please?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10883.605, "end": 10884.485, "text": "With" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10885.405, "end": 10897.325, "text": "Councillor Chabot's questions, you mentioned concern with repeal going forward, but without the changes being concurrent with that repeal. Can you speak to that concern?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 10898.725, "end": 10899.365, "text": "So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10899.725, "end": 10900.785, "text": "we are" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10901.385, "end": 10911.485, "text": "with the LAP now having been in effect. I did actually check the dates. So the LAP went in are you it was approved on March 5th, 2025. So that was after blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10913.085, "end": 10946.545, "text": "We are already experiencing quite a big uptick in number of number and intensity of redevelopments in our neighborhood with the LAP and I guess and blanket rezoning being in effect. And I said our our residents are struggling with a lot of it, and a lot of what they're struggling with is not about having more neighbors or different housing types. It's about how the built forms are are its shadowing, it's the lack of context with a lot of the existing streetscapes. We believe" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10946.985, "end": 10956.825, "text": "if blanket rezoning is repealed, it makes sense that builders who have successful building models will keep plying them. So we are just gonna see a further increase in up to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10957.405, "end": 10988.085, "text": "Uptick in redevelopment, which will increase the development pressures and the struggles. Something that would help to mitigate that is if we were getting more the stuff, the new stuff that was being built was more contextual in nature. And our our read of the changes to the RCG designation would go a long way. I understand that they haven't been, there hasn't been engagement or consultation on them, and maybe they don't go far enough, or maybe they're gonna take away some things that will need to be restored, but it would be uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10988.565, "end": 10991.605, "text": "i we feel that that would go a really long way to um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 10992.405, "end": 10996.745, "text": "to mitigate the develop redevelopment pressure that our neighborhood is feeling if it's" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 10996.745, "end": 11017.945, "text": "Is something like that's something you've you've been involved with the community association for a long time. So you've seen sort of this the pressures and community concern, and when you read these changes, they seem to sort of meet those contextual the pushback that you're speaking of when you're when you're feeling that from community." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 11018.185, "end": 11028.885, "text": "Yeah and it's it's not even a case I I think our our neighborhood accepts that change is coming. I wouldn't even call it so much as pushback as as it is is heartache and and struggle, right? We have" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 11029.265, "end": 11050.205, "text": "We have a there there's a neighbor I was speaking to uh a couple days ago and and she has seen she has seen uh basically developments on three sides now which are really gonna and and they're significantly different than what was there and what she lives in, and it's really gonna change what living in her house" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_27", "start": 11050.985, "end": 11051.765, "text": "looks like." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 11052.385, "end": 11052.565, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 11052.945, "end": 11053.405, "text": "Fair." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 11053.845, "end": 11055.745, "text": "Thank you so much. Thanks for coming down. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 11056.505, "end": 11072.165, "text": "All right, thank you. That uh concludes this panel. We're gonna come back about 120-ish. Uh before I hit this, uh for everyone who's in the gallery today and made their way down, I want to commit to you that we'll hear you in person uh when we get back. Uh please stay where you are though," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 11072.405, "end": 11074.865, "text": "because I need to go out and collect uh your various names." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 11075.665, "end": 11077.785, "text": "So we're back at uh 120, please." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 14810.405, "end": 14813.825, "text": "Welcome back to Calgary City Council. Mr. Clerk, please call the role." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14814.265, "end": 14816.145, "text": "Thank you, Mayor. On the roll, Councillor Atkinson," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14816.665, "end": 14817.305, "text": "Councillor Schmidt," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14818.025, "end": 14818.705, "text": "Councillor Clark," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14819.485, "end": 14820.225, "text": "Councillor Chabot," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14821.505, "end": 14822.165, "text": "Councillor Ward," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14823.205, "end": 14823.985, "text": "Councillor Jameson," }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 14824.525, "end": 14824.925, "text": "Present." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14825.405, "end": 14826.045, "text": "Councillor McLean," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14827.785, "end": 14828.565, "text": "Councillor Johnston," }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14830.345, "end": 14831.085, "text": "Councillor Tyres," }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Sharp", "start": 14831.365, "end": 14831.625, "text": "Here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14832.045, "end": 14832.865, "text": "Councillor Wyness." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14835.745, "end": 14837.365, "text": "Sorry, Councillor Wyness, can you repeat that?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14838.045, "end": 14838.725, "text": "Just want to make sure" }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Wyness", "start": 14838.725, "end": 14839.025, "text": "I'm here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14839.165, "end": 14839.585, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14840.085, "end": 14840.825, "text": "Uh Councillor Ewell?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14842.225, "end": 14842.805, "text": "Councillor Kelly?" }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 14843.425, "end": 14843.785, "text": "Present." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14844.925, "end": 14845.605, "text": "Councillor Dollywell?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14846.965, "end": 14848.105, "text": "Councillor Pentezlopoulos?" }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14848.565, "end": 14849.265, "text": "Mayor Farkas." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 14850.125, "end": 14850.625, "text": "I'm here." }, { "speaker": "City Clerk", "start": 14850.765, "end": 14851.085, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 14853.125, "end": 14863.105, "text": "So I went out and prearranged the panel from uh folks who are in the audience there. Uh just by just raise your hand. Do we have 90 Matthew, 92 Laura, 93, Marty?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 14863.985, "end": 14864.945, "text": "95 Gunter" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 14865.965, "end": 14867.465, "text": "and 96 Sarah Elder." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 14868.245, "end": 14868.545, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 14868.545, "end": 14868.985, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 14869.265, "end": 14872.405, "text": "Perfect. So those are RR5. Uh Matthew, why don't you start us off?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 14878.825, "end": 14879.945, "text": "I have a presentation." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 14881.805, "end": 14885.285, "text": "And out of curiosity, is that the one I sent last night?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 14886.645, "end": 15059.425, "text": "Yes? Okay, great, thank you. Uh good day. My name is Matthew McIntyre, panel 90, Ward 8, and let's get right into this. Slide three, please. What is the right amount of densification? Toronto, Vancouver, and Auckland are all boxed in geographically. All three cities have no choice but to pursue densification for growth. However, Calgary has real options and we need to decide what is right for us. Slide four. Toronto and Vancouver, to no surprise, have adopted blanket rezoning. And it is important to remember that their affordability problems are way worse than what Calgary is experiencing. So what did they do? Citywide, Toronto only allows up to four units per lot with a maximum height of 10 to 10.5 meters. Vancouver allows a maximum of five to six units, but rear buildings can only be two stories or eight point five meters high. Finally, Auckland, a pioneer of blanket rezoning, has recently repealed it. They are focused on densification around transit routes and city centers. All this begs the question: what possible justification did administration really have for insisting on eight unit developments with a height of 11 meters for Calgary, especially when opposition against it was so strong? I don't believe the majority of Calgarians are against densification, but we do want a repeal of a decision that was illegitimate. A decision that was obtained without any engagement with us as citizens, and a decision that was far beyond anything close to reasonable. Slide five. Statcan uses the concept of large urban centers to get an apples to apples comparison of city density. It calculates the density of the land area that is actually being developed. Why doesn't administration share this perspective with Calgarians? On that basis, Calgary compares very well to the other major Canadian cities. And without considering additional inner city densification, which will still happen, by the way, current plans for new communities will increase Calgary's densification significantly. Don't penalize Calgary for having the foresight to annex early. Slide six. Sprawl can be managed with respectful densification. Don't blanket anything, do the work. Use the local area plan process to choose the right change for each community. But ensure proper engagement is used to create plans that are sensible and respectful, that Calgaryans will support. And by the way, the recent local area plans were not done with proper engagement and need to be redone to restore trust. Slide seven. What about the commute time? The quick answer is it's just not that bad. Slide eight. What about parking? How about we just follow the city parking policy, which says on-site parking at residential properties is the primary parking location for residents? Slide nine. Using administration's data from attachment eight, we can reasonably assume a typical apex will have 10 cars per development. Slide 10. Using the 10 car assumption, it takes just eight a-plexes to saturate a perfect block. A community can quickly go from no parking problems to becoming a major headache. Slide 11. Taken to the extreme with a block full of a plexes, there would be 58 vehicles looking for a place to park. Now that probably won't happen, but the point is there's no longer any control on just how bad parking could get." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_11", "start": 15059.845, "end": 15078.645, "text": "Slide 12. Let's consider this Silver Springs example. The vast majority of homes have front driveways, so there's already very little street parking available. A single apex would be a disaster. And there are dozens of examples like this across the city. Planning needs to be done community by community, not by blindly throwing a blanket over everything." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_11", "start": 15079.125, "end": 15086.945, "text": "Slide 13. Enable people. For me, this is one of the most important slides. A car can be the difference between getting a better job or not." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_11", "start": 15087.905, "end": 15116.845, "text": "The opportunity for higher income is every bit as important as cost savings when it comes to solving an affordability problem. And it can also be the difference between children participating in activities or not. A kid can't be at soccer practice if mom and dad are stuck on the bus. Slide 14. Who is actually in need? In the last hearing, administration noted that 84,600 households are in a housing need. And yet they also noted that by percentage it's about the same as the last three decades. Slide 15. We have always had a lot of young people." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_11", "start": 15117.505, "end": 15127.825, "text": "Sorry, and now we have a growing segment, and that's where the vast majority of the most serious affordability problems are coming from. The median income for young singles and single seniors is especially low." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_11", "start": 15128.205, "end": 15167.145, "text": "Slide 16. For young people, the real problem is that minimum wage is not a living wage, and no amount of blanket rezoning can solve that problem. Slide 17. In general, couples can afford housing. Slide 18, conclusion. I think this is a very telling chart from Kreb. Inner city row houses are the most expensive by far. This is in sharp contrast to apartment condos which have similar costs everywhere. It illustrates that blanket rezoning is not producing affordable housing. It's simply producing a relatively small amount of expensive housing at the expense of existing homeowners. Please repeal the existing blanket rezoning in its entirety and find a better balance." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_11", "start": 15168.225, "end": 15175.665, "text": "Please engage us from the start and throughout the new process. Finally, please stop all development applications immediately. Thank you for your time." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 15176.045, "end": 15178.545, "text": "Thank you so much. We'll go to Laura on 92, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 15185.505, "end": 15185.905, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 15185.905, "end": 15188.185, "text": "It has been a long week. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 15189.285, "end": 15190.945, "text": "I heard the deep sigh after that." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 15192.125, "end": 15194.845, "text": "I hear you. All right, Laura, thank you for being here with us." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 15195.325, "end": 15238.805, "text": "Thank you. Uh Mayor Farkas, members of council. My name's Laura McGregor, and I live in Ward 1. And I've just recently, in the last year or two, gotten involved in our Civic Affairs Committee, largely because of the blanket rezoning. But I'm here to speak on behalf of myself and my husband. And we fully support, we support the full repeal of blanket rezoning. This is a really important planning issue for our city, and I think we need to get it right. Thankfully, you guys have given us the opportunity to do that. A full repeal would allow us to go back to the drawing board with robust engagement to determine the best approach to creating more density and hopefully doing it without sacrificing existing homes, homeowners, and neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15239.105, "end": 15257.505, "text": "We're now seeing massive new builds and applications for more of these new massive rebuilds that essentially take up entire parcels and dwarf existing homes. They don't even come close to fitting in with existing homes or the community. Picture one is a development currently happening in varsity." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15258.245, "end": 15259.345, "text": "Picture two" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15259.985, "end": 15262.285, "text": "is the back of that same one." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15262.905, "end": 15280.145, "text": "So it takes up the entire lot. Picture three is a build being currently being done in Charleswood, the poor house next door. Picture four, the same build in Charleswood from the front, where you can see that there's really no room for any kind of planting of anything." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15281.765, "end": 15346.605, "text": "So when existing homeowners see these types of builds, which don't seem gentle at all, it leaves us deeply concerned. With blanket rezoning, all of a sudden, contextual sensitivity doesn't matter. Shadowing doesn't matter. Building massing doesn't matter. Privacy doesn't matter. Increased noise doesn't matter. Existing mature tree canopy doesn't matter. Adequate parking doesn't matter. Infrastructure capacity doesn't matter. Affordability doesn't matter because a lot of the new things that are being built aren't affordable anyway. Traffic flow and congestion concerns don't matter. Existing homeowner concerns don't matter. And community or neighborhood concerns and input don't really matter. So I can tell you that every time a property in my neighborhood comes up for sale, neighbors start to panic as to what's going to happen. Are they going to be faced with a massive row house building or buildings next door that dwarf, shadow, and impose on their home and their privacy and add eight uh eight to sixteen new residences where there was just one? Or will it be worse?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15347.745, "end": 15385.665, "text": "Honestly, I think we can do a better job of planning than this. There might be places to start. Midfield Park, I hate to bring it, I don't know if anyone else, I mean someone else has probably brought that up, but it's kind of chafed me a bit just because it's been sitting there for eight years and and you know undeveloped. Motel Village, North Hill Mall. North Hill Mall is a huge empty parking lot, and I'm sure there's probably some constraints around that, but it seems like prime for some kind of development. And if there is something that needs to be built beside a single family home, it should take uh it should make sense considering surrounding homes. I found an example in Banff Trail. Picture six, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15387.705, "end": 15406.365, "text": "Yes, this is a duplex, but you can see how it's been built and uh this is from the front and then from picture seven is from the side. You can see that it's bigger than the bungalow, but actually looks similar to the bungalow and and it doesn't take up the entire lot. Um so it's not ridiculously imposing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15407.005, "end": 15426.665, "text": "Each parcel in Street and Calgary is unique and deserves consideration for what is appropriate to build there. A blanket approach does not allow for any situational consideration. And I found out recently that last week actually that there had been amendments to the row house rules, and I think many of those would be welcome." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15427.205, "end": 15441.685, "text": "But they were all installed without any engagement, and some seem to be kind of random. So while some of them are great, I think some of them might need more conversation, like reducing row house lot coverage from 60% to 55%." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15443.005, "end": 15452.605, "text": "and and allowing rowhouse development and much larger developments on corner lots or the first three lots near a corner, thereby sacrificing homes just because they live near a corner." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 15453.585, "end": 15498.885, "text": "Doesn't kind of seem fair to me. While they're admirable, the amendments have made the repeal of blanket rezoning process a bit of a moving target. So I think we might need to go back to the drawing board from what happened, what was implemented in 2024, and then look at the amendments separately. Another issue for me is the grandfathering process because it seems quite like a long process. So I think things that have already been approved should be grandfathered, but nothing in the nothing that's been in the application process. Having to look over our shoulders all the time is exhausting and unacceptable. A perfect starting point would be to repeal blanket rezoning. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 15500.105, "end": 15505.845, "text": "Thank you so much for being here with us. We'll go to Mart Marty on 93, then Gunter after that." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 15508.845, "end": 15520.365, "text": "Good afternoon, Mayor Farkas and Councillors. My name is Marty McNaughton. I'm a resident of Ward 7, a born and raised Calgarian and a millennial who is strongly in support of a full and immediate repeal of blanket zoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15521.085, "end": 15534.365, "text": "My comments are not rooted in opposition to growth or densification. They arise from a deep disappointment with the process used to impose this policy and with the assumption that a single citywide solution can appropriately address the needs of every community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15534.885, "end": 15565.605, "text": "I've listened carefully over the past week or so to smart and passionate Calgarians very effectively address complex issues like affordability and environmental considerations. So today I just want to focus on how a blanket rezoning has unfolded in my own neighborhood and what that experience has revealed about the risks of this approach. My family and I moved to St. Andrews Heights from West Hillhurst three years ago. We were sad to leave our street and our neighbors, but our decision followed extensive research, careful financial planning, and long conversations about what kind of life we wanted for our kids and what we could reasonably afford." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15566.265, "end": 15574.525, "text": "We've always made deliberate choices with our money. We lived for years in a home our family had outgrown because paying down my student loans and living within our means mattered to us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15575.085, "end": 15586.885, "text": "When we finally moved, we did so because St. Andrews Heights was a low-density single-family neighborhood where we believed we could stay long term, where our kids could safely walk and bike, and where traffic patterns were stable and predictable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15587.725, "end": 15602.385, "text": "That character was a defining feature of our community. Many properties in our neighborhood, including our own, are subject to one of two restrictive covenants, which were originally registered on those properties in 1953 or 63 as applicable, that prohibit multiplex development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15602.925, "end": 15618.965, "text": "Not every property has one, and the parcels without restrictive covenants have quickly become targets for redevelopment interest. Those covenants reflect long-standing deliberate expectations about land use and people relied on them when they invested their savings and committed their families to this neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15619.605, "end": 15646.465, "text": "Somewhat against my will, I've had to learn a lot about RCs over the last couple years, and I've learned that once a single multiplex is approved and the character of the neighborhood begins to change, those covenants become more difficult to enforce because it's no longer true that the neighborhood is uniformly single family. Enforcement of these covenants falls to individual residents who must challenge their neighbors for violations through expensive, time consuming court proceedings with uncertain outcomes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15647.205, "end": 15687.305, "text": "Blanket rezoning has destabilized the framework that people have relied on investing in my community and in many other communities in the city. For the city to effectively erase that framework without consultation is a profound breach of trust. Tells residents that the rules they relied on, the planning they undertook, and the sacrifices they made simply don't matter. The consequences were immediate and entirely predictable. As soon as blanket rezoning was adopted, multiple applications for 10 plexes appeared in our community. One has already been approved right at the entry point, with another pending at the other main entrance. This is exactly what residents warned about when a blunt citywide rule was imposed on established neighborhoods without regard to local context." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15687.885, "end": 15690.625, "text": "Blanket rezoning has effectively turned our home into a teardown." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15691.085, "end": 15718.125, "text": "It's a 70s house, certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but we love it and we intend to stay for decades. Yet under this policy, our home, like many others, is now treated as disposable because it's more profitable to tear down single family homes and replace them with multiplexes that primarily benefit developers. How does it make any sense to incentivize the demolition of perfectly livable homes to maximize redevelopment returns rather than protecting those homes so families can remain in their communities long into the future?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15718.505, "end": 15744.285, "text": "My spouse and I are full-time working professionals with young kids. I contribute actively to the city and to my community. I volunteer at the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association, serve on a not for profit board, coach community soccer, and volunteer at my kids' school. This is the work that I value, the work that builds community and strengthens social fabric. We've spent significant personal time and resources simply trying to defend what we reasonably believed were stable property rights." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15744.985, "end": 15775.245, "text": "Many of our neighbors have devoted far more time and money. That time has been taken directly away from our families and from our community service because the city chose expediency over good planning. Finally and importantly, I want to address the social impact of blanket rezoning. This policy has divided neighbors, strained relationships, and created resentment. Instead of building community, it has fractured it. Mayor Farkas, my ask today is simple and direct. I'm asking you to follow through on the commitments you made while campaigning, commitments that gave me confidence in your leadership and persuaded me to vote for you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 15775.845, "end": 15786.865, "text": "Repeal the blanket rezoning and replace it with a neighborhood by neighborhood approach, one that supports thoughtful densification, where it makes sense, respects existing communities, and begins to restore public trust. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 15787.745, "end": 15792.165, "text": "Thanks. We will go to Gunter on 95, then Sarah on 96." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 15795.665, "end": 15851.705, "text": "Good afternoon, everybody. Mayor Farkas, Councillors. My name is Gonter Samet. I live in Ward 7, and I'm Vice President of Hountsfield Heights Briar Hill Community Association. Today I'm speaking on my own behalf. No matter if the citywide zoning repeal is adapted or not, please approve the proposed RCG district rules. We need to achieve a 50-50 growth in Calgary in a fashion that works for more Calgarians. I do not understand why a large number of speakers that support the repeal of global rezoning vehemently oppose the proposed changes to the RCG rules. From my perspective, they do not harm the communities that won't have RCG when global rezoning is repealed, and it will benefit communities that will continue to have RCG developments. Developers can choose to not build if they think it's not profitable anymore." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15852.005, "end": 15877.405, "text": "I do urge the council to vote in favor of the proposed RCG rules and potentially amend them with some of my suggestions that will follow. And once they are approved, immediately engage in consultation with all stakeholders on how to make RCG work better for everybody involved. If they are not approved, communities that still allow RCG will suffer even more because the development focused will be on them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15878.225, "end": 15882.305, "text": "In addition to the proposed district rules, I suggest the following" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15882.485, "end": 15886.305, "text": "Increase the parking requirements from 0.5 to 1." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15886.725, "end": 15917.545, "text": "I think that's a more realistic car ownership number, even in TOD areas. Count secondary suites and backyard suites as units. Alternatively, give the option to reduce to 0.5 by charging a public transit or mobility improvement levy of either a set amount or a percentage of the selling price. According to Google AI, Calgary has a roughly 93% car ownership. At 2.6 average household size, that's more than two cars per unit in average." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15918.285, "end": 15923.205, "text": "Allow and promote multi base parking systems to count for parking requirements." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15923.845, "end": 15939.245, "text": "Reintroduce car to go or similar to give transportation alternatives. Current available car sharing programs are not flexible enough, and public transit is not always an option. Charge an infrastructure improvement levy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15939.865, "end": 15957.385, "text": "It's not fair that future development will have to bear the cost once the infrastructure reaches capacity, while current development profit from it. Use that money to upgrade old infrastructure in developed areas to get the density. Let's not kick the can down the road any further." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15958.285, "end": 15961.665, "text": "Rethink garbage collection for row houses." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15962.885, "end": 15970.305, "text": "And in my submission, there are a few examples. Limit number of units in an area per year or multi year period." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15971.025, "end": 15976.425, "text": "Require more green space, allow green roofs and walls as alternatives." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15976.625, "end": 15990.305, "text": "Reduce lot coverage from the proposed 55 to 50 percent if needed to manage storm water more cost effectively. Like we hear that from some developers, that that is an expensive undertaking on" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 15990.705, "end": 16020.365, "text": "fourplexes. Work with developers to ensure that less units per lot can still be developed in a cost-efficient manner while still being safe and attractive. Reintroduce contextual height to reduce shading and massing. There is a difference if a 50, 55, or 60% multi unit development is built in between two multi story single family houses that maximize their 45% lot coverage versus building it beside a single story bungalow." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16020.745, "end": 16026.065, "text": "Especially if the new development is not to the north of that bungalow." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16026.245, "end": 16039.605, "text": "Mid-block backyard suites that don't have access to the front would benefit from having loading zones. Unloading groceries or picking up somebody can be very cumbersome if there is no designated parking for that backyard suite." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16040.485, "end": 16044.545, "text": "Some comments to Greenfield development proponents that think it's cheaper," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16045.125, "end": 16082.145, "text": "it's a cheaper option, which in my humble opinion it's not, at least not in the long run. To my knowledge, the following costs are not covered by the developers, and those are not exhaustive. Upgrades to major city-maintained thoroughfares, like Glenmore Trail, Grow Child Rail, bridges and interchanges. Upgrades to major thoroughfares funded by other levels of government, say example Deerfoot Trail, Stony Trail, upgrades to public transit, extension from the C train, more buses, and so on. Operation of public transit and other public services." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16082.505, "end": 16090.505, "text": "Fire hall operation, if the tax base is an area that doesn't pay for operation until fully built out, as an example." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16092.985, "end": 16109.605, "text": "And then I made a a little calculation on uh the property tax clarification. A lot of people said, you know, build multiplexes and it's gonna be a tax income for the city. If my current understanding is correct." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 16109.605, "end": 16113.345, "text": "Unfortunately, you're just at time. A final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16113.345, "end": 16116.245, "text": "Okay, thank you. So please remember, uh please consider" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16117.525, "end": 16128.485, "text": "to uh uh approve also those changes to the RCG rules, otherwise communities that have LAPs will bear the heavy load." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 16128.485, "end": 16129.305, "text": "Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 16130.185, "end": 16132.905, "text": "We'll go now to Sarah to round off this panel, please." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16138.585, "end": 16161.505, "text": "Hello everyone, my name is Sarah Elder, and I'm on panel 96. Today I'm speaking to you as a resident in Ward 4, a business owner whose commercial lease recently ended in Ward 9 in Inglewood, and a landlord in Ward 1 of an innovative live work building. But most importantly, as a mother and a Calgarian that cares about this decision and the others that you make and how they impact Calgary today and in the future." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 16162.145, "end": 16174.365, "text": "To start, I'd like to share that I have been sincerely impressed by some of the very thoughtful presentations made by our fellow Calgarians, the questions and conversation by council, and the care with which everyone is giving to this issue and process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 16174.985, "end": 16219.465, "text": "In 2024, I stood in this same spot and spoke to the former mayor and council on the introduction of blanket rezoning. My comments focused on what density in my own neighborhood had cost me in terms of youth corridors, but also what I had hoped to gain. More kids of the same age for my children to play with, among other things. And I chose to read a letter into the record from the Federal Conservative Housing Critic to the former mayor and counsel expressing his support for blanket rezoning. What I failed to take into account, and what he has hopefully realized as well, is that it should have never been a blanket. It should have always been a patchwork quilt. Because what blanket rezoning actually looks like isn't what most Calgarians, myself included, want for our neighborhoods and communities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 16220.505, "end": 16379.785, "text": "During the 2025 municipal election, it was made evident that I believe two things to be true on the issue of blanket rezoning. Here's the first truth. I believe a majority of Calgarians are against blanket rezoning. The second truth, many of these same Calgarians, while opposed to blanket rezoning, I believe are also generally supportive of density, depending on where it's located and what size it is. And I think that's been borne out especially today in the presentations made to council. This is a really important point that deserves emphasis. You can be opposed to blanket rezoning and still be supportive of density. Again, you can be supportive of density, will also be opposed to blanket rezoning. This is not a zero-sum game issue. To label those opposed to blanket rezoning as NIMBY's is inaccurate and unfair. Calgarians opposed to blanket rezoning care about our city, our neighbors, and communities. For someone to care about the investment that they're made in their home is not wrong. It's absolutely okay that investments like homes appreciate in value and generate wealth. And you would be hard pressed to find anyone purchasing a home to say that they don't want their home to grow in value otherwise. And while our reasons for opposition to blanket rezoning are legitimately varied, overwhelmingly for the reasons Calgarians' opposition to the one size fits all approach is that it pits neighbor against neighbor at a time when Calgary and the world needs more connection and community now, maybe than ever before. Because blanket rezoning should have never been a blanket. It should have been a patchwork quilt. A blanket doesn't account for what kind of traffic one specific street experiences. It doesn't leave room to understand what attracts a family or a senior couple to a certain neighborhood. It doesn't allow for street or neighborhood character because it's one size fits all approach. When a patchwork quilt approach would consider what works on a street by street basis. That tree canopy and view corridors are important to some but not others, that tree canopy must be protected in some areas but created in others, that townhouses and single-family homes and infills like the one my family and I love living in are welcomed in the streets and neighborhoods that work best to mix the old with the new. I believe that in order to restore the connection and community between neighbors in Calgary and trust in the administration of the city of Calgary, blanket rezoning must be repealed in its entirety and cleanly without amendments. And a new process started to engage Calgarians in conversations on where density is located, what density looks like, and the many varied reasons why creating thoughtful density matters. Not with a blanket, but with a patchwork quilt that zooms in on a street by street basis." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 16380.085, "end": 16387.085, "text": "You have the opportunity to hit reset and start fresh, to bring Calgarians along in this very important discussion." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 16388.345, "end": 16444.285, "text": "I'm going to conclude my very brief time with you by sharing some uncomfortable truths. Many of the issues I've heard raised during the times over the last week I've been able to listen to speakers both for and against will simply and sadly not be solved no matter what decision you make. Income equality, homelessness, minimum wage services to support victims of domestic violence, seniors housing, student housing, low-income housing, the ability to qualify a mortgage, real estate prices, all of them important. And as someone who as a child had to leave a domestic violence situation to a rental home, I don't take any of these lightly. But you will not fix the ability to qualify for a mortgage or the minimum wage or the blight of domestic violence. Your job, as delegated to you in the MGA, is land use planning, nothing else. Repeal, blanket rezoning, and start afresh. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 16445.165, "end": 16446.805, "text": "Thank you. Over to Councillor Kelly, please," }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 16447.605, "end": 16448.805, "text": "for questions for this panel." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16450.105, "end": 16457.905, "text": "All right, you surprised me there real quick. Thank you, worship. Um, sorry, just need to pull up my notes here. Um" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16459.365, "end": 16464.465, "text": "apologies. Uh can we go to Miss McGregor first, if you don't mind?" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16465.105, "end": 16482.865, "text": "Um I I have a couple of like one question for multiple for multiple uh members of the panel type thing. Um so Miss McGregor, uh Miss McGregor, you had some photos in there from Charles Wood. I'm just curious, do do we know if those were our RCG, MCG, uh HGO? Do we know what the zoning on them is?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16482.865, "end": 16493.845, "text": "I think the the Charles one one would probably be RCG. The the big one that I I showed from Varsity, I'm not sure. Um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16494.845, "end": 16496.045, "text": "that's an older" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16496.045, "end": 16497.285, "text": "Yeah, that's an RC2." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16497.285, "end": 16497.865, "text": "yeah." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16498.425, "end": 16498.765, "text": "Yeah that" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16498.765, "end": 16505.365, "text": "So that one that one in varsity I'm not 100% sure. I think it has eight units. So it might qualify for" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16505.365, "end": 16506.765, "text": "I was just wondering about the one in Charleswood." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16506.765, "end": 16509.045, "text": "yeah. Oh the one in Charleswood, I I" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16509.045, "end": 16510.665, "text": "Just because I can't really tell from the photo." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16510.865, "end": 16511.925, "text": "yeah, I" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16512.325, "end": 16514.605, "text": "I don't know if there's four or six in there." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16514.765, "end": 16521.805, "text": "Okay. Thanks. Appreciate it. That was my other question. Uh Miss uh McNaughton, if you don't mind." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16522.945, "end": 16558.605, "text": "Thank you so much for your presentation. Really, really appreciated it. I've generally been kind of like going when people identify their neighborhood, I've been kind of going to take a look and see like what the population levels in the if in different neighborhoods are. St. Andrew's height is a little bit strange though. I have not seen this pattern in any other neighborhood. So as a local expert in your neighborhood, I wanted to ask you about it. Since 2000, we've seen like an 18% decrease of people prior to blanket rezoning, I'm saying so up to 2019. We've seen an 18% decrease in people. But unusually," }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16559.185, "end": 16577.985, "text": "we've seen a significant decrease in the number of dwellings in St. Andrews Heights. I'm wondering if you could uh just explain to me as a you know, somebody who lives in the neighborhood, what's going on? Why are there so many less homes in uh in St. Andrews Heights? Normally we see a decrease in people, but we see an increase in the number of available available homes." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16578.685, "end": 16583.805, "text": "That's a good question. I'm not sure. I know that the numbers in St. Andrews Heights are a little," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 16584.065, "end": 16586.545, "text": "I don't want to say skewed, but there's sort of the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 16587.085, "end": 16604.285, "text": "a couple entrances to the neighborhood where there's all single family homes, and then there's actually a second entrance to the neighborhood that has all town homes. So I think there's around 300 ish single family homes. And then in the other entrance, I don't know what the number is of town homes, but there's sort of like" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 16604.925, "end": 16630.465, "text": "Two different areas of the community. So why the numbers would have gone down, I'm not entirely sure. I know that we are very protective of our single family homes, so there is not a single infill or duplex at all, which if they had started with infills and duplexes, I can't imagine anybody would have cared. It's that the first thing that came up when the blanket rezoning hit was the two ten plexes with five parking stalls each. So" }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16630.465, "end": 16648.845, "text": "Yeah, I think what you're saying there, we've we've heard that from from many folks. Like heard loud and clear, I was just like are are we are we tearing down duplexes in favor of single family homes? Like w yeah, I just was if you had any insight there, I was just looking to to to see what you might be able to to tell me about what's going on in St Andrews Heights." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16648.905, "end": 16658.765, "text": "No, the only thing I can imagine is that maybe one of the condo buildings got torn down or something like that, but as far as the rest of the neighborhood, I I haven't seen anything like that, so sorry, I'm not sure." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16658.825, "end": 16666.765, "text": "No, I appreciate that. And it has been a pretty steady sort of thing, so unusual. Okay, thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks. Um, and then finally, Miss Elder," }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16667.945, "end": 16697.225, "text": "uh, Ward 4, represent. Uh thank you very much for your presentation. I uh I generally agree with what with what it is that you're presenting there. Um your I uh we've heard it loud and clear from folks that uh the blanket part of the blanket rezoning appears to be the biggest problem here, and we want to get back to more local area planning. Uh question for you how do we go about that? Do you think that an LAP, the local area plan, is that is the best tool to be able to do that for you and your neighbors?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16697.265, "end": 16733.385, "text": "Um I would I would I would encourage council to and administration to to start an entirely new process and reimagine it because it seems like many people have identified flaws in the LAP process as well. It's 2026. A lot of these things have, you know, like we need to keep up with the times. We need to reimagine them for where we are now as a society. Even within the last five years, the world has changed in ways that I don't think any of us could have predicted. So I think we need new systems, we need new processes, new engagement. Literally, it needs to be done on a street by street basis." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16733.385, "end": 16751.585, "text": "No, I appreciate that. And certainly I would I would say that uh in a neighborhood like yours, uh we don't currently have any planning tool. And certainly for me as a Councillor that becomes incredibly difficult when we're in a public hearing uh looking at land use. I don't really know what the neighbors actually want in that particular" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16751.585, "end": 16759.685, "text": "You are welcome to convene a meeting and we can try to rally people together to have that conversation outside of this if if nothing else changes." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16759.685, "end": 16771.885, "text": "I expect you'll see an amendment or uh pardon me uh uh either a motion arising or a notice of motion from me to to try to accomplish that uh in a couple of potentially different ways. Thank you very much, Ms. Alder. Appreciate it. That's it from me, Your Roshi." }, { "speaker": "Mayor J. Gondek", "start": 16773.425, "end": 16775.245, "text": "Thank you. Uh Councillor Atkinson, please." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 16775.885, "end": 16777.285, "text": "Uh Gunther, if I could." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 16779.805, "end": 16781.025, "text": "Really appreciated" }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 16782.005, "end": 16796.145, "text": "the ideas and the thoughts you're bringing into your presentation. You're just about to get into a little piece there. I think that's kind of rounding things out uh before you ran out of time, but I think it was um yeah, if you could just complete your your thought there." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16796.145, "end": 16800.905, "text": "Yeah, I just had a a quick simple calculation to to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16801.245, "end": 16822.805, "text": "Say, like let's let's assume we have a thousand houses that are worth six hundred thousand each, gives six hundred million, and then we have an house five hundred houses at one point nine million, gives nine hundred and fifty million, which is one point five fillion. So let's say the city says they need ten million dollars in taxes from that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16823.165, "end": 16830.465, "text": "property value, which will give uh a rate of point zero zero six four five two." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16830.825, "end": 16848.145, "text": "And then I put a tax per house on there. And then let's do now rezoning and we have a hundred lots develop into row houses. And so we are down to nine hundred houses. Let's say they increased in value because" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16848.765, "end": 16878.345, "text": "Of the price increase because of the build building the more dense houses go up to 750,000. We have a hundred developments in row houses with about 2.4 million, gives 240 million, and 500 of the single-family houses let's stay the same, but they reduce a little bit in value because of the row houses, and 1.85 million gives a tax base, uh gives a total value of 1.84" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16878.945, "end": 16894.145, "text": "billion, and let's say the city budgets increase by 10%, A because of more population, B because of inflation, then the rate goes to 0.005978. And that actually then increases." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16894.865, "end": 16895.425, "text": "The" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16896.085, "end": 16901.545, "text": "tax for the houses for the small bungalows. And um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16902.265, "end": 16906.845, "text": "but the the so it's not that if things are developed" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16908.145, "end": 16923.925, "text": "that it is just a one-to-one. So let's say I'm paying $4,000 on tax, now it becomes a raw house and suddenly it's $24,000. So it it always the mill rate adjusts based on what the city says they need." }, { "speaker": "Councillor S. Chu", "start": 16923.925, "end": 16924.325, "text": "Right." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16924.525, "end": 16938.985, "text": "So I think right now with what was communicated the other day was 8.1%, mainly because of the increases in property in province taxes. But it's on the value of the total houses." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16939.305, "end": 16950.425, "text": "So it's not that if they're developing it suddenly there is more money in the covers of the city. I just wanted to clarify that for the public record, that that's not the case." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16951.645, "end": 16958.345, "text": "Difficulty here in that example is like fixed income people that live in a bungalow," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 16959.125, "end": 16971.185, "text": "if they wanna stay there, they may get actually priced out of it because of the increased value of the bank bungalow because of the redevelopment of some of the lots." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 16971.625, "end": 16971.925, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 16972.585, "end": 16972.805, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 16972.805, "end": 16998.025, "text": "And and then they are forced. Or like let's say my my example to say we need to limit to a certain number of houses in an area, like I feel for the people in Boness. You know, it's like I don't and it's it's rolling and and and it's kicking out the people that may live there for 40-50 years and would love to stay there, but they just can't do it anymore." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 16998.025, "end": 17043.265, "text": "Yeah, yeah, fair. No, this is that's great. Thank you for that explanation. Um a lot of your notes and your presentation, uh, and you I think mentioned this are sort of like a focus on the after. So you talked about how the the pieces of changes to RCG that is currently before us. Um is there anything in what you listed that you think needs to be front-ended as a part of this up this current conversation? Or do you think I'm gonna be diving into this these notes and your presentation uh after the fact uh as well? But is there anything in here that needs to be a part of this conversation and cannot come with that continued iteration in terms of like inner city development and RCG?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17043.365, "end": 17047.185, "text": "So in general, I like all the proposed ones that were published." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 17048.145, "end": 17048.345, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17048.345, "end": 17048.945, "text": "So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17049.405, "end": 17061.825, "text": "as communicated, but let's say in that case, uh I have also the information from the community association. So let's say what was communicated through the community association was the front setback." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 17061.825, "end": 17061.965, "text": "Right." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17061.965, "end": 17063.925, "text": "As a big one, lot coverage." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17065.625, "end": 17069.265, "text": "And we do like the three by three three" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17070.265, "end": 17077.405, "text": "plaques idea as well with less units. Yeah. We do understand if that's a problem for the developers, that" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17078.785, "end": 17081.985, "text": "we may need to do some work to make that more attractive." }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Mian", "start": 17082.305, "end": 17082.625, "text": "Right." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17082.625, "end": 17097.085, "text": "And like those things would be much better. And but what from my perspective, in from my suggestions, what one one thing would be, and I don't know how much the city can do though, would be introducing something like hard to go again." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17097.625, "end": 17098.245, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17099.025, "end": 17109.765, "text": "the the I I also not familiar how the technicalities and in uh charging the levies. So the levies make the development more expensive." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17110.885, "end": 17125.205, "text": "Maybe we can work on reducing costs somewhere else in the development process to kind of offset for them. But it's not fair to say there are going to be 10 row houses going up in an area." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17125.805, "end": 17141.305, "text": "And then suddenly it reaches capacity for the water and sewer. Now the city needs to build a bigger water and sewer line and then say the eleventh development needs to cover the cost for that. And that's my understanding how it was operated so far." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17141.365, "end": 17141.725, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17141.785, "end": 17161.925, "text": "So do a levy also from my perspective also charge a levy in greenfield development for improvements to improve Glenmore Trail, Pro Child Trail, expand public transit, buy city buses, operate transit. Like one of the things what" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17162.665, "end": 17164.265, "text": "is also discussed with" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17165.385, "end": 17170.445, "text": "densifying in transit areas gives one big problem. It's like" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17171.065, "end": 17187.765, "text": "those areas get more people, so they become more attractive and more cost efficient to have the transit. But other areas that don't have any transit right now don't get developed because they're not attractive." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17188.345, "end": 17201.505, "text": "And uh and then they don't get any transit. So remember that there was the example in down in Kensington, West Tillhurst, that the densification brought the grocery store there" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17201.505, "end": 17201.865, "text": "Right." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17201.965, "end": 17203.285, "text": "and other businesses." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17203.485, "end": 17203.745, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17204.005, "end": 17219.485, "text": "So if we have other areas in the Bunies that don't get densified, then it does not become attractive to get a restaurant, to get a neighborhood grocery store or a convenience store or anything like that. So it's a catch 22." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17220.165, "end": 17226.425, "text": "If we do it one way or if we do it the other way, it's all have their drawbacks and benefits." }, { "speaker": "Councillor E. Spencer", "start": 17227.045, "end": 17229.405, "text": "Appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17229.405, "end": 17232.185, "text": "And one thing maybe the what to say is like" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17233.725, "end": 17239.265, "text": "two years ago the single use item bylaw was repealed. If you repeal it" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_63", "start": 17240.025, "end": 17253.705, "text": "when does it gonna come back? Like I have no i I don't hear any discussion about a single use by it and bylaw. From my perspective it was not the greatest one, but repealing it was not a good thing either." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 17254.845, "end": 17262.485, "text": "Yeah, it it's whether whether you then take it on in terms of reform. Appreciate that perspective. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17263.525, "end": 17265.125, "text": "Thank you, Councillor Shaboba, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17266.605, "end": 17267.685, "text": "Ms. Elder." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17271.885, "end": 17273.645, "text": "He's no longer in the chamber, right?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17274.205, "end": 17275.605, "text": "This is a disembodied voice." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17275.625, "end": 17276.045, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17277.565, "end": 17280.745, "text": "Yeah, sorry about that. I will be back down here shortly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17280.885, "end": 17287.245, "text": "Did you look at any of the proposed amendments under" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17287.385, "end": 17291.565, "text": "recommendation number four about the the the rules around the district specifically?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17291.925, "end": 17304.385, "text": "I I consider them to be all I mean, I advocate I'm advocating for a straight up repeal because I think that any considerations around what anything might look like in the future would need to be a part of a new process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17305.265, "end": 17309.725, "text": "Okay. So so you're suggesting we should revisit all of the LAPs as well?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17309.725, "end": 17310.265, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17311.305, "end": 17311.845, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17312.325, "end": 17313.185, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17313.445, "end": 17317.045, "text": "yeah, no, that's pr that's uh very uh concise uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17317.745, "end": 17320.965, "text": "uh presentation you made and very very s to the point." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17321.405, "end": 17325.805, "text": "Thank you for that. Um so the the next person I want to ask, I think is" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17326.605, "end": 17327.825, "text": "uh was Miss" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17328.145, "end": 17328.705, "text": "McNaughton." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17332.585, "end": 17337.085, "text": "So um yeah, kind of a unique perspective considering you're a millennial and uh" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17338.305, "end": 17340.385, "text": "um insofar as the um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17340.925, "end": 17348.705, "text": "the uh the concept around density, yeah, it sounds like you're not overly keen about density specific in your community." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 17348.985, "end": 17360.965, "text": "Or is there s some places that you think that it could be supported through if there was another process through an LAP that identified areas within your community that could be supported by the community?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 17362.165, "end": 17370.805, "text": "Um yeah, I'm not against densification. I think that it's it's needed. I think it can be a really good thing. Um what I don't like is that it looks like" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 17371.385, "end": 17407.165, "text": "Houses like mine, 70s homes, are just targets for developers, and I would like to see other families like mine, young families, move into these older houses that are maybe fixer-uppers, and that should be encouraged. As far as densification, I'm not a city planner, but if somebody came in and said, you know, here are the parts of the community where we would recommend a strip of town homes or whatever that looks like, I would be on board. There was a group of female architects that were speaking on Monday, and they were incredibly articulate. They had really interesting ideas for how densification could look and be really appropriate." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_62", "start": 17407.785, "end": 17427.305, "text": "Yeah, I I was very interested in that. I almost had my mind changed about the full repeal, but um I don't think the sort of the middle of the road plan is quite formulated right yet. But um no, I think with the right plan in place I could definitely um be into some higher density in my neighborhood as long as the sort of planning comes first." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17428.525, "end": 17430.305, "text": "Okay, thanks for that. Um, Ms. McGregor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17438.945, "end": 17449.925, "text": "So you're also of the same opinion. Full repeal, no thoughts around the district. I can't r I can't recall. I I was trying to log in. I was having some issues with my technical stuff here, so I'm not sure if I heard your full presentation, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 17450.645, "end": 17466.325, "text": "Okay, well what I said was full repeal. I mean I know there's been amendments and I think some of them are are good and worthy and would be worth um implementing but there are others that I think require some conversation and some engagement. So it's hard like" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 17467.965, "end": 17473.185, "text": "if you're voting on all of them, it's it's kind of tricky because I think there's some that still require some engagement." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17474.305, "end": 17482.005, "text": "Um and your thoughts around uh revisiting local area plans and looking at something more focused, uh strategic?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 17482.905, "end": 17483.525, "text": "I think" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17483.525, "end": 17484.145, "text": "Your thoughts around that?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_03", "start": 17484.145, "end": 17485.785, "text": "we would need to do that, yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 17487.345, "end": 17492.845, "text": "Okay, thanks. All right, no, thanks uh all of you for being here and for your presentations. No further questions for me. Thanks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17493.265, "end": 17495.385, "text": "Thank you, uh Councillor McClain, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17495.885, "end": 17498.025, "text": "Thanks. I'll be brief as well for Miss Elder." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17498.505, "end": 17500.045, "text": "Just to echo um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17500.445, "end": 17501.725, "text": "Councillor Chabot's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17502.065, "end": 17505.245, "text": "comments, I thought you it was a very thoughtful presentation, Sarah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17505.585, "end": 17508.405, "text": "I I had asked the previous presenter once" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17508.705, "end": 17510.465, "text": "who had changed their mind" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17510.945, "end": 17515.265, "text": "of their last presentation, but you articulated already. So I guess my question is then" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17515.745, "end": 17526.085, "text": "how are you finding it with other people that are still really stuck in that we have to have blanket rezoning of those conversations? What would you say to them or what have you said to them and are you successful in changing any minds?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17526.485, "end": 17541.125, "text": "I I think that examples, real world examples are the best way to and stories are the best way to engage people. It's not necessarily I don't like to think about it starting from a point of changing their minds. It's more about like how can I bring them along? Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17541.545, "end": 17586.725, "text": "And that's, you know, something that I've learned over the last five years in particular. Um, and so people don't want to be told that they're wrong. That's the worst way to start a conversation. So finding common ground, um, talking about what matters. So, say I'm talking to someone else who has family of a family or young children as well, talking about, you know, what kind of street they would like them to be able to live on, right? Um, or if maybe they have aging parents, thinking about um what their plans are. Um those are the ways to start conversations around this. I think it's also very visual. Um, people, you know, I think that the the and you've heard this many times, is that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17587.265, "end": 17589.565, "text": "the the the trust between" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17590.445, "end": 17596.125, "text": "Calgarians and and the city and administration was was really" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17596.525, "end": 17599.425, "text": "not I mean broken but e frayed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_07", "start": 17600.965, "end": 17636.805, "text": "Was really challenged. Um, and so rebuilding that repla relationship is really key, and how that happens is really important. Otherwise, we could end up in the same place in four years. And I don't think that's the best use of your time or everyone who's presented, and we've sat on the phone and and tried to engage such detailed presentations, the equations, um, all the spreadsheets. Um, people really care about this. So I think we when we start it from a perspective of we all care about building the best city possible, what does that look like to you?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 17638.345, "end": 17640.225, "text": "It was really good. That's all I have. Thanks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17641.565, "end": 17645.925, "text": "Thank you. And that concludes this panel. We're gonna go to our next that was assembled, and it's" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17647.545, "end": 17655.965, "text": "Michael from 98, Samuel from 53, and then Beverly and Aaron. And I didn't catch your panels, so please approach those four names." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17656.625, "end": 17661.525, "text": "Beyond those four names, is there anybody else here in the chamber who is looking to speak?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17662.245, "end": 17667.145, "text": "Okay. Come on down. You'll be our fifth panelist, and then I'll go back to calling uh specific panels." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17669.865, "end": 17670.125, "text": "Oh." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17670.625, "end": 17673.605, "text": "We are tight on tightish on quorum, folks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17674.845, "end": 17676.185, "text": "Got two, four." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17676.965, "end": 17677.185, "text": "Oh." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17679.445, "end": 17685.605, "text": "All right, we have some books online, so we're I'm guessing Barricorn. No, two, four, six, seven." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17687.425, "end": 17691.005, "text": "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Don't leave the chamber. Let's just establish that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17691.805, "end": 17695.425, "text": "All right, uh, Mr. Clerk, I believe we have" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17696.705, "end": 17707.925, "text": "We got two, four, six, eight, ten online, ten including online. Okay. Yeah, that the the challenge is with the new podiums I can't uh maintain eye contact like I used to be able to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17708.405, "end": 17711.485, "text": "All right, uh with that panel, let's please start with Michael." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17715.785, "end": 17718.645, "text": "Yeah, it's a lot of work keeping track of quorum." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17718.805, "end": 17719.985, "text": "It's more like hurting cats." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17720.805, "end": 17721.345, "text": "Just kidding." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17721.805, "end": 17723.725, "text": "And the public aren't the cats, so." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 17724.685, "end": 17726.465, "text": "Alright, uh go ahead. Sorry, I digress." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17727.005, "end": 17756.285, "text": "Thank you. Uh hello, Mayor and Council. My name is Michael Strojikov. It's really great to be here again and see you all. I enjoy working, walking, and playing music at events all across the city, but I am based in Ward 13 in Millrise. I'm here to speak against this motion and in defense of the housing strategy. There's 98 points in the housing strategy, and I'm sure you don't need another reminder of them. And I'm going to talk about how removing one of them impacts all." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17757.285, "end": 17786.225, "text": "The RCG district was, of course, like all other policies, a compromise in the first place. It's a great idea to improve how we've used it for the past 20 ish months. It's a great idea to work on the details of it that are holding it back in terms of numbers, in terms of the quality of the developments. I think there is a problem. There absolutely is a problem with how the takeup of new info is concentrated. It's a problem that the numbers haven't been high enough either." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17786.845, "end": 17801.005, "text": "Um actually the pickings for new RCG are so slim that a lot of folks who are against it are using other zones to illustrated MCG H GO. I guess we should put in more RCG to give them more options." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17801.525, "end": 17803.345, "text": "Well, um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17804.045, "end": 17815.085, "text": "yes, it was expected that Greenfield and Brownfield would still be the majority of our housing starts, and that's how it's panned out, of course. But that does not mean that we can't refine what we're doing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17816.345, "end": 17874.405, "text": "We can add modifiers for setbacks and lot coverages and FARs for a lot of different contexts. We can put incentives or kickbacks on projects that protect trees or go further on accessibility. We can publicize the free trees program, the zoning bylaw, even more. We can allow people to plant trees in between the sidewalk and the street. There's so much we can do. If we'd like to highlight and activate transit corridors, we can upzone them in order to show our commitment to that. We can put HGO or we can put a modified MU1 along all transit corridors as long as we actually mean it and include collector streets and all bus routes and that, not just a few frequent routes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17875.185, "end": 17896.125, "text": "Connect and to solve the challenges that we're facing. There are things that we can learn from this experience of the past 20 months as long as we understand the development will still happen under downzoning or replacement. We can't repeal densification or population growth. It will happen anyway. All that we're working on is the gradient of the development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17897.245, "end": 17917.725, "text": "If we hide from the numbers of the units we need to add instead of treating adjustments as a trade-off, pressures on other types of housing are just too high. How do we make up for all the potential sites that non-market providers lose, that people who want to start a co-op lose? You know, Indigenous-led projects, seniors projects." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17918.885, "end": 17942.025, "text": "Where do all of those units go? They go towards higher density in places where it's already high. In places where TOD projects are extremely difficult and expensive, both for the city and for the for the developer to pass. They're still tall, they're still controversial, still very difficult. Of course, our repeal would hit our economy and health too." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17942.325, "end": 17967.225, "text": "Our city budget and services, the millions of dollars we used to spend in council time to make low density infill more expensive and more scarce, it wasn't just an unwise use of money. It distracted us from the basic responsibilities of council. Maintaining infrastructure, making sure that we are prepared for different risks, making sure that city policies are actually being enacted." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 17967.925, "end": 18012.845, "text": "The water restrictions right now are a blunt object lesson on the economies of our basic resources because they don't care about our political positions. They don't care if we voted for a tax freeze, we voted to uh cut services and cut maintenance, or if we're one of the 80s, if we're a part of the 80 to 90 percent that didn't vote for that in this past election, no one is fully insulated from the consequences of restrictive zoning, and we cannot go back to that and the risks that go with it. And there's rewards for getting together and making the wise choice, even if it is not seemingly that popular among the people who are very active. There is a reward." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 18013.725, "end": 18020.005, "text": "For saving water, we can see right now we can get maybe we can get our ducks in a row over there. Uh we can" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 18020.645, "end": 18025.185, "text": "we can have that group shower. We can uh yeah and we can also" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_20", "start": 18026.145, "end": 18033.585, "text": "I know I'm running out of time, but we can build a city that works for everybody if we just work together better. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 18033.925, "end": 18035.005, "text": "All right, thanks, Michael." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18034.005, "end": 18034.265, "text": "Alright, thanks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18037.465, "end": 18039.085, "text": "I think there's only room for two in that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18040.065, "end": 18042.265, "text": "We'll go to Samuel, then Beverly after that, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18051.665, "end": 18053.385, "text": "Oh, in whatever order you guys would like." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18054.265, "end": 18055.885, "text": "Uh he asked me to go first." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18056.645, "end": 18078.365, "text": "Uh I'm on Penel 103. My name is Beverly Redman. I own in Ward 6th. I am in favor of repealing the blanket rezoning bylaw. I am a senior and am an affected land landowner. I rented a variety of properties for decades prior to my husband and I purchasing our home in Signal Hill 25 years ago." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18078.965, "end": 18112.985, "text": "I want a full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw. No amendments. Amendments will not fix this. You need to reinstate the last version of the land use bylaw before the blanket rezoning bylaw. Calgary has already exceeded the HAF Housing Accelerated Funding Supply Growth Target. Reengage with local area plans, improve the local area plan process, let communities decide where it is best to have higher density in their area. You can incorporate some good ideas from past presenters." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18113.865, "end": 18126.025, "text": "If you campaigned that you were for repealing Blake and rezoning, then keep your word and start creating some trust in City Hall. For existing homeowners, large bills, shade, any garden." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18126.425, "end": 18178.205, "text": "Make their trees and bushes less likely to thrive under privacy disaster. More housing does not increase affordable housing. Perhaps insist a quarter of the bills be below market value. The government-funded CBC is good at publishing information in line with what the federal government wants us to believe, not what is accurate. According to a journalist, they have not been fact-checking for years. They have tried to brainwash us into believing there is a climate emergency. We need to rescind any international contracts that we may be in, such as Partners for Climate Protection, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and other groups aligned with the UN, WHO, and WEF groups. We did not elect them and we don't want the cost of collecting data for them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18179.245, "end": 18224.745, "text": "On the City of Calgary site, there is a climate strategy that speaks to need low carbon climate resilient housing types to support net zero goals. All Canada's trees have already made Canada net zero. Data shows that we are not as warm as the medieval warm period around 1000 AD or the Roman warm period around 200 AD. And yes, we are warmer than it was during the Little Ice Age in the 1600s and any other ice age. Climate moves warmer and cooler, warmer and cooler, warmer and cooler. Many dire warnings about catastrophic global warming did not occur. As an example, all coastal cities are not underwater as predicted." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18225.585, "end": 18293.005, "text": "Predictions are based on computer models, not actual data. According to Dr. Will Happer, physicist of Princeton University, from the satellite data, these computer models are clearly wrong. They don't agree with what we observe. They're all running much too hot. They're just nonsense. Man can affect our environment negatively with HARP, high-altitude atmospheric research, but this is nothing to do with the climate. Does the city have a climate emergency plan? Has this city council or past ones embedded net zero targets into long-term strategic plans, infrastructure priority, building codes, and procurement rules? Net zero is nothing less than economic self sabotage dressed up as virtue. Saving the climate by driving electric vehicles is also nonsense. Calgary buying electric buses when Edmonton had so much trouble is ridiculous. They needed two electric buses for one gas powered bus and could not keep the electric buses repaired." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18293.865, "end": 18336.765, "text": "We do not have the electric bridge who handle many electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are not very inefficient, are very ineffective and inefficient in many cold and are many cold months, and their excessive weight is very hard on our roads. Government staff ballooned over the past decade. All the departments put together to address climate need to be dismantled and the staff salaries saved for the city and taxpayers. All the DEI staff can also be let go. Supervisors need to be trusted to choose the best candidate for the job. In summary, full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_00", "start": 18337.065, "end": 18347.125, "text": "No amendments, and reinstate the last version of the land use bylaw before the blanket rezoning bylaw. Thank you for the opportunity to speak." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18349.065, "end": 18351.225, "text": "Thank you. Can we go to Samuel next?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18356.085, "end": 18356.885, "text": "Nope. Alright." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18357.265, "end": 18358.265, "text": "He's not quite ready." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18358.505, "end": 18359.545, "text": "He's not quite ready? Perfect." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18359.785, "end": 18360.585, "text": "Alright, we'll go to Aaron." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18360.885, "end": 18361.225, "text": "Okay. Hi." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18361.545, "end": 18363.605, "text": "My name is Aaron Redman, and I'm uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18363.925, "end": 18364.985, "text": "live in the same place" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18365.705, "end": 18366.425, "text": "as Beverly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18367.745, "end": 18368.145, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18369.145, "end": 18369.505, "text": "and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18371.825, "end": 18374.385, "text": "number six, wherever that is, of Signal Hill." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18375.265, "end": 18404.225, "text": "Okay, um, there have been a lot of cogent arguments brought forward against blanket rezoning debacle, debacle, I mean, none of which carried water with the former mayor and council, despite over 80% of us being against the policy. Another of the quote climate emergency policies pushed by you know who. It may surprise you to notice I'm also against that, and all the climate based policies that our woke pseudo government has passed in the past 20 odd years." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18404.445, "end": 18420.605, "text": "A little about the roots of this terrible plank upzoning. In nineteen forty eight, when Al Gore was born, there were a hundred and thirty thousand glaciers on Earth. Today, just seventy five years later, there are only one hundred and thirty thousand glaciers left." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18421.325, "end": 18429.185, "text": "Oddly, the same number. In the 1960s, we were we will told we were told all the oil will be gone in ten years." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18429.765, "end": 18448.485, "text": "In the 1970s, it's another ice age in ten years. 1980s, acid rain will destroy all the crops in ten years. 1988, the ozone layer will be gone in ten years. 1990, the ice caps will be gone in ten years, and all of our coastal cities will be underwater." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18449.225, "end": 18455.745, "text": "None of these fear mongering scenarios happened. However, all of them resulted in more taxes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18456.665, "end": 18457.685, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18457.865, "end": 18470.445, "text": "lastly, unprecedented climate change has caused the sea level at Sydney Harbor to rise approximately zero point zero centimeters over the last hundred and forty years." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18471.325, "end": 18523.545, "text": "Everything from climate change to soji, from overpopulation to COVID to monkeypox, to you name it, it's all been baseless fear-mongering by various groups who keep trying to control all of humanity to the nth degree. For example, the captured UN agencies like ICLE, now called Local Governments for Sustainability, and FCM and Agenda 21, Agenda 2030, the whole control mafia of the WEF and the WHO. That is why we have a war on cars now, an exponential increase in bike lanes and traffic calming measures, aka traffic frustrating measures. Every one of these emergencies have done absolutely nothing but try to install a totalitarian and tyrannical control over every one of us and every aspect of our lives." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18524.625, "end": 18609.805, "text": "Blanket up zoning, climate emergency are all a fraud and a farce. A way to herd the citizens into a totally surveilled and controlled C40 or 15-minute city so that we can be controlled like sheep and culled like cattle. Why do you think that N, D, and G have ignored basic maintenance for years in order to spend our money on their far left, read Communazi, pet projects? This has not been done by mistake. They have consciously on purpose allowed our infrastructure to decay because it will cause us to fall into their pockets out of frustration and bow down to their idiocies just to have a crusty dry bread of eat dry piece of bread to eat. The programs of the UN and the WHO and their masters, the Chinese Communist Party and the WEF, are implementing their plans for world domination. At least a large part of the reason that these so-called climate action goals sound good is because actions that could be seen as positive in some ways have been appropriated by negative and authoritarian and bad actors to force people into their dystopian vision of the world. It's all about control. Yes, these programs are free to join, but the resulting costs of up to $87 billion." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18610.085, "end": 18621.025, "text": "They are not liable for. You, as mayor and counselors, and ultimately us as citizens will be liable for the building of our own open air prison in Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18621.845, "end": 18633.205, "text": "The WHO, the UN, the WF will not pay a cent for this. This is just like Kearney's underhanded, illegitimate fakery. We will have to pay for it long after he's gone." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18634.005, "end": 18670.785, "text": "We need to get out of these idiotic, woke, and destructive policies now. Blanket up zoning is just another one of them. I need to add something about net zero. Hopefully, you have seen the havoc this has caused in Europe, with Germany now forced to return to burning coal due to their so called wind and solar powers collapsing. This plan, pushed aggressively by Carnage, is the next step in the spree the woke government is continuing. Carbon dioxide is necessary to life. Bringing it down will do nothing to mitigate climate change, but will cause much hardship and death among us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18670.845, "end": 18675.105, "text": "Thank you so much. You're you're just at time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18675.525, "end": 18684.985, "text": "Okay, well I only had one sentence left. Huh. Put blanket rezoning into the garbage along with all the other so called climate emergency we've been fed. Thank you for listening." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18685.325, "end": 18688.345, "text": "Thank you so much, Aaron. We'll ask our next presenter to please approach." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_17", "start": 18688.605, "end": 18689.005, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18697.425, "end": 18707.805, "text": "Hello, Council, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today. My name is Gregory Scott Finney, and I live in Ward 8, Lincoln Park, in particular." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18708.965, "end": 18714.185, "text": "I'm here today to say that I oppose the repealing of blanket rezone housing" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18714.665, "end": 18720.745, "text": "on the grounds that we need to continue to provide a greater supply of housing to the people of Calgary," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18721.645, "end": 18726.445, "text": "in particular, affordable housing for economically disadvantaged Calgarians." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18727.565, "end": 18744.305, "text": "Secondly, I opposed the repeal of blanket rezone housing on the grounds that when I spoke on the issue at the last public hearing, I had read the literature of other cities that had successfully adopted similar policies, like Auckland in New Zealand." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18745.045, "end": 18759.525, "text": "On April 1st, 2024, Ricky Lang wrote a column in the Calgary Sun in which he drew attention to the fact that Auckland had, and I quote, upzoned about 75% of its land in 2016." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18760.245, "end": 18777.085, "text": "End of quote. He later stated in the same article that, and I quote, it's still too soon to gauge the long-term impact on lofty home prices, but it seems rents in Auckland rose more slowly than the New Zealand average." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18777.905, "end": 18789.585, "text": "Thirdly, I oppose the repeal of blanket rezone housing on the grounds that I think it would be beneficial to minimize urban sprawl and strive to protect our environment." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18790.745, "end": 18822.345, "text": "Fourthly, uh, the Calgary.ca webpage titled Housing Trends shows data in which there has been a drop in all forms of median housing prices since 2024 and a drop in apartment rentals since 2024. And while detached and townhouse rent has gone up since 2024, the general trend is more housing has been attributed and correlated with a greater supply." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18823.085, "end": 18831.425, "text": "And while it is true that correlation is not causation, I think that that correlation in the data is significant and needs to be noted." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18832.645, "end": 18844.205, "text": "I certainly understand that certain situations require protecting some unique landmarks and historic sites in various places in our great city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18845.105, "end": 18872.045, "text": "The province of Alberta and the city of Calgary does have the option of providing a plaque designation over certain historic sites. Like my great great grandparents, uh Granny and Grandpa Shaver, who died in the early 1960s, they lived on Memorial Drive, and the apartment facility that they lived on is designated by the province of Alberta as a historic site and is still intact." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18872.945, "end": 18904.325, "text": "Now, with some of these changes uh that come with blanket rezone housing, uh there's obviously uh you know some pain associated with losing some characteristics. My great grandfather was a World War I veteran and lived at 1140 Memorial Drive. And I spent time on that house growing up in the 80s. And there is a spot where there is a new condo that's there now, and and it was tough to see 1140 go." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18905.445, "end": 18925.525, "text": "But I do think that we can go forth with blanket rezone housing, we can review things on a case-by-case basis, and we have the opportunity to give uh designations to certain historic sites and landmark characteristics that are unique to each and every neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_15", "start": 18926.765, "end": 18957.765, "text": "On a concluding note, uh I love the fact that I live in one of the nicest countries in the world, a liberal democracy, and I thank all of you, council, very much for granting me the opportunity to speak. Whether or not we agree or disagree with each other, I think that civility and nuance and respect for democracy is fundamentally important. So thank you, Council. This is uh a wonderful opportunity that you've granted for me today to speak. And on that note, uh GoFlames go. Thank you. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18958.505, "end": 18960.705, "text": "Thanks, Gregory. Right uh right back at you, buddy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18960.985, "end": 18961.325, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 18962.285, "end": 18964.605, "text": "I believe we have one more presenter. Please approach." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 18972.285, "end": 18972.925, "text": "All right." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 18974.285, "end": 18996.985, "text": "Uh thank you, Mayor, Council, City Hall staff. My name is Samuel. Everyone calls me Sam. I was 28. I was born and raised in Calgary. And uh I want to start by briefly expressing my appreciation for this seven day, now 70 something hour hearing. Uh if the goal of doing all this was to make Calgary's housing crisis a more widely discussed issue in the city," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 18997.505, "end": 19003.745, "text": "I think it may have succeeded in that regard. Now, how much has it succeeded at everything else? Well, um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19004.085, "end": 19016.645, "text": "Look, I've written and deleted pages and pages of thoughts about this over the last few weeks. Ultimately my thoughts on this issue can be boiled down to two six word sentences. The first," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19017.265, "end": 19018.705, "text": "perfect is the enemy of good." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19019.665, "end": 19087.445, "text": "I am concerned that without a big perfect zoning law on your desks, whether it is something to follow up, blanket rezoning, or something to follow up the appeal of it, the repeal of it, this council will accomplish little on this issue past this vote. It's nothing personal. It's previous experience with politics and politicians. I have some trust issues, let's call it. But whether you vote to repeal or amend, and I feel comfortable assuming many of you on council already have an idea right now of how you're voting on this, since a choice between two options is often very clear-cut. But diluting this to a single yes or no binary vote cuts out a lot of nuance that it's reduced to discussions like this, hours and hours of discussions. Just like diluting this to a single blanket motion also cuts out the nuance. Blanket rezoning last year, blanket repealing this year. Ultimately, two blanket, overly simple solutions to a very complex problem. Blanket thinking is cozy, simple, easy to understand. The housing crisis isn't." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19088.645, "end": 19095.765, "text": "So regardless of what the vote ends up being, enough blanket binary, overly simple solutions to this." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19096.805, "end": 19113.205, "text": "No more big leaps forward or backward. Small incremental steps are gonna get us where we need to go. So let's pick a direction to steer this ship in and sail. Let's not vote in a way that takes us backwards, ideally. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19113.745, "end": 19146.225, "text": "The best work you will likely get done on this will not be perfect. It will be completed without big headlines or big speeches or big hearings. And I swear if the next action you take on this requires another hearing like this, you will see me back at this podium again in 2028 or whenever, and I will filibuster. This is a promise and a plead for mercy and a threat. Save us all from this. My bus spent 10 minutes getting stuck repeatedly in snowbanks, getting me here this morning. Do not let history repeat itself. Let's actually move forward from this day." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19147.045, "end": 19165.205, "text": "And forward. That's what we're trying to figure out here, isn't it? Whatever zoning system we pick, both will need revisions, both will require more time and energy to make those revisions, both can be a starting point for a larger solution. The question is, will it be closer to where we need to go as a city if we repeal or if we don't? My thoughts on this" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19166.245, "end": 19195.125, "text": "can be summed up by my other six-word sentence. The cost of community is convenience. We agree Calgary is in the midst of a housing crisis, and something I've heard expressed repeatedly during this hearing from many speakers, including many who want this repealed, is an understanding that density is important. For Calgary to become a more affordable place to be housed and therefore to live, if we don't want to cut services or raise taxes even more, we need to densify." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19195.925, "end": 19209.545, "text": "It will be inconvenient, change always is to some degree, but that inconvenience is the cost of our continued services, of our taxes hopefully being lower in the future. The cost of our communities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19210.365, "end": 19223.565, "text": "Renters and small income owners are less concerned with their houses increasing in value than they are being able to afford to pay rent or mortgage or property taxes, in addition to everything else they need to pay for" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19224.025, "end": 19230.585, "text": "today. And I say this: I grew up in a single family house. My parents moved into it when I was two years old." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19231.525, "end": 19259.065, "text": "I know how good it is to live there, how comfortable it is. But where did they live before? A condo. And they lived in apartments separately before that. And convert houses and types of housing that are all in short supply in the city today. It seems like it isn't, because it's easy for flashy, well funded, big developer complexes to stand out in Calgary's vast sea of predominantly single family houses, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19260.465, "end": 19271.305, "text": "My par it it doesn't. And my parents did not jump from living with friends or family directly to buying the house I was raised in because they couldn't. When I was born, they lived in a condo." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19272.445, "end": 19278.625, "text": "Because yes, they wanted a black backyard to afford to use when they moved, but they also couldn't afford to make that direct jump." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19280.205, "end": 19283.585, "text": "Uh I'm I know I'm at time. Re blanket repealing blanket rezoning may take" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19283.545, "end": 19287.505, "text": "Fortunately, you're at time. I'm gonna conclude the panel, but I'm gonna throw myself in to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19288.045, "end": 19288.845, "text": "ask you a question." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19289.785, "end": 19290.025, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19290.025, "end": 19291.145, "text": "Wait, what else did you have to say?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19291.585, "end": 19292.245, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19292.885, "end": 19304.005, "text": "just to state repealing blanket rezoning may take away power from larger developers with the power and capital to reshape communities to their will, but returning to the old zoning system will also actively hinder smaller local developers chapping smaller projects" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19304.865, "end": 19308.865, "text": "and will throw those babies out with the bathwater. That's it. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19308.865, "end": 19315.325, "text": "Uh as a follow on that, uh uh thanks for being here, Samuel. I think your presentation was a real standout for me today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19316.045, "end": 19322.685, "text": "Can I ask your thoughts on you you bore witness to many people in the public who think that the previous decision around" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19323.045, "end": 19325.905, "text": "the bylaws, as it was approved by the previous council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19326.325, "end": 19330.845, "text": "hasn't struck the right balance. What what elements of compromise would you be willing to see?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19331.265, "end": 19344.265, "text": "Uh local area plans are a good idea, especially when there's neighborhoods that have the people and the capital and the time to make good plans and put those into place. Not all do." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19344.845, "end": 19352.325, "text": "Um and those communities could certainly use a step up, maybe larger uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19352.625, "end": 19358.945, "text": "help or or assets from the city, um in what exact way, who's to say? Uh but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19359.445, "end": 19381.305, "text": "Kind of a combination plan. I think about the flood wall that was put up along Memorial Drive, along Memorial Drive and along the Bow River after 2013. That was done incrementally. That was done a section at a time. And it was not passed in a big uh like build in a gigantic flood wall" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19381.625, "end": 19388.145, "text": "bylaw or or motion or piece of funding. It was done singular projects at a time and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19388.445, "end": 19393.445, "text": "by councils that put the time in to do stuff that would be larger than the scope of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19393.605, "end": 19400.425, "text": "uh a four year term. And because of that, today we have uh a big almost" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19400.865, "end": 19412.605, "text": "almost completed flood wall along downtown, along memorial, that will hopefully stop f that from being done. That's a piece of infrastructure I value and that was something that was done incrementally instead of with a blanket." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19413.385, "end": 19419.305, "text": "Then are are you, to be clear though, are you arguing for a repeal and then build up through local area plans?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19419.305, "end": 19420.825, "text": "So to be clear, the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19421.465, "end": 19456.225, "text": "Again, whichever spot we we end up being after this next vote, we're going to have to amend and adjust and tweak whatever zoning system we end up with. So the question ends up being which one gets us closer to where we want the city to be in the future? My personal argument is the current one is closer. Let's start there. Neither of these are perfect, both have drawbacks, but if we want a starting foundation, let's put the time in on this thing that was already passed" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19457.165, "end": 19458.285, "text": "and make it better." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19460.205, "end": 19461.065, "text": "Thank you for being here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19461.445, "end": 19463.345, "text": "I'll go to my colleague, Councillor Dallowell, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19463.605, "end": 19478.265, "text": "Thank you, Mayor. I think some of my questions you already asked. I just want to touch on this first, very first statement you made perfect is enemy of good. Yes. Put it in the context of where we are, where we were, where we want to go. What is good, what is perfect." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19479.705, "end": 19480.305, "text": "So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19482.205, "end": 19497.245, "text": "Imperfect is the is the current housing crisis, imperfect is the current uh the current blanket rezoning system. I'm I'm comfortable saying that. I I will advocate for it and I do not want it repealed, but it is imperfect. Uh it does need it does need fixing. Um But" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19498.005, "end": 19509.425, "text": "again, perfect perfection has a has a an element of paralysis that comes from it. It's an element of of unneeded stress and time and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19511.125, "end": 19530.565, "text": "There's no perfect system that everybody will be happy with. Repealing it will make people who own property have the luxury of owning property that uh appreciates in value. It'll make them happy, I'm sure. Uh and keeping this current law and not repealing it will make people" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19531.065, "end": 19563.085, "text": "maybe it might make larger developers happy. If you want to rein in that power, I'm sure that's a middle ground solution that can exist. Um missing middle is another term. I think that can apply to houses like condos, like the condo my parents lived in before they had me and moved. Um and it can also apply to a missing middle ground between a city council doing nothing and doing a big thing that gets a lot of headlines and attention and probably uh helps get your names out there for the next election cycle." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19563.465, "end": 19567.845, "text": "Um, but the stuff in the middle is not going to have as much of that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19568.585, "end": 19585.925, "text": "But I have a feeling it's going to be where the most meaningful and the work that uh appreciates and and ages the best long term done is going to be done in the middle, done in smaller councils, done on local or neighborhood levels, and done in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19586.985, "end": 19590.925, "text": "amending a current imperfect set of laws instead of" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19591.645, "end": 19601.325, "text": "doing a big sweeping motion like a dramatic like like sweep everything off the desk kind of motion. It'll draw a lot of that that draws less eyes, but it's better." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19601.685, "end": 19605.465, "text": "Yeah, it's gonna be hard to get to that perfection, even repeal or not repeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19605.465, "end": 19605.905, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19605.945, "end": 19619.045, "text": "But then you also made a very interesting comment. Pick a direction, steer, and sail in that direction. That means if it f hypothetically, if this is repealed and we revert back to pre-June 2024, you think stick with it and just" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19619.525, "end": 19634.105, "text": "sail in the right direction? Uh and are you of the opinion that still home is here's strategy, keep supporting 90, whatever action items, especially the non-market housing sector that creates right affordable housing?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19634.105, "end": 19651.785, "text": "Okay, so now we're we're getting in that's interesting. We're getting into an issue of like I think what this has kind of turned into like a proxy issue for is like what direction is best for the city to go in. Uh again, there was a uh the the comment about uh density versus taxing versus services was" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19652.325, "end": 19677.885, "text": "largely uh like there was a a graphic put up by a speaker on an earlier panel today that I think summed it up perfectly. Uh it's pick two uh or or one, which is do we want services to be maintained? Do we want our taxes to be maintained or lowered? Uh, or do we want low density? We can't have all three. It is not." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19678.025, "end": 19704.785, "text": "Financially affordable for the city to do that. So picking a direction means picking two of those and then making yes, perfect. There it is. So let's pick two and embrace what is necessary in the middle for those two to exist. If we want stable services, if we want tack like taxes to be lowered, I know they just went up uh literally yesterday, then we need we need more density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19705.605, "end": 19721.905, "text": "It's a better idea for a city long term. And the inconvenience of living in denser neighborhoods will be canceled out by the convenience of continuing to have stable services and hopefully rents and property taxes all going down in the future." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19722.405, "end": 19724.725, "text": "This is a a marathon, not a sprint." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19725.325, "end": 19738.645, "text": "Yeah. No great. Thank you for answering all the questions. Great presentation. Please don't wait till twenty twenty-eight to come back. Twenty twenty-seven November we're gonna fix our four year budget cycle. We want you there because we don't want our buses to be stuck." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19739.005, "end": 19739.865, "text": "Snowfall." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19739.865, "end": 19741.445, "text": "I'll put it in. Thank you, Councillor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 19741.485, "end": 19743.065, "text": "Thank you for your presentation. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19746.345, "end": 19747.425, "text": "All right, I believe" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19749.625, "end": 19751.285, "text": "that concludes our questions for this panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19753.325, "end": 19755.285, "text": "Thank you so much uh for being here with us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_19", "start": 19755.525, "end": 19755.985, "text": "Thank you, everyone. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19756.445, "end": 19762.065, "text": "Colleagues, it looks like our we are about 30 minutes out. So I'm gonna attempt to squeeze another panel in if you're good with that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19763.465, "end": 19764.245, "text": "All right." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19765.345, "end": 19769.445, "text": "Do we have anyone with us in the chamber who is here to speak but hasn't had a chance to?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19769.765, "end": 19769.985, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19770.405, "end": 19771.265, "text": "Come on down. Both here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19772.825, "end": 19774.125, "text": "And now we will go" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19774.765, "end": 19780.465, "text": "we'll attempt to get some folks in from uh who might be on the line. I didn't give a chance for those who are calling in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19780.925, "end": 19782.805, "text": "from panels hundred and above." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19783.225, "end": 19785.505, "text": "So is there anyone who is on the line?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 19786.885, "end": 19788.325, "text": "Panel 91." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 19788.645, "end": 19790.805, "text": "And Andrew Weldon on 911 M106." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19791.405, "end": 19795.305, "text": "Wait, I'm I'm calling right now just for panels 100." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19795.625, "end": 19805.525, "text": "Okay, please stand by folks. I'm going, I'm asking for panels specifically 100 or above. So if you're 100 or above, uh, could you please chime in with your name?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 19806.745, "end": 19807.165, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 19807.165, "end": 19808.085, "text": "Robert Curry," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 19809.005, "end": 19809.805, "text": "106." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19810.005, "end": 19811.745, "text": "Robert, is that you? 106?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 19812.665, "end": 19813.165, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 19814.485, "end": 19817.185, "text": "One oh one Sylvia Kowalevsky." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19817.825, "end": 19818.685, "text": "Great, Sylvia." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19818.965, "end": 19823.205, "text": "So I've got Sylvia and Robert here. Is there anyone else from 100 or above?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 19824.645, "end": 19826.205, "text": "109, Cheryl Rigger." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19827.265, "end": 19829.085, "text": "I think I heard 109 Cheryl." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 19830.285, "end": 19830.665, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19831.625, "end": 19839.305, "text": "Okay, I'm going with uh Robert, Sylvia, and Cheryl, and the two people who are here uh with us in the chamber as our next panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19840.005, "end": 19840.685, "text": "All right." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_43", "start": 19840.685, "end": 19843.825, "text": "I'm on 1092, uh, Rachel Lee." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19844.165, "end": 19857.385, "text": "I'm sorry I didn't catch you and Rachel. Unfortunately, we have about 30 minutes, and the the panel that I just selected is gonna run us the 30 minutes until we go on our break. But they'll I'll be calling again uh once we return after that break about 3 45." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 19858.665, "end": 19862.765, "text": "Okay, I'm 109 as well, so should I just call back in at about 345?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 19863.085, "end": 19863.505, "text": "Yep." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 19863.505, "end": 19864.585, "text": "My name's Kelly Hornick." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19864.645, "end": 19877.545, "text": "Yes, uh if you if you're not the the two gentlemen with us in the chamber, or Robert, Sylvia, or Cheryl, I definitely will not be calling your n calling for more people before any time before uh 3 45" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19878.405, "end": 19879.345, "text": "for at least an hour from now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 19879.345, "end": 19880.405, "text": "Probably I'll call back then." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19880.685, "end": 19881.605, "text": "Yeah, thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 19881.925, "end": 19890.385, "text": "Thanks everyone for your patience. I know this is a very unwieldy situation for us. So let's hear then from the two people with us in the chamber. Please approach." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 19893.625, "end": 19903.485, "text": "Hello. Thanks for letting me speak. My name is Christopher Leslie. I'm from panel ninety three, and I'm speaking against the repeal." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 19904.005, "end": 19908.205, "text": "I'm a renter in Crescent Heights in a single detached home." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 19908.485, "end": 19915.585, "text": "And I'm coming from sort of a war zone fallout from this RZ RCG rezoning, actually." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 19916.065, "end": 19933.405, "text": "The lot next to mine has been slated to be redeveloped and was actually approved to put a four plaque with basement suites in. And it's interesting watching like really lovely, kind neighbors become quite aggressive over the situation." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 19933.945, "end": 19961.065, "text": "Apart from, you know, most everyone does the talking about parking thing, where are we gonna park? Where are we gonna park? It's like there's plenty of parking on the street. There really is. But then it's gone as far as as I had someone say that our neighborhood's gonna turn into a slum if that housing project was approved. Um ironically, that person about two weeks later said they were then thinking about redeveloping their bungalow, uh, which is a little interesting. Uh" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 19961.685, "end": 20020.085, "text": "But yeah, this I'm kind of hoping to paint a picture of something that's pretty frightening for people that might be in favor of rezoning in higher density. Is you know, we see our neighbors that are, again, really kind, lovely neighbors, but they get so ignited on this that we're even afraid to speak up to them. I mean, uh I'm for that hearing on that, I know it was appealed and everything, and my neighbor was collecting signatures and everything, and I didn't want to piss my neighbor off, so I didn't tell her what I thought. Um, but I guess now I can share my opinion. Now that I'm even even more public form, right? Um my opinion is that Crescent Heights is a fantastic neighborhood. It's a fantastic inner city neighborhood, and an inner city neighborhood needs inner city amenities, and the way that we can achieve that is by having density. Greater density leads to more neighbors, more people around, supports the businesses better. Um, we can have a center street that's more lively, an Edmonton Trail that's more lively, and all that." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20021.545, "end": 20022.165, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20022.785, "end": 20038.265, "text": "yeah, actually just the I said this morning when I was writing it, but that was like four days ago. But on Monday morning I was driving a friend to the airport and we were talking about the zoning and he was like, yeah, I kind of agree with you, but I've been afraid to say anything because I'm I'm afraid of alienating my friends." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20039.125, "end": 20039.685, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20040.185, "end": 20068.965, "text": "Anyway, this past year has filled me with a lot of hope for living in Calgary, a lot of optimism. Seeing rent prices stabilize and seeing housing prices stabilize as a whole, it's really optimistic. It's like, oh, one day maybe I could buy a house here, that'd be awesome. But then with us looking to repeal this, it kind of calls into question that optimism. It's like, are we gonna see the housing options in my future be limited to single detached? And am I gonna be priced out of eventually buying a home here?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20069.885, "end": 20094.165, "text": "I think it's really important that we listen to people that are current renters, younger generations that are current renters, not yet homeowners, that have this looking down, they're looking down this precipice of homeownership and their hopeful future. And RCG is something that takes us closer to that. You know, the ability to purchase a townhome, the ability to purchase a condo in a neighborhood other than just the belt line." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20095.065, "end": 20131.665, "text": "Like, right? I want my neighborhood to be cool too, like all those other cool places that have density. Um, yeah, so in conclusion, I mean RCG is not perfect, right? It kind of feels like we took two steps forward, maybe a step sideways. But instead of just taking this step sideways back and recorrecting the course on how to do density more meaningfully, um, I think retracing all of our steps in that process is just setting us back too far, and then we're gonna be right back where we are having a two week hearing or three week hearing to figure out what's next after the repeal. Um so please don't repeal it. Okay, that's all I have. Thanks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 20131.885, "end": 20135.405, "text": "Thanks so much, Christopher. We'll ask our next presenter in person to please approach." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20139.805, "end": 20167.385, "text": "Hello, Mayor and Council. My name is Ruben Vandermullen from Panel 96. Um, I live in Sunnyside in Ward 7. Sunnyside has a mix of housing types, including many missing middle housing styles. It also has wonderful parks, plenty of trees, excellent transit access, and low crime rates. Its median household income is 30% lower than the city on average. Providing housing across the spectrum creates a strong neighborhood whose character is defined by its people, not its building form." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20167.685, "end": 20220.145, "text": "This city has a funding problem. We have an ever-growing long-term infrastructure maintenance deficit, service dilution, and a political environment that makes meaningful property tax increases all but impossible. Many of the people championing this repeal also oppose tax increases and service cuts. Improving density and making it much easier to do so in a low-impact way is the easiest way to begin tackling our ever-growing future funding shortfalls. Adding to our infrastructure base instead of making better use of our existing infrastructure is what is being proposed, and it worsens the problem. The inflexibility of the proposed elimination of blanket rezoning prevents property owners from doing what is best for this city, creating buildings and improving existing ones to meet Calgary's needs. There are a lot of voices in favor of a small scale approach to intensification that allows higher density where it is needed. Giving property owners the ability to decide what housing style is right for them is the smallest scale approach to incremental change possible." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 20221.265, "end": 20416.145, "text": "The best areas of this city are places that were built through incremental change. There was no LAP or master plan with strict zoning that brought about Kensington or Inglewood. They're a product of a development pattern that would be impossible to replicate under a modern zoning structure. Cities are ecosystems, and allowing change only as part of a master or local area plan makes them unable to change to meet the dynamic needs of the people living in them. Where we can build, what we can build, and how much parking we need are simple decisions that Calgarians can make for themselves without government intervention. Homogeneous housing brings about a homogenous community demographic. We are a diverse city, but demographics are largely isolated. A lack of integration between racial and socioeconomic groups allows societal problems, service inequity, ignorance, and a lack of empathy to fester. This is not an accident. Single use zoning was created for this purpose. Controlling where density occurs creates social division and perpetuates segregation. I hope that as a city we can realize our past mistakes and continue moving forward instead of moving backward. R1 zoning results in a market where the inefficient land use of detached houses does not have to compete with more efficient land uses, artificially limiting their land value and property tax bill. Single family homes are the most expensive form of housing for the city to service, and limiting their property tax liability is only in the best interest of those that can afford single family homes, at the expense of those who can't afford one or choose to live in a more efficient housing form. Parking minimums similarly limit the use of land. The availability of vast swaths of free parking in the city is caused by such an excess of parking supply that its value is almost completely worthless, despite the massive potential that this space represents for the city. I also want to address the issues of consultation, community input, and LAPs. Landowners should not have to appease their neighbors when deciding what housing form is needed to meet their needs. I'm a member of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Planning Committee, and the amount of cost and effort I see developers and landowners expending to gain the approval of members of the community, adhere to every heritage guideline in the LAP, and ensure the accommodation of all neighbors who feel the need to voice their opinions is ridiculously wasteful. Restricting zoning worsens these problems we are facing. The limited amount of control that landowners are allowed to exert in developing their own property is an ongoing disappointment to me. The privileged people who have the time to involve themselves in these processes seem not to care about the tens of thousands of dollars they are costing their neighbors who are just trying to build housing, not to mention the additional administrative burden that taxpayers bear. Another cost burden for entrance to the housing market is housing plus transportation. Most people do not receive an annual car allowance of $9,400. Driving is by far the most expensive transportation option, costing the most personally and the most societally. But many of the costs are externalized or subsidized. Parking minimums mean that thousands of dollars in parking is included in the annual cost of rent, groceries, and property taxes, raising the cost of housing and food even for those who don't drive, while lowering the cost of car ownership. Pollution and road costs are externalized as well. Those who contribute more to these problems often pay less property tax. Calgary has been on a path of suburban sprawl, transportation inequity, and socioeconomic segregation for many decades. Correcting our trajectory will not be easy, fast, or often popular. Base RCG zoning is a tiny step in the right direction. It is incredibly important that this positive change for the future of Calgary and for Calgarians is not rescinded. Please vote against the repeal of blanket rezoning. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 20417.245, "end": 20424.205, "text": "Thank you so much. We will now move to Robert on 106, then Sylvia on 101 after that. Please go ahead, Robert." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20425.865, "end": 20428.765, "text": "Dear Mayor and Council and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20429.865, "end": 20436.045, "text": "Mayor and Council, thank you for conducting this hearing and wanting to provide good governance." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20436.645, "end": 20439.725, "text": "I am representing myself and I've taken it on" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20440.185, "end": 20443.585, "text": "to represent all concerned senior citizens" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20444.125, "end": 20457.185, "text": "who lack adequate funds, health, time, or experience in these matters to represent themselves or to obtain representation to protect their rights as owners and renters." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20457.605, "end": 20467.905, "text": "I approach you as a senior, born and raised in Canada. I am a parent, a grandfather, a retired civil municipal engineer, project manager," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20468.145, "end": 20475.425, "text": "a past visitor to Calgary, and a resident of Calgary for the second time in my life." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20476.085, "end": 20482.445, "text": "I support those presenters that have come before you calling for a complete repeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20483.205, "end": 20486.945, "text": "Of the current blanket rezoning, no amendments." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20487.845, "end": 20497.185, "text": "More thoughtful and fair zoning changes and city administration are required to go forward in fairness and equity." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20497.745, "end": 20509.245, "text": "At the heart of the technical governance issues before us are tensions regarding Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canadian values." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20509.605, "end": 20530.045, "text": "Canadian values embrace multiculturalism, diversity, equality, human rights, fairness, social responsibility, duty, safety, democracy and peace, politeness and stewardship, rule of law, a social fabric supporting public health and education." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20530.605, "end": 20534.785, "text": "My wife and I are retired seniors with health and mobility issues." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20535.085, "end": 20542.165, "text": "We purchased a single family house located in Northwest Carligary in September of 2020." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20542.565, "end": 20546.925, "text": "We feel very vulnerable and singled out by the city of Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20548.165, "end": 20553.265, "text": "We have much less energy that comes with advanced age," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20554.445, "end": 20560.905, "text": "especially to engage in conflict with the city and its financial and legal resources." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20561.505, "end": 20568.965, "text": "From my perspective, I think that our city governance has not only singled out residential owners" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20569.445, "end": 20576.665, "text": "with additional property tax burden, but they have also degraded with increased population density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20577.265, "end": 20582.045, "text": "The lifestyles and investments of residential owners and renters," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20582.485, "end": 20589.225, "text": "and the enjoyment of their property and neighborhoods. You only need to look at the recent crowding at BAM" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20589.705, "end": 20596.665, "text": "to see the negative effects of allowing business interests to have priority and special treatment." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20597.225, "end": 20607.085, "text": "The enjoyment of Banff past is forever being lost by to the majority of Albertans and Canadians." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20607.905, "end": 20610.185, "text": "Additional blanket rezoning" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20610.525, "end": 20613.285, "text": "adds a lot of financial and environmental" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20613.625, "end": 20616.965, "text": "uncertainty and loss of independent living," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20617.585, "end": 20619.585, "text": "a form of enslavement," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20620.385, "end": 20622.485, "text": "as is city governance" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20623.005, "end": 20625.225, "text": "our masters or our servants?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20626.245, "end": 20643.085, "text": "I am concerned with and oppose the obligation to surrender our property and Canadian citizenship rights to business interests when the city of Calgary does not appear to have looked at other alternatives to secure federal funds" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20643.485, "end": 20645.925, "text": "for increased residential housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20646.145, "end": 20662.765, "text": "Shopping malls, vacant properties, and light industrial properties provide excellent opportunities and advantages for more and denser housing and more energy efficiencies. All that is needed is the talent and the will." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20663.165, "end": 20668.685, "text": "Another consideration at play in this drama is the fact that an approval" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20669.265, "end": 20671.865, "text": "to the new higher zoning density" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20672.185, "end": 20675.065, "text": "increases the property's value immediately." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20675.605, "end": 20689.465, "text": "All that's needed happened for this quick financial gain is for someone to convince or con an approving authority that a higher density zoning andor red tape reduction is needed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20690.045, "end": 20701.485, "text": "The residential housing availability and funding cost problems are not something of our renters or my or other residential owners making." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20702.705, "end": 20705.625, "text": "For instance, does Calgary track" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20706.045, "end": 20711.825, "text": "to make informed decisions, residential housing that sits empty or converted" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20712.425, "end": 20714.045, "text": "to short term housing," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20715.065, "end": 20717.525, "text": "vacancy or rental and owner" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20718.185, "end": 20718.945, "text": "housing" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20719.265, "end": 20720.845, "text": "and being renovated?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20721.265, "end": 20730.305, "text": "Market and non-market housing types mix their occupancy, location, and cost levels needed for profit or for occupancy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20730.985, "end": 20733.485, "text": "Development satisfying diversity." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 20733.585, "end": 20734.265, "text": "Thank you, sir." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 20734.965, "end": 20739.105, "text": "Unfortunately, you're just at time, but uh perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_48", "start": 20740.165, "end": 20745.745, "text": "Okay, I support Calgaryans and want fairness, affordability, and thoughtful growth." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 20746.685, "end": 20753.105, "text": "Thank you so much for being here with us. We'll go to Sylvia now and then Cheryl on 109 after that. Please go ahead, Sylvia." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20755.665, "end": 20774.785, "text": "Good afternoon, May Parkas, uh members uh of the council. My name is Sylvia Kowalevsky, uh panel one oh one. I am a longtime resident of San Andrews Heights in Ward 7, and I'm here today in support of repealing blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20775.485, "end": 20798.585, "text": "I'm speaking as a concerned citizen following a recent SDEB decision approving a 10-unit development above my property after three appeals and merit hearing. I believed in the fairness of the process that if 240 residents were opposed and only 11 were in favor, that would matter." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20799.105, "end": 20815.625, "text": "Despite this, the applicant was given opportunities to revise their submission, and the final decision was based on box checking new numerical standards and newly implemented bylaws rather than broader community impact." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20816.385, "end": 20837.305, "text": "Before I begin, I would like to note that the wording in favor has been confusing for many residents. When we are discussing something as important as the future of our communities, clarity really matters. I would like to share several concerns that reflect broader issues with blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20837.965, "end": 20860.965, "text": "Infrastructure. Our infrastructure dates back to the late 1950s. It was not designed for this level of density. It's unclear whether impacts of water, sewer, and electrical systems have been adequately considered. After building permit is issued, unfortunately, residents have no further insight into the project." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20861.625, "end": 20884.125, "text": "Safety. During snow melt and freezing conditions, water already flows downfield 13th Avenue Northwest. Without proper design and drainage, increased density can create hazardous for both desert pedestrians and vehicles. Safety should never be compromised by one size fits all approach." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20885.425, "end": 20905.125, "text": "Flooding and drainage. This site is not flat. It is on a hill directly above my home. This creates serious concerns about flooding and water runoff onto my property and not only. These are real site specific risks that affect my home and my sense of security." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20906.625, "end": 20925.305, "text": "Loss of enjoyment of property. A larger structure above my home will reduce privacy, sunlight, the use of my backyard. I will be looking at a blank wall instead of trees. This directly impacts quality of life and long-term intrinsic value." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20926.705, "end": 20945.245, "text": "There are also parking concerns. We live in Calgary with long winters. Biking is not a realistic commuting solution for much longer time of the year. And adding bicycle storage to the project does not solve the problem of the parking." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20946.065, "end": 20953.965, "text": "Taken together, these concerns show that blanket rezoning does not account for site specific realities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20954.185, "end": 20961.825, "text": "It assumes uniform conditions across very different neighborhoods and infrastructure capacities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20962.685, "end": 20969.505, "text": "Our communities are not identical grids. They require thoughtful, context sensitive planning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20969.985, "end": 20987.625, "text": "Development is important, growth is important, but it must be responsible and balanced. For these reasons, I strongly support repealing blanket rezoning and returning to a case by case approach that considers local conditions and community impacts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 20987.905, "end": 21004.825, "text": "I also have a real real concern about the trust in the current process. Because good planning is not about sitting as much as possible onto every lot. It is about making sure what we build today does not create the problem of tomorrow." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 21005.225, "end": 21009.405, "text": "And there's a saying if one fails to plan, one plans to fail." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_06", "start": 21009.625, "end": 21011.885, "text": "Thank you for your time and consideration." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21012.385, "end": 21016.565, "text": "Thank you so much. We'll go now to Sherylon 109 to wrap up this panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21020.845, "end": 21028.165, "text": "Thank you, Mayor and Counselors, for giving us an opportunity to speak. I'm Cheryl and I'm from Ward 4 in the community of Brentwood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21029.485, "end": 21033.585, "text": "I support repealing the current blanket zoning of RCG" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21034.105, "end": 21036.385, "text": "and support switching back to RC1." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21037.825, "end": 21041.025, "text": "RCG does not respect current contextual" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21041.445, "end": 21043.105, "text": "single family home areas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21043.865, "end": 21049.025, "text": "It's not appropriate to put an 11 meter high building in an area which is mostly bungalows." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21049.625, "end": 21052.265, "text": "Which are largely three and a half to four meters high." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21053.925, "end": 21057.605, "text": "The RCG setback rules of three meters is not sufficient." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21058.225, "end": 21063.985, "text": "The neighboring home quite often are seven meters back. Three meters will block the view going around corners" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21064.745, "end": 21068.265, "text": "and will not allow people to be safe when they're crossing the street," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21068.645, "end": 21072.045, "text": "and this will lead to more accidents and put pedestrians in harmway." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21074.325, "end": 21077.145, "text": "Under the current RCG permit applications," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21077.665, "end": 21082.225, "text": "we list properties as four units when it is actually four units and four suites." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21083.125, "end": 21086.125, "text": "That is eight units and should be called eight to be" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21086.805, "end": 21087.325, "text": "clear." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21088.405, "end": 21090.145, "text": "By using the smaller number" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21091.125, "end": 21094.265, "text": "of four instead of eight on a sandwich board" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21094.505, "end": 21098.905, "text": "and a permit application, it is deceiving a large part of the population" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21099.265, "end": 21101.565, "text": "who do not necessarily know the nuances" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21102.025, "end": 21104.025, "text": "of how things are being recorded." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21106.045, "end": 21111.845, "text": "Densification is reasonable as long as it's done respectful of the current housing in the neighborhood" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21112.325, "end": 21113.845, "text": "and done at a reasonable level." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21114.625, "end": 21117.125, "text": "Two to four units per lot is reasonable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21117.465, "end": 21118.825, "text": "Eight to twelve is not." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21120.625, "end": 21125.085, "text": "The larger units need to be placed in areas that are designed for that density," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21125.725, "end": 21128.985, "text": "near local area plans, transit, that type of thing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21131.085, "end": 21134.365, "text": "The current RCG zoning is benefiting developers." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21135.225, "end": 21140.925, "text": "If this zoning and random densification continues, prices will continue to be pushed up" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21141.505, "end": 21144.825, "text": "and Calgaryans will not be able to afford to purchase a single family home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21145.745, "end": 21147.965, "text": "We will not be able to compete with developers." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21149.165, "end": 21153.325, "text": "Calgary will be owned by developers and investors, not Calgarians," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21154.065, "end": 21157.845, "text": "unless you want to buy one of their suites in their multi unit building." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21160.265, "end": 21163.725, "text": "In summary, be respectful of the current context of the neighborhood" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21164.425, "end": 21168.305, "text": "and the neighbors. Do not put a three story building next to a bungalow." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21168.945, "end": 21172.705, "text": "Do not have it stick out significantly further than the existing homes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21173.785, "end": 21177.585, "text": "Do not allow two multifamily structures on one wall." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21178.945, "end": 21180.665, "text": "Three or four suites is reasonable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21181.465, "end": 21189.065, "text": "On a standard lot and respect the fact that other people have single family homes and get to enjoy their property as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21191.285, "end": 21196.605, "text": "Again, let's make sure those larger units of 8 to 12 or what have you are put in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21197.865, "end": 21199.325, "text": "areas that fit" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21199.605, "end": 21201.525, "text": "that amount of development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21202.545, "end": 21207.425, "text": "There's lots of areas in my community that do that, the Northland Mall," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21208.205, "end": 21211.865, "text": "the redevelopment at the co op in Dalhousie, University District," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21212.385, "end": 21213.325, "text": "Research Park." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21214.345, "end": 21218.605, "text": "Again, let's make it contextual. So it's the neighborhood in Glungulos." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21219.065, "end": 21222.405, "text": "We're not putting a three storied building right beside a whole bunch of bungalows." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 21223.505, "end": 21224.405, "text": "Thank you for your time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21225.685, "end": 21229.085, "text": "Thank you so much. That concludes the panel. Let's go to Councillor Atkinson, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21230.265, "end": 21244.825, "text": "Uh question for Ruben, please. You in your print presentation, I think you said something about um how current zoning couldn't lead to some of our favorite neighborhoods like Inglewood and Kensington. Can you expand on your thoughts around that?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21245.605, "end": 21339.245, "text": "Yeah, I think based on the developments that we're seeing in those areas more recently, uh the styles of development with smaller buildings being added on incrementally and upgraded over time is not something that's really feasible under our current approach to zoning and development. The newer buildings that we're seeing have much larger commercial bays in them. So a lot of the businesses that people love in the Kensington area are in buildings that would be infeasible to build in the current day and age, largely because of the I guess the costs, the per development costs. So you need a much larger development in order to absorb those costs, right? Like that's why we're seeing much higher high-rise apartment buildings and much larger commercial spaces. And for these developers that need financial assurance that they're gonna be able to acquire tenant in the base floor of these buildings, they're gonna build spaces that are uh tailored more towards larger corporations, franchises, those sorts of things, right? Um so I think that the the previous from from decades back approach of uh incremental growth uh is is largely lost in the in the current model that we're seeing, in the current development pattern that we're seeing, um, largely because of of the friction and the red tape. And I think too that there is an aspect of uh community engagement too that pushes back on development as well, right? That adds to those costs and that makes it so that smaller developments are less feasible. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21340.025, "end": 21344.745, "text": "Great. That's great. Thank you for that explanation. And uh for Christopher, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21348.845, "end": 21394.585, "text": "You kind of started your presentation talking about this division within community that you experience. And it's it's interesting because it's we've been hearing sort of a broader division within community within this hearing, right? But then this hearing is also putting us potentially into a situation where we're going back into land use changes one-on-one, more of a localized, and it was just, I don't know, it wasn't a perspective that I've heard so far. I was just wondering if you could speak to you you also said that you kind of, my understanding is you sort of stepped back, didn't want to sign a petition that was sort of coming around. Just speaking to that experience of the friction that you experience at the micro level versus what we're experiencing in this sort of macro environment." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21394.785, "end": 21406.885, "text": "Yeah, for sure. Um so like I said, the the lot next to me was slated for redevelopment to be infilled. Um and then the house on the other side, the the people living there got pretty feisty in it all, um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21407.425, "end": 21439.565, "text": "including like the petitions and stuff. It's interesting, like they went around with one of those forms saying, are you in favor or are you opposed? And I didn't want to give her the phone form back saying that I was opposed or in favor of the development right. So I didn't even act on it. And that voice of mine didn't even get in there. But it's like I, you know, my neighbor's a lovely person. I don't want to, I feel like the the on my block is not the place for that bat battle. You know, we shouldn't be having a battle on every block between neighbors of figuring out what to do with the place. I think that's um something that should be figured out here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21440.305, "end": 21450.165, "text": "Right. So you see the like by keeping zoning in place, you're removing some of that friction that happens at the localized level. Is that how why you're sort of speaking?" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21450.365, "end": 21471.025, "text": "Yeah, 100%. 100%. By yeah, even even with the RC, I I can't imagine how much friction there would be if if everything was so if we were going back to RC one and every single thing required a land loose land use bylaw changed. I mean, yeah, like I heard from a lot of different neighbors, even my landlord, um" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21471.565, "end": 21492.165, "text": "And, you know, these people really, you know, they they really feel enlivened to share their opinions, which is great. Um, but I'm not gonna tell my landlord that he's, you know, wrong about there not being a place to park or wrong about calling my neighborhood a slum, you know. Like I'm not gonna um disagree with people on that one to one level." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21493.745, "end": 21544.885, "text": "Your presentation also has been I've been thinking about some of the presentations we've been having about the different submissions, the volume of submissions for and against, both with the previous hearing and with this hearing, and then how different that is from the engagements, the wider engagements that were conducted around the rezoning by you know the city leading up to that citywide rezoning and by outside polling groups that sort of showed it was actually more of a 50-50 in terms of for and against, quite different than what we actually see in terms of po like public engagement in these places. And I I wonder if you draw any parallels from your experience and sort of being quieter in that space versus what we're also seeing in that disconnect between the larger volume and the loudness of sort of the" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21545.165, "end": 21554.565, "text": "Folks who are here to sort of say repeal versus the the volume of folks that we're having show up sort of speaking for keeping RCG zoning." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21554.985, "end": 21555.685, "text": "Yeah, I mean honestly" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21555.685, "end": 21559.925, "text": "Hi, just a moment. Can I have general consent to finish this panel before we take the break?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21560.625, "end": 21562.405, "text": "Any opposed? Seeing none. All right." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21562.465, "end": 21562.885, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21562.945, "end": 21563.385, "text": "Please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21563.385, "end": 21600.705, "text": "To use myself as an example, I wouldn't be here speaking if I didn't have some friends encouraging me to speak that you know that I talk to about this stuff. And like my friend Catherine was like, you know, you should really go speak if that's what you think. And I was like, oh yeah, maybe I should go speak. But yeah, I could easily fill probably two hands of friends that I know that feel similar to me that we should keep the keep the broader zoning, keep the denser zoning, but they're not gonna come in and speak because you know they're either one, they're out of town or or they are afraid of what it means for what their neighbors will think of them. Even now I'm hoping that my landlord's not watching the live stream, you know." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 21601.585, "end": 21623.665, "text": "I appreciate it. Well, thank you for yeah, sticking your neck out for what you believe. I think it's actually really important that we're having all the voices come and speak. And I actually really wish in some ways we could hear from every Calgary, because I think we we do better when we actually hear from the widest swath and not just necessarily the loudest voices. So yeah, thanks for showing up today." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 21623.665, "end": 21624.385, "text": "Yeah, thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21625.205, "end": 21636.625, "text": "All right, this uh concludes our panel. We're now heading to break time. Colleagues, can I have uh unanimous consent for a 20 minute break instead of 30 minutes, being mindful that we're finishing at six?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21638.285, "end": 21639.425, "text": "No? Any opposed to that?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 21641.285, "end": 21645.445, "text": "All right, Councillor Jameson is opposed. All right, we will be back at uh 3.45." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23592.105, "end": 23593.005, "text": "Needs to be faster." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23593.665, "end": 23598.605, "text": "Nope. Well, okay, we're we're hot. All right. Uh Mr. Clerk, let's please call the roll." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23598.965, "end": 23601.045, "text": "Thank you, Mayor. On the roll, Councillor Schmidt," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23601.905, "end": 23602.725, "text": "Councillor Clark," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23603.745, "end": 23604.585, "text": "Councillor Chabot," }, { "speaker": "Councillor A. Chabot", "start": 23606.705, "end": 23606.965, "text": "Present," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23607.485, "end": 23608.165, "text": "Councillor Ward," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23610.245, "end": 23610.985, "text": "Councillor Jameson," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_14", "start": 23611.525, "end": 23611.965, "text": "Right here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23612.705, "end": 23613.545, "text": "Councillor McLean," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23615.345, "end": 23616.125, "text": "Councillor Johnston," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23618.825, "end": 23619.525, "text": "Councillor Tyres," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_44", "start": 23623.185, "end": 23623.525, "text": "Resin" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23624.165, "end": 23624.505, "text": "Thank you," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23624.905, "end": 23625.745, "text": "Councillor Wyness," }, { "speaker": "Councillor J. Wyness", "start": 23627.085, "end": 23627.405, "text": "here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23628.025, "end": 23629.165, "text": "Thank you, Councillor Ewell," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23629.945, "end": 23630.145, "text": "Here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23630.405, "end": 23631.005, "text": "Councillor Kelly," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23632.525, "end": 23633.265, "text": "Councillor Dollywell," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23634.865, "end": 23636.005, "text": "Councillor Pandazopos," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23637.645, "end": 23638.525, "text": "Councillor Atkinson," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 23639.285, "end": 23640.145, "text": "and Mayor Farkas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23640.485, "end": 23641.365, "text": "I'm here. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23643.305, "end": 23646.525, "text": "Thank you, colleagues. We're resuming our public hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23647.005, "end": 23650.565, "text": "Do we have anyone in the audience in the chamber with us who would like to speak?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23651.385, "end": 23653.585, "text": "All right, come on down. We have uh two people there." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23657.065, "end": 23665.625, "text": "I'm now going to go to folks who are on the phone line. Is there anyone from 100 plus who we did not catch earlier?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 23668.365, "end": 23670.605, "text": "Um, I'm here on panel fifty-two." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23671.125, "end": 23674.325, "text": "Okay, please stand by. I'm just calling uh certain ranges of panels." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23675.505, "end": 23681.405, "text": "Uh is there anyone on the line from panels 90 through 100 that we didn't catch?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 23681.585, "end": 23684.025, "text": "And Andrew Well 93." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23685.385, "end": 23685.845, "text": "Sorry, could you" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 23685.845, "end": 23687.245, "text": "Adam Zinatelli, panel 91." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23687.765, "end": 23690.325, "text": "could you just repeat that? The gentleman who was on 93?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 23691.525, "end": 23692.945, "text": "Andrew Weldon." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23693.085, "end": 23693.785, "text": "Andrew? Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23695.345, "end": 23698.185, "text": "Was there anyone else from 90 through 100?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 23699.405, "end": 23701.665, "text": "Yes, panel 91, Adam Zinatelli." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23702.565, "end": 23706.245, "text": "All right, Adam on 91. Anyone else from 90 through 100?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23715.245, "end": 23720.905, "text": "Was there anyone from not panels 90 or sorry panels 85 through 89?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 23725.105, "end": 23726.705, "text": "Uh eighty nine." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23727.485, "end": 23729.445, "text": "Who is that uh just speaking right now?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 23731.545, "end": 23733.545, "text": "Uh this is Christine Worsher." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 23734.425, "end": 23735.325, "text": "Eighty nine." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23735.865, "end": 23750.345, "text": "Thank you, Christine. You'll be our final panelist for this panel. So we have the two individuals with us in the chamber, then we're gonna have Andrew, Adam, and Christine, and then we're gonna form a panel after that. So we'll start into this panel. Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23750.765, "end": 23752.305, "text": "Anthony, why don't you join us first?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23775.345, "end": 23787.965, "text": "Um before I begin my submissions, um I had the opportunity to write a piece for the Calgary Herald um that addressed in general terms a need for candor and transparency at City Hall. I see my clock's already started, so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23789.825, "end": 23791.205, "text": "should I just surrender now?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23791.805, "end": 23793.825, "text": "Because it's gonna take me three minutes to get this out to you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23794.605, "end": 23797.865, "text": "I have materials that I want to submit to you. That's why I said before I begin." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23798.425, "end": 23805.065, "text": "Oh, for sure. If uh we could provide it, we could we'll pause the clock for just a moment here, but if you have uh printed versions that you'd like to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23805.225, "end": 23809.485, "text": "This is why I said before I begin my submissions, hoping the clock would not start." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23809.705, "end": 23809.865, "text": "Yep." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23810.165, "end": 23812.585, "text": "Just uh please stand by. We'll have the clerk uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23813.685, "end": 23815.205, "text": "we'll uh we can reset your time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23815.765, "end": 23815.945, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 23850.685, "end": 23851.885, "text": "All right, I think we're ready to rock." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23852.325, "end": 23853.905, "text": "Thank you, sir. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23854.725, "end": 23931.825, "text": "Good afternoon, Council. My name is Anthony Cox. I'm a born and raised Calgarian. I've lived in Calgary virtually all of my life, and had opportunities to travel the world broadly and frequently, and had the opportunity to pursue my educational and professional goals. I appear before you holding a bachelor's degree in political science and a law degree. I have my own business. And what I've circulated to council today is two things. It's an op-ed that I wrote and was published in the Herald on March 25th of this year, as well as some excerpts from the Municipal Governments Act, which are pertinent and referenced in the op-ed and by me today. I have three topics that I would like to address today. The first is the potential for conflicts of interest in this matter. The second is the current infrastructure emergency. And the third is the constitutional and contractual protections for funding from the federal government. And I would ask that you ask me about those things. And if there is an indulgence, I also have some submissions I'd love to address regarding the case against haste. I am here to support the motion to fully repeal blanket rezoning, to fully restore the bylaw that existed prior to the bylaw imposed after the 2024 public hearings, and against the replacement by amendment of the current blanket rezoning bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 23932.325, "end": 24059.665, "text": "First one is the potential for conflicts of interests. I'm not here to provide legal advice on this topic, but I offer my observations on the conflict of interest uh principles identified in the Municipal Government Act. I'd like to speak to you a little bit about the law and how it affects, drives, and governs this process of proposed rezoning. The column that you have was published in the Calgary Herald, as I mentioned, on the 25th, so last week, 25th of March, and it addressed the notion of candor and transparency for members of council and the application of the MGA, particularly sections 170 sub-1, sub-B, and sections 172.1, sub 1 and 2. Also of interest are sections 172, sub-1, and 174, sub-1, sub-G. I've excerpted these aspects of the MGA and they are before you now. On February 17th, 2026, uh on the matter of the land redesignation for the Augusta Villas development, the mayor and council set the bear set the bar for candor, transparency, fiduciary diligence, and demonstrable leadership in the scrupulous avoidance of conflicts of interest. The mayor, with consultation with legal in this chamber, took what one can consider to be a noteworthy position with respect to the need for council members to be candid and transparent and to scrupulously avoid conflicts of interest in their roles on city council, be those conflicts material, pecuniary, indirect, or perceived. As fiduciaries of and for the city of Calgary and the people they represent, councillors, in my view, must not only do right in their actions as representatives, but must be seen to do right in those actions. Fiduciaries bear a standard of utmost good faith, placing the interests of their constituents and the integrity of their office above and ahead of all personal interests. This is essential to the good governance of the city of Calgary, to preserving integrity and the legitimacy of the city council, its members, and the policies they make, not to mention preserving the confidence of the people of Calgary. In the context of rezoning, uh there is really only one reason for a person to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 24060.145, "end": 24072.705, "text": "own uh a single uh RC one or what was an RC2 property and that was to house and shelter and raise their family. Correspondingly, uh I don't know if you can see this, I'm putting some things on the overhead. Oh." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 24074.885, "end": 24163.245, "text": "Oh, and the very able clerks are helping me. Thank you very much. Anyways, there's there's really only uh reasons, three reasons to own more than one residential or RC1 or RT RC2 property, and those are to rent out properties, to hold properties, or to develop properties, properties, summarized collectively as the pursuit of commercial gain, in short, to realize benefit on a pecuniary interest. As fiduciaries of the city of Calgary, uh council must not be in nor be perceived to be in a conflict of interest where they as individuals stand to benefit more or differently than the ordinary Calgarian there to represent. For clarity, this distinction is between ownerships which have a dominant prevailing use as a personal residence and a prevailing use as an inherently commercial revenue generating pecuniary interest. What I will say is there's there's a sample of what can happen when you own more than one. Make no mistake, there is a consequential big money involved in the development of densified inner city housing. When one can turn a single dwelling on a standard city lot uh into four, six, or even eight dwellings on that single lot, each selling for as much or more than the single dwelling it's supplanted, there is materially a pecuniary financial pursuit. So as Councillor, sorry, if a Councillor were to have an interest in a property beyond those that they live in personally, that is eligible." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24163.245, "end": 24166.825, "text": "So much you're just at time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 24166.985, "end": 24199.345, "text": "Uh sure, thank you. So I'll just restart and conclude that sentence worship. If a Councillor were to have an interest in a property beyond the one that they live in personally that is eligible for densified development under an endorsement or facilitation through blanket rezoning, with very limited exception, there is a pecuniary pecuniary interest that should be disclosed prior to public hearing, and an action of utmost good faith should be taken by that Councillor to recuse or abstain. And if I have other things that I'd love to share with you if anyone wishes to hear more about it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24199.525, "end": 24200.605, "text": "Thank you. Don't go far" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24200.745, "end": 24205.565, "text": "in case uh there may be follow up questions. Thank you. We'll go to our next presenter in person here, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24208.325, "end": 24210.525, "text": "If you would mind just letting us know your name and panel number." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24210.625, "end": 24210.985, "text": "Sure." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24211.225, "end": 24214.365, "text": "Hello, my name is Laura Comden, panel 105." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24216.105, "end": 24223.485, "text": "Um, thank you for uh giving me this opportunity to speak. As a citizen of Calgary, I live I'm a resident of Ward 9 in Dover." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24224.465, "end": 24231.525, "text": "Um I'm a volunteer at the Community Association running a music series in the neighborhood garden." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24231.705, "end": 24233.905, "text": "Um, although I'm here today representing myself." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24235.985, "end": 24236.765, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24236.985, "end": 24255.565, "text": "My take, which I felt was underrepresented, was the against repealing blanket rezoning. I believe it's short-sighted. I really liked Alice Lamb's sentiment and her suggestion to look to the Toronto City Council, who expressed regret with not changing zoning rules sooner." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24256.705, "end": 24261.105, "text": "I want to share a story about something that happened last year. It's a bit unorthodox," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24261.365, "end": 24264.785, "text": "especially following that gentleman." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24265.445, "end": 24266.925, "text": "So bear with me." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24267.905, "end": 24277.585, "text": "I was visiting a large American city last year, and when we go to places like New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, we get a special insight into what our potential future looks like." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24278.045, "end": 24282.745, "text": "as we are growing rapidly and we can see how their problems may one day be our problems too." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24283.125, "end": 24296.985, "text": "Here in the smaller city of Calgary, we have an opportunity to incorporate preventative measures to avoid some of those larger problems that they face. I feel like it's like stepping into a time machine and going back to warn people, if you don't stop, this might happen here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24297.825, "end": 24311.485, "text": "I was on the plain to San Francisco, a city I'd visited many times before, when my friend asked if I'd heard about the crisis they'd been having. It was a protest pooping crisis on the streets of San Francisco. You may have heard of it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24311.965, "end": 24315.285, "text": "In the middle of the sidewalk, in the middle of the day," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24316.525, "end": 24326.125, "text": "there was poop all over the city, forcing tourists and taxpayers on their way to work to walk in constant vigilance with their heads down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24326.885, "end": 24383.825, "text": "Every morning and every night, shopkeepers were hosing down the sidewalks for the majority of the downtown. It was the new normal, and this had been going on since 2018. The social services in San Francisco are quite good given the size of the city, but what it comes down to is a severe lack of housing, and a result of that, the social fabric of the city has been torn and no one seems to know how to repair it. They've added trailers in certain areas, they had an app for reporting. They had people on the streets patrolling, and it's and they threw $65 million at the problem last year, and nothing appears to have worked. It's not because it's not fixing the core issue. So because this level of disruption is the only thing that is working to really showcase the many layers of suffering in a system that can't keep up, in a system that sort of perpetuates poverty, it continues." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24384.445, "end": 24390.845, "text": "On the last day, I stepped in it, as it was only a matter of time. Um I slipped my shoe off" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24391.505, "end": 24397.325, "text": "and left it there, like this sort of piece of found art for passerbys to see, and I thought" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24398.565, "end": 24420.605, "text": "I mean it ruined my day, but it also just changed my view of urban planning completely because I thought about, you know, the mayors and the counselors sitting in their chambers throughout the 90s and early 2000s having no idea of the future of their city and the problems that were gonna come. And what they were making decisions about were housing, about zoning, and they were unaware of all of these problems." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24421.725, "end": 24447.105, "text": "So those were the root cause of the problems. So when I hear people talking about not having enough parking spots for their car in front of their house when I like am watching an encampment being taken down at the green space at the end of my street, I fear our priorities are very skewed. If you won't, I feel like if they won't let them build apartments or row houses, then we have to get ready for tents and a loss of dignity for our neighbors." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24447.985, "end": 24464.725, "text": "I fear we're not taking into account the domino effect, the negative changes that may occur if we don't do right by our neighbors living paycheck to paycheck. And when the sprawl that we are known for is to blame for much of our crumbling infrastructure and rising property taxes, I see that this isn't even like." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24466.525, "end": 24467.665, "text": "Hard to imagine." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24468.905, "end": 24474.465, "text": "People have been treating the housing market like a game, which they can profit off for several decades, and I feel like it's catching up." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 24475.165, "end": 24488.305, "text": "So I thought that if I could come here and paint a picture of a very dystopian experience that I had, that maybe you would see this issue a little bit differently too, and be a little bit more prepared for the long term consequences of what you decide to do. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24489.365, "end": 24491.465, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24492.045, "end": 24495.165, "text": "Andrew on 93, then Adam on 91 after that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24495.725, "end": 24496.525, "text": "Please go ahead, Andrew." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24497.905, "end": 24508.505, "text": "Yes, thank you. Greetings, Mayor and Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Andrew Weldon, and my wife and I have lived in Univers University Heights, which is in Ward 7, since 1987." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24509.245, "end": 24512.385, "text": "My understanding is that there are two parts of the motion before council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24512.685, "end": 24527.025, "text": "Number one is the full repeal of the citywide rezoning for housing that was approved by council in May of 24 and came into effect August of that year, called citywide rezoning, and bringing back the low density residential zones that existed prior to the citywide rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24527.585, "end": 24528.845, "text": "For example, if a property" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24529.105, "end": 24535.565, "text": "rezoned RC1 prior to August 24, then after August 24, that property was designated as RCG." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24536.065, "end": 24543.605, "text": "If the motion currently before council is passed, then this property would revert back to the pre August 24 zoning, which is RC1." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24544.085, "end": 24548.945, "text": "I am fully in favor of this part of the motion, which is in support of the majority of this council" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24549.425, "end": 24553.265, "text": "who were elected on their pledge for a full repeal of the citywide rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24554.085, "end": 24562.145, "text": "The second part of the motion, which deals with amendments to the definition of what can be built on a property zoned as RCG, is somewhat more problematic." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24562.825, "end": 24568.885, "text": "The primary reason is that these amendments were not discussed in a wholesome manner with Calgarians prior to this public meeting." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24569.325, "end": 24577.125, "text": "Whereas I appreciate the council is trying to address certain issues with the rules governing building size, location, and location on the lot, etc.," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24577.345, "end": 24589.245, "text": "the summary information provided to Calgarians is very superficial and unclear, and this topic requires a more in depth understanding to ensure Calgarians are fully aware of these proposed amendments." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24590.505, "end": 24596.785, "text": "I respectfully suggest that these amendments be the subject of a future public hearing after fully engaging with Calgarians." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24597.185, "end": 24599.985, "text": "I am, accordingly, against this part of the motion." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24600.645, "end": 24615.165, "text": "There have been tens of thousands of volunteer hours spent on providing input on various processes over the last several years, including area redevelopment plans, the guidebook for great communities, and on the current local area plans or LAPs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24615.625, "end": 24630.365, "text": "I suggest that the excellent feedback and input by Calgarians on the LAPs be used as a starting point for any amendments to the RCG building types to ensure that the RCG bills and the bills contemplated in the LAPS are consistent." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24631.465, "end": 24651.845, "text": "It was highly disrespectful to those Calgarians who spent so much time and energy and resources in providing feedback and input on the LAPs when the August 24 citywide rezoning rendered most of this work useless as builders could construct an RCG building anywhere in a community without taking into account the building form set out in the LAP." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24652.505, "end": 24671.405, "text": "Specifically, I respectfully suggest that the excellent feedback provided by Calgarians to administration on all of the LAPs be reviewed earnestly and honestly by administration to ensure proposed RCG build forms are consistent with Calgarians' feedback on the LAPs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24672.085, "end": 24686.405, "text": "As a final note, it is disheartening to hear of the number of people in the city who are looking for affordable housing. It is equally disheartening to see the city-owned Midfield Mobile Home Park continue to sit empty nine years after the mobile homes were removed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24686.785, "end": 24698.125, "text": "I propose that the city direct administration to investigate the feasibility of having Attainable Homes Calgary install factory built modular homes on this site." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24698.465, "end": 24712.965, "text": "The land is there and the services are in. Let's get going. Attainable Homes is in partnership with ECOS structures and could have people living affordably in a very short period of time. I am not associated with either of these entities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_54", "start": 24713.425, "end": 24742.725, "text": "As a final final note, I have been very impressed with this council's admirable handing of the water main break, which is a result of decisions made by previous councils, and I trust you will handle this repeal as I have set out today in the same responsible manner. In summary, part one, keep your promise. Please repeal the citywide rezoning. Part two, please slow down, engage properly, respect and use the work Celgarians have already done. Thank you so much. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24743.505, "end": 24750.025, "text": "Thank you for being with us. We'll go now to Adam on 91. Then Christine on 89 after that. Please go ahead, Adam." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24751.105, "end": 24755.205, "text": "Hello, Marin Council. My name is Adam Zinatelli. I'm a resident of Ward 7." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24755.625, "end": 24763.065, "text": "I wouldn't usually speak at a hearing like this, but uh with these proceedings on in my house over the last week or two, I felt compelled to speak up." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24763.625, "end": 24765.605, "text": "I own a home in an inner city neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24765.965, "end": 24768.705, "text": "I like that I can control what happens on my property." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24769.405, "end": 24771.185, "text": "I can paint my house whatever color I want." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24771.705, "end": 24773.225, "text": "I can build the type of fence I want," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24773.405, "end": 24775.425, "text": "and I get to decide what I plant in my garden." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24776.125, "end": 24781.265, "text": "But my understanding of property rights is that beyond my property line, it's really none of my business." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24782.725, "end": 24784.765, "text": "Case in point, across the alley from me," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24785.005, "end": 24788.025, "text": "bungalows were torn down and replaced with an RTG row house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24788.465, "end": 24789.565, "text": "What are my thoughts on this?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24789.925, "end": 24793.985, "text": "Frankly, I don't think much about it since it doesn't affect me in any way that matters to me." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24794.665, "end": 24797.565, "text": "The residents of this new building might be able to see in my backyard." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24797.905, "end": 24798.325, "text": "Well," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24798.705, "end": 24800.905, "text": "the single family houses near me can do that too." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24801.665, "end": 24803.385, "text": "They might be able to look in my kitchen window." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24803.645, "end": 24805.585, "text": "Fortunately, I have blinds." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24806.085, "end": 24810.365, "text": "Maybe someone in this row house will have a visitor who arrives by car and parks in front of my house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24810.905, "end": 24817.305, "text": "Thank goodness I'm required to have two on site parking spaces, which really is a bit much as our household has just.5 of a car." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24817.785, "end": 24819.605, "text": "And nobody owns the street in front of their house." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24820.445, "end": 24822.185, "text": "Am I worried about traffic? No." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24822.545, "end": 24828.145, "text": "But if I were, I would decide to drive my car less and advocate for better transit and active transportation infrastructure." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24829.545, "end": 24833.545, "text": "I think a lot of people just don't have strong feelings about development in their neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24834.005, "end": 24840.885, "text": "I'm speaking on behalf of all these people who couldn't be bothered because honestly, if these hearings hadn't been on in my house all week, that would be me." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24842.025, "end": 24846.085, "text": "I love where I live. And I think it's great if more people have a chance to live here too." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24846.585, "end": 24854.465, "text": "So I oppose the repeal of this policy that makes it possible to build more places for people to live. I have a hard time seeing why it's such a big deal to some people." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24855.845, "end": 24857.025, "text": "A couple of closing thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24857.645, "end": 24862.305, "text": "Some of you in the horseshoe today campaigned on repealing this. Some of you campaigned on not repealing it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24862.865, "end": 24866.405, "text": "I would like to address those of you who campaigned on quote repeal and replace." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24866.965, "end": 24874.065, "text": "That is not what lies before you to vote on this week. This is just repeal. At the most optimistic, it's repeal, then hopefully replace." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24874.385, "end": 24879.645, "text": "Repeal and replace means one vote to replace the current rules with new ones that prepare Calgary for its future." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24880.025, "end": 24884.165, "text": "If you campaigned on repeal and replace, a yes vote this week is to break a campaign promise." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24885.465, "end": 24886.205, "text": "Finally," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24886.385, "end": 24893.985, "text": "There have been presentations in this hearing that claim that the original vote to implement zoning reform was undemocratic because more people spoke in opposition than in support." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24894.705, "end": 24899.985, "text": "These public hearings are not exercises in direct democracy. This is not a referendum." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24900.965, "end": 24905.045, "text": "Through free and fair elections, we enjoy agency in this representative democracy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24905.285, "end": 24910.945, "text": "Council's election is the will of the people, and you're tasked with serving the interests of all Calgarians, present and future." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24911.665, "end": 24919.125, "text": "It's feeling more and more like these hearings are becoming an exercise in head counting, where sheer numbers speaking for or against something are used to justify a vote." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24919.825, "end": 24927.985, "text": "In hearings like this, you're hearing from a tiny fraction of Calgarians, and it seems to me, a fraction that is not representative of Calgary's diverse population and diverse needs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24928.725, "end": 24934.365, "text": "I'd like to think that the quality of insight and data, along with varying perspectives, are what would move the needle rather than volume." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24934.825, "end": 24941.445, "text": "But as long as members of Council treat these hearings like straw poles or referenda, they will continue to get longer and longer and longer." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24942.065, "end": 24943.525, "text": "Is that what you want?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24944.525, "end": 24949.965, "text": "Repealing blanket rezoning will significantly increase the number of land use hearings that Council is obliged to hear." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24950.305, "end": 24957.685, "text": "The same thing will happen with them as with this. Is the civic machine prepared for week-long hearings on whether someone in Capitol Hill can build the laneway suite?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 24958.045, "end": 24962.305, "text": "This is the future a refill points us towards, and it does not serve the city. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24963.525, "end": 24966.965, "text": "Thank you so much. We'll go to Christine to round off this panel, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24973.745, "end": 24976.205, "text": "Christine from panel 89, are you still with us?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 24980.865, "end": 24982.025, "text": "Jerry, can you hear me?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24982.145, "end": 24983.385, "text": "Yes, we can. Please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 24983.385, "end": 24986.485, "text": "Can you hear me? Okay. I had muted myself, sorry." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 24987.625, "end": 24988.865, "text": "Thank you for muting yourself." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 24988.865, "end": 24989.645, "text": "Counselors." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 24990.605, "end": 25007.005, "text": "Yeah, I made that mistake before. Ah Mayor Fargus and Counselors, thank you for your perseverance and patience and giving us all an opportunity to speak. Who wanted to speak or to send something in? Uh it's amazing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25008.005, "end": 25013.105, "text": "I'm Christine Worsher from Ward 8, and I'm speaking on behalf of my husband and myself." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25013.465, "end": 25016.925, "text": "We are in favor of repealing the blanket rezoning bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25017.765, "end": 25022.525, "text": "We are not against higher density developments in our neighborhood per se." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25023.385, "end": 25023.785, "text": "But" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25024.245, "end": 25030.865, "text": "the problem with the blanket rezoning bylaw is that it is in effect saying that one size fits all." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25031.325, "end": 25033.865, "text": "One size definitely does not fit all." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25034.265, "end": 25037.405, "text": "There are differences within and between communities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25037.925, "end": 25040.765, "text": "Developments need to be contextual." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25041.245, "end": 25052.545, "text": "They need to be sensitive to the topography, the location of homes, the presence of old trees and heritage properties, and have some consideration for longtime existing residents." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25053.165, "end": 25056.705, "text": "Since 2000, we have lived on an east west lot." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25058.545, "end": 25068.645, "text": "Developed received taxation by maximum height, lot cover, bridge, maximum building depth, and minimum front setback, and build a house to our immediate south." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25069.045, "end": 25072.845, "text": "That has similar dimensions to the maximum proposed by the new bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25073.985, "end": 25080.785, "text": "Therefore, we believe we have some insights about the impacts that blanket rezoning has or will have on others." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25081.245, "end": 25095.005, "text": "We would like to just highlight two aspects in particular the impacts of increased shading due to increased height and shortened flatbacks, and impacts of flooding due to increased non porous lot coverage." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25096.505, "end": 25098.545, "text": "A 10 meter plus building." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25099.085, "end": 25111.665, "text": "High building creates a lot of shade, especially to its north and in winter. With a new house beside us, no sunlight comes into our house for four months of the year, and our lot is mostly shade covered even in summer." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25112.365, "end": 25119.185, "text": "We think that such tall and long developments should not be built on east west lots except at the far north of the block," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25119.545, "end": 25122.305, "text": "where there are no immediate northern neighbors." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25122.765, "end": 25125.365, "text": "For the same reason for north south lots," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25125.545, "end": 25127.405, "text": "all long development" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25127.745, "end": 25130.105, "text": "should be kept to the south side of the street." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25130.425, "end": 25132.085, "text": "At the north end of their block." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25133.125, "end": 25139.225, "text": "Hills should also be taken in consideration because they can exacerbate or diminish shading effects to the north." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25140.185, "end": 25146.625, "text": "While access to sunlight might seem trivial, we believe it contributes to the people's mental health in our city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25147.245, "end": 25152.085, "text": "We can s experience this every time the sun comes out after a couple of days of forecast" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25152.525, "end": 25154.125, "text": "of overcast skies," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25154.425, "end": 25155.725, "text": "people are happier." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25156.925, "end": 25170.205, "text": "And in addition, increased shade negatively impacts most trees and other vegetation, and especially new saplings, as most species do better in full sun or partial shade rather than full shade." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25171.345, "end": 25173.625, "text": "Our second point has to do with lot coverage." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25174.145, "end": 25181.845, "text": "As a result of blanket rezoning, the permissible lot coverage in our neighborhood has gone up from 45% to 60%." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25182.165, "end": 25187.465, "text": "Indeed, on our block, the mean coverage was 32% prior to the new build next door" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25187.785, "end": 25192.505, "text": "because the ARP area redevelopment plan." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25192.785, "end": 25202.805, "text": "had designated it as a garden suburb area where lot coverage was, quote, meant to be significantly less than the maximum permissible by the land use bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25204.325, "end": 25213.685, "text": "Not only does greater lot coverage never negatively affect the whole nature of the neighborhood, which has been enjoyed by residents and non residents alike," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25213.985, "end": 25216.425, "text": "but it also increases the risk of flooding." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25217.105, "end": 25226.105, "text": "With larger dwellings and garages, more rain is collected and I've seen it gushing out of downspots to the alleys and into storm sewers." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25226.425, "end": 25228.165, "text": "Which can then empty into the river" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25229.005, "end": 25231.785, "text": "and cause flooding down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25233.865, "end": 25242.745, "text": "Dry wells can mitigate this, but um the tendency to install non-porous landscaping as well" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25243.125, "end": 25245.905, "text": "uh means that there's a lot of surface runoff." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25246.945, "end": 25252.225, "text": "That should be considered uh when, especially for neighborhoods that are on hills." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25253.425, "end": 25262.585, "text": "Only development guidelines that are sensitive to the context, such as LAPs and different types of zoning, make sense for creating a thriving reverse city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25262.865, "end": 25264.765, "text": "Of course, these can only work" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25265.025, "end": 25270.905, "text": "if the city planning division actually upholds the zoning standards and LAP considerations" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25271.085, "end": 25273.085, "text": "and does not grant relaxation" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25275.865, "end": 25277.705, "text": "zoned on appeal in the past." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25277.985, "end": 25280.645, "text": "Unfortunately, this has not been our experience." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25281.005, "end": 25285.145, "text": "With blanket zoning, residents have even less recourse for appeal." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25285.285, "end": 25290.145, "text": "while developers have more leeway to impose their visions on existing neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25290.565, "end": 25292.465, "text": "Increasing density is good," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_09", "start": 25293.325, "end": 25297.225, "text": "but it's to be done thoughtfully by considering the context. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 25297.945, "end": 25301.525, "text": "Thank you so much for being with us. Let's go to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 25302.145, "end": 25304.325, "text": "Councillor McLean, please, for Mr. Cox." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25304.745, "end": 25308.585, "text": "Yes, Mr. Cox, I'm probably correct in assuming you might have more to say." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25311.505, "end": 25313.665, "text": "While you g well and we get up in the f uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25314.305, "end": 25322.345, "text": "I want to uh on behalf of last council apologize. I think there was a viral clip that was went pretty wildly that you I think you were treated poorly" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25322.585, "end": 25323.545, "text": "by some on council" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25323.925, "end": 25325.545, "text": "were not supposed to combat and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25326.065, "end": 25328.725, "text": "with and or engage like that with speakers." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25329.325, "end": 25333.705, "text": "And rest assured this council I think has a much higher standard of how we're dealing with the public. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25334.185, "end": 25335.945, "text": "I gotta accept my apologies for what" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25336.365, "end": 25337.705, "text": "the last instance when you uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25338.585, "end": 25339.585, "text": "when you spoke. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25339.885, "end": 25340.725, "text": "having said that," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25341.185, "end": 25343.065, "text": "please finish what you had to say." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25343.205, "end": 25346.105, "text": "Thank you, Councillor McLean. I I appreciate that. That was uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25347.665, "end": 25371.285, "text": "that was September 15th of 2023. And uh when I when I came down when I was unsupervised by my wife for a few hours and spoke to uh council, that was the last thing that I expected to happen. And I certainly didn't get expect to see where it went, but I'm I'm frankly I'm glad that it did because it it uh it spoke to what we can be as a city and what we can be as a council. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25371.545, "end": 25392.905, "text": "Yay, thank you very much for those kind words. A couple things I did want to finish, and if you'll indulge me, Councillor. Just to reset where I left off, if a Councillor, and I'm talking about the potential for conflicts of interest, and uh and now I now that I'm a little bit less constrained by the time, I can say that I was inspired to write the op ed that I did." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25393.625, "end": 25395.085, "text": "Because of what I saw" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25395.545, "end": 25441.925, "text": "in council on February 17th, 2026, when the matter of the Augusta Villas, 35 townhouse uh unit development in Springbank Hill was addressed by uh the mayor and was questioned uh appropriately and and and uh and and uh and and and politely by by Councillor chabot and it yielded what I think is really great uh leadership. So I thank you for that uh mayor. I think that was that was very very smart to do and to verify it with legal uh in real time was was an impressive uh state. Uh anyways, uh talking about about owning one property versus multiple properties that would have been formerly known as RC1 or RC2. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25442.125, "end": 25442.625, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25444.725, "end": 25456.405, "text": "if a Councillor were to have an interest in a property beyond the one that they live in personally that is eligible for densified development under an endorsement or facilitation through blanket rezoning," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25457.845, "end": 25476.645, "text": "With very limited exception, there is inherently a pecuniary interest that, in my view, uh should be disclosed prior to the public hearing and action should be taken to exercise those ethical muscles to demonstrate uh utmost good faith. And and that would be to say, hey, as" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25477.005, "end": 25497.285, "text": "Mayor Farkas did on the 17th of February say, There's a thing here, I want to tell you about it, and I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to tell you why. Sunlight is the friend of all good governance. I think that was sunlight. If a Councillor did have multiple properties and chose to remain engaged in the public hearing and proceed to vote," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25497.785, "end": 25513.805, "text": "in my respectful submission, they should, at the very least, declare and explain their perceived conflict of interest if it is perceived, pecuniary, if it is that, if it is indirect or something else, they should declare that too, so that we as observers can know." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25514.485, "end": 25539.325, "text": "What's going on? What's on your mind while you're you're considering this very important stuff? And they should very at the very least declare their their potential or perceived conflict of interest for the information of the public, which who are the voters, and let their constituents decide at election time if the Councillor did the right and ethical thing by a bringing it up and staying in or moving out of that particular hearing. And just to be clear," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25539.785, "end": 25540.365, "text": "um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25540.925, "end": 25542.545, "text": "as I reference in the op ed," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25542.945, "end": 25552.305, "text": "There used to be a Councillor code of conduct and there used to be provisions for member disclosure statements. And you know, I" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25552.665, "end": 25578.965, "text": "I'm an older person and I'm not great at the internet, but I'm okay. I can find my way around to important things most of the time. I could not find under the accountability section on the City of Calgary website where it used to be located that the Councillor disclosure statements. And I looked at those, I would say it was late December or early January of this year, and I saw disclosures of council members on that accountability accountability section of the website." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25580.065, "end": 25590.465, "text": "Two weeks ago, nowhere to be found. Nobody's saying nothing. So maybe you don't have to, maybe you should, maybe you don't have anything to say. It's fine," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25590.865, "end": 25598.505, "text": "but at least that section should be there on the City of Calgary website so that we can at least have the opportunity to efficiently" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25599.325, "end": 25604.725, "text": "be transparent and candid with our with our constituents. And just to be clear." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25605.245, "end": 25650.485, "text": "In my submission, the absence of a mandatory Councillor disclosure statement requirement does not absolve the Councillor of their obligations to be candid and transparent about their interests, and further, it doesn't absolve them of their duty to not act in a conflict of interest when participating in city council activities. This seems to be very nicely covered in section 172 sub 1 of the MGA, which has been circulated for all of your attention. And the Councillor disqualification elements for a conflict of interest for breaches of section 172 of the MGA are covered in section 174 sub 1 sub G." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25650.705, "end": 25653.925, "text": "I'm sorry, can I I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Cox. Please. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25654.365, "end": 25657.885, "text": "I think we all want to kind of keep this on the blank and rezoning com but but just" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25658.085, "end": 25658.925, "text": "FYI." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25659.285, "end": 25665.325, "text": "Just today I think we got a letter at the province is coming up with Bill 28. It's gonna look into all the pecuniary interests and disclosures." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25665.705, "end": 25667.785, "text": "But I think that's all gonna be re re remedied." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25668.165, "end": 25669.585, "text": "important discussion because" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25669.885, "end": 25671.365, "text": "you know, I'm not saying you're not wrong about" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25671.865, "end": 25673.285, "text": "uh someone counsel last time, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25673.845, "end": 25679.145, "text": "just in the interest of everybody's time we can kinda knock a little bit on the blanket resort. It'd be good if I can say that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25679.285, "end": 25693.425, "text": "Understand. My my submission to conclude with that point, uh Councillor, is simply this. Um to my earlier point, you don't have to have a mandatory MGA requirement to disclose it in a specific format in order to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25693.965, "end": 25730.725, "text": "Be compelled to do that if you have those properties. If you don't have those properties, it's a really good idea to put up your hand, as Mayor Farkas did, to say, I don't know if this is a thing or not, but I'm telling you what it is, and this is what I think I'm gonna do, and I'm allowed to do it under the MGA. But the time the the the the and and interestingly enough, the announcement of the uh the codes of conduct was was announced by the provincial government the day after my op ed landed. So this was written before that. And what I understand the situation would be is if someone is found after the fact to have breached that, they still breached it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25731.225, "end": 25738.105, "text": "Those disclosure and declaration elements. And if they've acted in a conflict of interest, it is. So, out of the interest of efficiency," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25738.605, "end": 25764.185, "text": "you know, last time when I did this in May of 2024, I had two counselors put up their hand and say, I'm clean, sir, and they explain what that was. There's no harm in that, it just clears the air. So I just think that's an important thing to do because there's a whole lot of work, there's millions of dollars that have been put into this set of public hearings, and for it to be toppled or tainted or corrupted or or confused, for lack of any more suitable words." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25765.085, "end": 25771.805, "text": "That's a waste of time when all somebody has to do is say, I don't have anything. I have seven properties, I have three properties that might" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25772.265, "end": 25778.445, "text": "trigger the sections under the MGA. I'm here to talk about them and seek advice. That's that's the concluder on that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25780.025, "end": 25781.845, "text": "Yeah. Thank you for that question, Councillor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25782.565, "end": 25784.705, "text": "Excellent. Thank you again so much for uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_25", "start": 25785.485, "end": 25786.125, "text": "coming to present." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 25786.425, "end": 25787.225, "text": "Thank you very much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 25788.065, "end": 25790.185, "text": "Thank you. I'm gonna go over to Councillor Clark, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_22", "start": 25791.745, "end": 25794.505, "text": "Yes, thank you, Chair. Um Ms. Comden," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_22", "start": 25795.425, "end": 25815.425, "text": "as the only Ward Niner to show up today, I had to say hello. I thought you gave a very uh uh interesting presentation, very unique. I mean, it's the first time we were talking about it. Uh this dystopian piece, but um so yeah, thank you for that. I suppose um I think I believe you said you work with the Dover Community Association." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_22", "start": 25815.965, "end": 25821.225, "text": "And so uh when we think about Ward 9 and communities like Dover." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_22", "start": 25822.105, "end": 25845.105, "text": "When we think about renewal and what happens next in those communities as we try to find space, I just wonder, you see the conversation that we're having here, you see the question before us and where it may go. I wonder if you have any thoughts on the the best and appropriate decision, even if it's a compromise, if something has to, it's an amendment of some kind that would best support your neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25846.525, "end": 25854.885, "text": "When I was uh volunteering on a campaign in the fall, we door knocked over uh much of Ward 9." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25855.485, "end": 25856.185, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25857.565, "end": 25880.405, "text": "I've heard in in lots of these discussions that people it's a it's a hot topic. It never came up. It never came up at a single door in when when I was there. And I just thought it was interesting that the neighbors that I was talking to had uh lots of concerns about safety, lots of concerns about affordability and transit, but they were less concerned with the um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25881.185, "end": 25882.265, "text": "With the rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25883.225, "end": 25895.985, "text": "And I thought that was interesting. So I do feel like I am partially representing my neighbors in coming here because I do think it is less the repealing is less of a priority for them. But that being said, I did see, you know," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25896.645, "end": 25915.045, "text": "I do see encampments quite often being dismantled and finding housing for young people and for students and for my children when they're older is also is a priority for me. So yeah, just I think we made some good ground, and I'm of the mindset that we needed more time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25915.845, "end": 25921.345, "text": "To see the differences and that that's a priority and and I do see that I'm probably um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25923.565, "end": 25936.345, "text": "uh the minority, but but if if this were to repeal, I do think making changes and being thoughtful and thinking long term is is the most important thing for for me." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_22", "start": 25936.905, "end": 25942.485, "text": "Yeah, I really appreciate you um taking the time to explain that and uh and for being here today. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_56", "start": 25942.565, "end": 25942.985, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 25943.665, "end": 25945.125, "text": "Thank you. Councillor Ward, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25945.345, "end": 25947.525, "text": "Uh Mr. Zenatelli, are you still on the phone?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 25948.445, "end": 25949.125, "text": "Yes, I am." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25949.385, "end": 25950.885, "text": "Quick question. My" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25951.045, "end": 25962.145, "text": "my perhaps most famous line in council is that I've never seen 0.65 of a car in my life. But I believe you said you have 0.5 of a car. Could you explain that?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 25963.045, "end": 25965.125, "text": "Yeah, for sure. So um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 25965.605, "end": 25975.065, "text": "uh I'm married, I uh I live with my wife and our two children. We have an arrangement with uh with two neighbors, an elderly couple. We share a single small car between two households." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25975.065, "end": 25975.305, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 25975.305, "end": 25976.425, "text": "So that's uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_55", "start": 25977.025, "end": 25981.685, "text": "That's uh four adults, two children, one small compact hybrid car." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25982.045, "end": 25990.405, "text": "thank you for resolving my curiosity. I very much appreciate that. Um Mr. Cox, if I could ask just a quick question of you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25991.065, "end": 25994.465, "text": "I believe one of the topics you were gonna Sorry, Mr. Anthony Cox." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 25996.945, "end": 25999.065, "text": "Um I believe you were gonna talk about" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 26000.065, "end": 26003.945, "text": "the case against haste, is that correct? If you could just like quickly cover that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26003.945, "end": 26004.765, "text": "I sure can." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26006.305, "end": 26009.125, "text": "100%. Um they might be enjoying this." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 26009.845, "end": 26010.905, "text": "I don't know." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26010.905, "end": 26061.365, "text": "But it's but it's it's a good Friday eve, so I'm mindful. So, anyways, I first made submissions to uh the city housing on the city housing strategy and house housing policy in September of 2023. Uh on uh on September 16th, the day after the hearings closed, uh there was a special meeting called of council, and some of you were here and you may remember that, at which point the question was called, and everything that had happened over the the hundreds of hours that council administration and and and citizens had put in uh was considered in less than 24 hours the question was called and blanket rezoning was approved as the next the next step. So that that's that's the thing that I worry about here. I urge this council to please avoid fudging, for lack of a more polite word, um, the current blanket rezoning bylaw into some sort of knee jerk compromise." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26061.685, "end": 26067.925, "text": "um uh without substantive and meaningful uh consultation in the proper form for which it's designed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26068.365, "end": 26071.705, "text": "I thought of this because I've been watching this" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26072.345, "end": 26077.365, "text": "public hearing with great interest, as much as humanly possible, and that's a lot." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26077.945, "end": 26104.365, "text": "I heard Mr. Mike Borkrystol uh speaking for nearly two hours at this hearing himself, not to mention his colleagues, uh, who uh advocated for the for from the perspective of developers uh on residential dense densification in favor of blanket rezoning generally. Mr. Borkrystal's experience and his expertise were both warmly welcomed by this council. I thought that was great, as it as it should be. And and he was invited uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26105.285, "end": 26110.985, "text": "to continue to engage in the policy development process after the hearings, because this was not the place for that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26111.545, "end": 26123.705, "text": "exact con consultation. I also heard that day, I think it was that day, I heard Miss Stephanie Chapur speak about the tenets of visitability, a word I'd never heard before, and I think it's an important word." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26124.005, "end": 26136.245, "text": "Um, and and the reform of the building code and her advocacy as a person with disability and for persons with disabilities. Ms. Chapur's experience and expertise was warmly welcomed, as was Mr. Borkris's." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26136.745, "end": 26139.925, "text": "And that needs to be included in this process, Councillor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26139.925, "end": 26140.165, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26140.165, "end": 26152.305, "text": "And if we do this in a week, you aren't gonna do that. So my suggestion, my respectful request and urging is separate the two the two things before council repeal and restore." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26152.565, "end": 26168.545, "text": "And ignore the uh the uh uh amendments for the time being because there is a better time and a place to do that where you can consult smart people like Ms. Shapur and Mr. Bohrcrystal and really shape policy well amongst the hundreds of others you may want to talk to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 26168.645, "end": 26170.625, "text": "Understood. Thank you for answering that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26170.785, "end": 26183.885, "text": "Thank you. And I just if I if I can, I just wanted to point out some simple math on what happens to the economics. It was a slide that I didn't get to speak to. If I can speak to it in like one minute or less, I'd appreciate it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 26184.465, "end": 26185.645, "text": "Go very quickly, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26185.645, "end": 26219.925, "text": "Well, so that was that was the slide which talks about uh a sample densification redevelopment scenario. You buy the lot for 800 grand, you build eight units on what used to be an RC1 or RC2 lot, the average selling price of that that new unit is about 800 grand, the total redevelopment revenue is 6.4 million, uh, the average profit per unit might be 125 grand, and the total single lot development profits about a million for the people who are involved in that. And that's why I talk about the conflict of interest stuff, because it's not a small amount of money we're talking about here. If you have two lots," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26220.285, "end": 26239.185, "text": "The conservative estimate for what they might make if you own multiple properties might be two million dollars. It might be a little less, might be a little more. Five lots, you're up to five million bucks if you're if you're getting to skate through on blanket rezoning without further sunlight on conflicts of interest and the interests of neighbors, which is what blanket rezoning took away." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_35", "start": 26239.505, "end": 26240.865, "text": "Got it. Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_26", "start": 26240.865, "end": 26241.765, "text": "Thank you. I appreciate it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26244.445, "end": 26247.305, "text": "Thank you. This uh concludes that panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26247.505, "end": 26248.185, "text": "All right." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26249.185, "end": 26253.045, "text": "We're gonna build our uh next panel here. I saw a gentleman just walked in, so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26253.485, "end": 26255.125, "text": "it's your lucky day. Coming up, Jeremy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26258.165, "end": 26264.525, "text": "Uh please stand by. Our first uh panelist will be Jeremy, and we'll try to track down some more folks on the phone here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26265.685, "end": 26269.505, "text": "All right, is there anybody on the phone from panels one through fifty?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26272.545, "end": 26275.825, "text": "Yes, Peter Lavastide, panel forty-seven." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26276.985, "end": 26278.525, "text": "Thank you, Peter. Please stand by." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26282.865, "end": 26286.825, "text": "Is there anyone on the phone from panels 51 through 65?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26288.645, "end": 26291.565, "text": "Yes, I'm from Maureen from panel fifty-two." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26292.285, "end": 26293.805, "text": "Could you repeat your name, please, miss?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26294.965, "end": 26296.445, "text": "It's Maureen O'Brien." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26297.145, "end": 26299.285, "text": "Thank you, Maureen. Please uh stand by." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26300.645, "end": 26301.025, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26301.825, "end": 26308.485, "text": "Is there anyone on the phone from panels uh 66 through 75?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26313.845, "end": 26316.085, "text": "Julia? Yeah, thank you, Julia. Please stand by." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 26317.305, "end": 26320.105, "text": "And from panel seventy-two, this is Patrick King." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26320.765, "end": 26329.565, "text": "All right, Patrick, you'll be our final panelist for this panel. We have Jeremy, Peter, Maureen, Julia, and then Patrick. Uh why don't we take you first, uh, Mr. Wong?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26334.605, "end": 26337.085, "text": "Good evening, Mayor Farkas, members of council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26337.625, "end": 26348.865, "text": "I'm Jeremy Wong. I was originally on panel 65, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today and for the taking the time to listen to the many speakers and read through the many submissions that have been submitted." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26349.125, "end": 26356.105, "text": "Real listening and real engagement matters, and hearings like this one are really important to the engagement process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26356.565, "end": 26359.525, "text": "Thank you also to the clerks team for facilitating this hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26361.325, "end": 26365.305, "text": "I'm a lifelong Calgarian and speaking as a resident of Ward 4." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26365.825, "end": 26373.565, "text": "I'm also speaking as a former Ward 4 Councillor candidate in the last municipal election, and special congratulations to Councillor Kelly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26374.105, "end": 26380.745, "text": "During the last municipal campaign, I had the privilege of speaking with thousands of residents across Ward 4." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26381.265, "end": 26386.225, "text": "I made a deliberate effort to listen closely to what mattered to most people that I talked to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26387.005, "end": 26394.425, "text": "One of the most consistent concerns I heard was the desire to repeal blanket rezoning and restore real community engagement." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26395.985, "end": 26422.205, "text": "I knocked on thousands of doors with my team across the ward, in Edgemont, down to Dalhousie, across to Brentwood, Charleswood, Collingwood, in Cambrian Heights, in Rosemont, in Highwood, in North Haven, in Thorncliffe, in Huntington Hills, in Beddington, Greenview Highland Parks, Winston Heights, across all these communities, the residents that I talk to, the majority of them, express deep frustration with the current approach." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26423.085, "end": 26432.285, "text": "On behalf of more than 10,000 residents in Ward 4 who supported me with their vote, I feel a responsibility to bring their voices forward today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26433.265, "end": 26441.525, "text": "I heard from residents who felt like there was a lack of meaningful engagement and a lack of respect for community input when blanket rezoning was first passed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26442.025, "end": 26445.565, "text": "I heard concerns about livability, infrastructure capacity," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26446.025, "end": 26448.385, "text": "community character, and property values." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26448.605, "end": 26456.765, "text": "Infrastructure concerns that included parking included plumbing and water and electricity, fire safety and school capacity for their neighborhood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26458.045, "end": 26470.445, "text": "It was difficult to see neighbors divided over zoning and development. It was especially concerning to hear from those longtime residents, including many seniors, who felt pressured out of their homes due to changes happening on their blocks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26471.865, "end": 26481.185, "text": "I also heard from numerous community groups and associations who felt compelled to pursue restrictive covenants because they felt that it was the only way to protect their neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26481.865, "end": 26483.885, "text": "That in itself signifies" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26484.305, "end": 26485.585, "text": "a breakdown in trust." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26487.085, "end": 26491.585, "text": "Most of the residents I spoke with are not opposed to growth or increased housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26492.205, "end": 26495.325, "text": "What they're asking for is thoughtful, well-planned development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26495.665, "end": 26511.805, "text": "They want genuine engagement. They want local area planning that focuses density along major corridors, transit routes, and commercial areas, rather than mid block within established neighborhoods. Most residents weren't opposed to gentle density, like R2 zoning in most areas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26512.865, "end": 26517.765, "text": "I genuinely empathize with the speakers that have shared concerns about affordability and housing supply." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26518.725, "end": 26522.725, "text": "Like others have said, affordability cannot be addressed by zoning alone." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26523.205, "end": 26529.745, "text": "There are many other macroeconomic factors that affect affordability, which are beyond the scope of a municipal government to solve." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26530.505, "end": 26536.385, "text": "Density and supply can still be increased in areas that make sense, rather than mid block and in the middle of neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26537.205, "end": 26551.165, "text": "These are the voices I heard through the campaign, and it is because of these voices that I'm here today to support repealing blanket rezoning. My recommendation is to move forward with a full repeal, but also take time to consider and communicate any amendments in the near future." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26551.785, "end": 26560.645, "text": "There can be ways to improve the zoning bylaw and introduce density in a more thoughtful way that includes real community engagement and local area planning processes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 26561.165, "end": 26563.265, "text": "Thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26563.725, "end": 26565.225, "text": "Thank you so much for being here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26566.365, "end": 26570.765, "text": "We'll go to Peter on 47, then Maureen on 52 after that. Please go ahead, Peter." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26573.005, "end": 26584.085, "text": "Uh thank you. Um I'm Peter Lavastide, panel forty seven. Um again, thank you, Mayor Farkas, members of council and administration for the opportunity to present uh my thoughts on this issue." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26584.765, "end": 26587.925, "text": "I am asking you to not repeal blanket rezoning," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26588.345, "end": 26593.625, "text": "both for process reasons and based on personal experience of living in a" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26593.905, "end": 26598.725, "text": "Area that's developed a lot over the last 40 years, which I'll talk about more later." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26599.425, "end": 26605.265, "text": "If this was an easy issue to resolve, we wouldn't be going through the process we're going through just now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26605.865, "end": 26615.285, "text": "And my perspective comes from living in an area that isn't directly affected by blanket rezoning because it has already gone through an analogous cycle of upzoning for a long time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26616.285, "end": 26627.325, "text": "I'm speaking to you now because I agree with counsel that for numerous numerous reasons, which you are much more familiar with than I am, it is it appears to be critical that our city densifies." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26627.705, "end": 26635.785, "text": "Having listened to parts of this hearing, it seems clear to me that there is a general consensus that our city needs to densify in order to remain a successful city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26636.725, "end": 26652.625, "text": "And blanket rezoning is a step in that direction of densifying. As with many first steps, it may not be perfect, but the reasonable approach to me would be to make any required improvements to the current bylaw rather than going back to square one by repealing it entirely." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26653.185, "end": 26662.045, "text": "I am concerned that a simple repeal would waste some of the effort that has gone into taking this first step and will cause us to lose momentum towards densification." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26662.685, "end": 26679.565, "text": "It seems probable, most probable to me, that a lot of thought already went into the current version of blanket rezoning. It wasn't randomly picked out of a hat. And so I assume that where we need to get to is some version of this current policy rather than a totally brand new policy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26681.245, "end": 26685.945, "text": "As I mentioned, I have my own experience of living in a community experiencing densification." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26686.505, "end": 26702.045, "text": "My wife and I have lived in Hillars, Kensington. We were very fortunate to buy a house on 11A Street 40 years ago. We raised our three children there, and along with seeing them grow up, we have seen our community literally grow upwards in terms of the size of buildings." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26702.725, "end": 26720.865, "text": "I'm grateful that we had a chance to live in a neighborhood that uh where many of our daily activities like groceries, banking, going to school, etc., uh can be done by walking or biking. That added what was to me a surprising amount of uh value uh to the quality of our life." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26722.285, "end": 26733.385, "text": "When we bought into this neighborhood, it was a quiet residential area with no buildings higher than ten meters close by. So similar to a lot of current uh residential areas, single-family homes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26733.925, "end": 26741.965, "text": "Since then our community participated with the city and developers to first create an ARP and then a TOD version of that ARP." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26742.505, "end": 26756.685, "text": "Along the way, we have steadily increased density, especially during the last 10 years. Our house is now within 50 meters of an eight-story building, and soon after soon there will be a 12-story one within that 50 meter radius as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26757.165, "end": 26762.345, "text": "So again, we're living in a single family home, and when we moved here, um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26762.685, "end": 26767.025, "text": "there was nothing bigger than 10 meters within uh you know anywhere close to us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26767.845, "end": 26769.605, "text": "Uh so you know there's been change." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26770.185, "end": 26778.145, "text": "I wrestle with the impact of some of that change on the ambience of our community, much like I imagine others do in relation to blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26779.265, "end": 26780.405, "text": "What I can say" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26781.585, "end": 26794.385, "text": "is that there hasn't been um any huge parking Armageddons or um you know similar issues like that. I mean life goes on and it's a it's a it's a great life actually." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26795.245, "end": 26801.965, "text": "Um I s I still like living here and I ask myself what right do I have to deny that very quality of life" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26802.285, "end": 26802.865, "text": "uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26803.545, "end": 26812.425, "text": "that I that I value from other people who want to live in the neighborhood but can't necessarily afford a traditional single family home in this area." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26813.125, "end": 26816.205, "text": "I think that logic applies to residential areas in general." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26817.485, "end": 26826.245, "text": "Now the trade-off between respecting the expectations of existing homeowners like me with providing opportunities for other people to move into established areas is a complicated one." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26826.885, "end": 26832.925, "text": "Like I said, I wrestle with those trade offs and I don't always agree with the city's decisions on where the right trade off is." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26833.545, "end": 26844.545, "text": "But in the end, we have an obvious need for more housing choices, so providing more housing to allow people to live where they would like to live is one reason why I support some version of blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26845.845, "end": 26851.985, "text": "Man the second reason is uh is that managing the cost of city services um is" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26853.085, "end": 26859.185, "text": "requires something like some version of densification, so and blanket rezoning would help with that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26859.945, "end": 26863.665, "text": "Uh like everyone, one way or another, I'm a property taxpayer." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26864.205, "end": 26876.025, "text": "I don't think it's fair that neighborhoods that are densifying end up subsidizing the provision of infrastructure to parts of the city that by choice are not densely populated enough to support the costs of their own infrastructure." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26876.905, "end": 26879.085, "text": "Our neighborhood is absorbing a great deal of change." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26879.085, "end": 26883.765, "text": "So much uh unfortunately you're just at time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26884.745, "end": 26895.225, "text": "Okay. Um I'll just conclude that sentence. We're we're facing a great deal of change and facing our city's challenges would feel more equitable to me if all communities chipped in to some degree." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 26895.425, "end": 26896.005, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 26896.345, "end": 26901.645, "text": "Thank you so much. We'll now go to Maureen and then Julia after that. Please go ahead, Maureen." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26903.245, "end": 26904.805, "text": "My name is Maureen O'Brien." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26905.165, "end": 26910.085, "text": "I live in Ward 4 and am 100% in favor of the full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26910.745, "end": 26914.425, "text": "I also spoke at the last hearing two years ago," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26915.005, "end": 26924.825, "text": "um, but this time I'm taking a more personal approach. My husband and I have been very involved with this issue. We have personally watched the huge negative impact this bylaw has had on our community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26925.045, "end": 26927.365, "text": "In the very short time since it was passed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26928.065, "end": 26932.325, "text": "It's very concerning what our community will look like if it stays." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26932.465, "end": 26938.505, "text": "And I am worried that some communities are targeted and will be sacrificed and that our community will be one of those." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26939.165, "end": 26943.305, "text": "My husband and I have been volunteering in a community group to help share information" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26943.745, "end": 26946.945, "text": "so our neighbors can understand how this bylaw could affect them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26947.305, "end": 26953.805, "text": "We have collected signatures for petitions, we have knocked on doors and have also delivered information." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26954.125, "end": 26960.245, "text": "to hundreds of our neighbors and through this action we have heard from many, many disheartened and devastated people." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26961.805, "end": 26969.625, "text": "Although the word blanket seems to infer all communities will be impacted equally with this bylaw, that couldn't be further from the truth." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26970.225, "end": 26979.325, "text": "After listening to many people speak at Monday's hearing, it became even clearer to me how many communities are much more negatively affected by this bylaw than others." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26980.245, "end": 26992.825, "text": "I was so impressed with the Bold Workshop Architecture Firm and how they work with the community and specifically with the adjacent neighborhoods of their builds to be sure it fits with the aesthetic of the street" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26993.065, "end": 26996.045, "text": "and interferes as little as possible with the community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 26996.525, "end": 27001.345, "text": "But I can tell you that is exactly the opposite of what is happening in Thorncliffe Greenview." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27001.805, "end": 27005.845, "text": "And also, according to that Wellspoken senior lady that spoke at Monday's hearing," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27006.165, "end": 27009.325, "text": "it's been a really crushing experience and boness" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27009.645, "end": 27012.825, "text": "with even the loss of a playground and a park to a massive development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27013.425, "end": 27020.965, "text": "In Thorncliffe our beautiful little mid-century bungalows are being dominated by massive two and three-story rectangular hideous structures" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27021.565, "end": 27024.085, "text": "plunked in the middle of streets with no rhyme or reasons." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27024.265, "end": 27030.345, "text": "Adjacent homes are left in the shadows, and because these new developments are almost always granted relaxations," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27030.665, "end": 27032.385, "text": "the people living in those neighbors" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27032.925, "end": 27040.345, "text": "neighboring homes can no longer look down their street. The view is blocked, the sunshine is gone, and their once private yards now have several windows looking down on them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27040.725, "end": 27044.505, "text": "And to add to all of that, and perhaps part of the worst of it all," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27044.645, "end": 27046.725, "text": "the value of their home has now plummeted." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27047.065, "end": 27054.525, "text": "There's one up the street from me, in the middle of the street, by the way, and it is proposed to be twelve residences where one home now stands." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27054.965, "end": 27056.025, "text": "How is that okay?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27056.625, "end": 27067.465, "text": "I wish you could hear from the elderly woman that lives directly next door, how she's beside herself with the build, and how the developer harassed her at her door and handed her over the phone to try to get her to sell her property as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27068.005, "end": 27071.305, "text": "So much for ethical, honest practices happening everywhere." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27071.805, "end": 27075.545, "text": "And the man next to her who worked for years with his partner to buy his dream home" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27075.745, "end": 27079.985, "text": "and now see his dream slipping through his fingers with not enough power or money to stop it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27081.105, "end": 27088.005, "text": "And interestingly enough, he did express that to us, but he spent more time expressing concern for his elderly neighbor" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27088.205, "end": 27092.265, "text": "and is worried how an emergency vehicle will ever reach her when she needs them," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27092.485, "end": 27098.745, "text": "as they are sure to be carts everywhere with the limited parking provided for the twelve new families that will live be living there." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27099.265, "end": 27106.085, "text": "I have to interject here that I'm very tired of hearing that people who oppose blanket rezoning are only thinking of themselves." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27106.765, "end": 27114.765, "text": "We were encouraged by the city to meet with developers and architects of proposed developments in our community to share concerns and hopefully come to some middle ground." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_42", "start": 27115.385, "end": 27115.885, "text": "We were" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27122.045, "end": 27127.765, "text": "But each development has a file manager that manages those concerns at their own discretion." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27128.205, "end": 27135.845, "text": "We have lost every single battle and have not had one of our current concerns addressed or resolved." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27136.045, "end": 27139.665, "text": "No wonder so many people have lost faith in the city and its procedures." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27140.465, "end": 27148.165, "text": "I wish I could show you all the pictures of this mess. I can't believe anyone can think it is right or that is solving more problems than it is causing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27148.845, "end": 27158.385, "text": "I advise the mayor and all counselors to knock on doors and truly listen to what is happening out there before they cast their vote. It is not a pretty sight." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27158.905, "end": 27163.545, "text": "Please vote in favor of a full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw before it's too late." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_04", "start": 27164.105, "end": 27165.605, "text": "Thank you for listening today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 27166.165, "end": 27169.885, "text": "Thank you so much, Maureen. We'll go to Julia now, then Patrick after that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 27170.725, "end": 27171.485, "text": "Please go ahead, Julia." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27172.725, "end": 27174.585, "text": "Hello, yes. Are you able to hear me?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 27175.225, "end": 27175.965, "text": "Loud and clear." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27177.245, "end": 27200.365, "text": "Amazing. Hello and good afternoon, Mayor and members of council. My name is Julia Law and I currently serve as the Vice President External of the University of Calgary Students Union. However, I am here in my role as the chair of the Calgary Student Alliance. Combined, I represent over 90,000 postsecondary students in Calgary, ranging from international students to born and raised Culgarians, students fresh out of high school, and mature students." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27200.865, "end": 27222.885, "text": "My constituents are your neighbors. Right now they rent, live at home, and in very rare cases own. However, most are unable to provide input on this issue, both due to their education, work, or just a lack of knowledge regarding this process. I applaud the small handful of students who have spoken, who were able to take time to learn about the issue during one of the busiest times of the academic year." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27223.445, "end": 27238.265, "text": "However, the opinions of the general students are lost amongst those with time to speak, despite being equally important contributors to the betterment of this city. I'm here today to provide you with an insight on student needs, and I implore council to think long and hard about these perspectives in the coming days." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27238.885, "end": 27253.245, "text": "The postsecondary student population in the city of Calgary continues to grow year after year thanks to new programming but also ambitious goals of student expansion at our institutions. And with this comes a large population of individuals highly vulnerable to the affordability crisis." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27253.885, "end": 27273.565, "text": "Students are subject to continuously increasing tuition and a 14.6% provincial youth unemployment rate this past February. Those who are employed are working for one of the country's lowest minimum wages and their paychecks during education are spent on tuition, or Alberta Student Loans, one of the only student loan programs with interest gain in Canada." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27274.005, "end": 27284.885, "text": "Concerns such as this drive students out. In fact, Alberta loses more students to other provinces than it gains every year. Why fight for affordability here when other provinces offer more support for students?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27285.265, "end": 27296.225, "text": "As one can tell, students are in desperate need of housing that fits their budget. They look for low-cost options close to their campuses or transit hubs. This means apartments, condos, basement suites, or even just rooms for rent." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27296.805, "end": 27302.165, "text": "Some might write out a 10 home with friends, while others frantically search for an alternative to sleeping in their car." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27302.425, "end": 27312.605, "text": "Increased development citywide helps to increase the number of options more affordable than an entire single family home, bringing more housing stock closer to fitting within unique student budgets." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27313.065, "end": 27320.605, "text": "Many of these options also provide stability for postgraduation and in many cases allow our new graduates to put down their roots in the city of Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27320.745, "end": 27333.345, "text": "When this happens, they become more likely to stay, contributing to the development of the local economy and betterment of communities. The University of Calgary has supported over 22,000 jobs and increased startups in Calgary by 75%." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27333.765, "end": 27347.585, "text": "And the unique and interesting perspectives of our educational experience mean new perspectives in community associations and on condo boards, as well as in the workplace and social circles. Graduates bring innovation, entrepreneurship, community, and more." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27348.165, "end": 27358.585, "text": "Students are accor uh students are, of course, often seeking housing in the areas they are nearest to the most. Development in Ward 7 and 8, where post-secondary campuses are concentrated." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27358.965, "end": 27393.485, "text": "This has provided options in otherwise older communities concentrated for single-family homes that are outside of a student's budget. However, it is critical that this development is not solely concentrated in inner city communities. Students are everywhere. In my own circles alone, I have friends and peers who live across the city. I live in the depths of the deep southwest in Silverado, while some of my closest friends live far north in communities like Nolan Hill. Students are everywhere, and the city must recognize that by providing housing relief across Calgary. Rezoning has provided that promise, provided the opportunity for students to still live away from their campuses if they wish." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27394.205, "end": 27415.065, "text": "I ask council to think long and hard about students and new graduates when they vote next week or this evening. I ask you to think about all the young people unable to speak at these hearings due to classes and work. Think of the young families whose parents are just trying to finish their graduate studies. Think of the 21-year-old who has no hope of moving out of their parents' basement anytime soon because of housing costs." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27415.405, "end": 27428.265, "text": "Council, please think of my constituents and their needs. Remember how much students contribute to the in the long term to this city and how their innovative ideas provide unique opportunities for Calgarians citywide. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 27429.005, "end": 27432.845, "text": "Thank you, Julia. We'll go to Patrick to round off this panel, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27435.445, "end": 27449.765, "text": "Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. Um I'm Patrick. I'm a Ward for homeowner. I grew up in Edmont, where I lived for about 20 years, and I lived another 10 years in Crescent Heights. And today I am very, very lucky to have a mortgage on a half deplex in Highland Park," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27450.105, "end": 27453.585, "text": "which is a little bit of that elusive missing middle housing that we've been hearing a lot about." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27453.885, "end": 27458.625, "text": "And I'm here to speak in support of the current zoning in place and to speak against repealing the upzoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27459.205, "end": 27464.685, "text": "I work full-time, so it's been really tricky to find some time to slip out and to speak before council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27465.125, "end": 27475.405, "text": "And first of all, I would just ask council to bear in mind that the people who benefit most from the zoning change are the ones who are working jobs that don't permit them to be here to speak this week and last week." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27476.445, "end": 27494.825, "text": "Honestly, the thing that stands out the most about this whole discussion, I cannot believe that we're talking about zoning again because the the fact that stands out from the last round of hearings most in my mind is that 95% of zoning changes from R1 to R2 to R to RCG were approved by council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27495.405, "end": 27501.145, "text": "So I mean I get it, it's nice to have input on changes in your neighborhood, but 19 times out of 20, virtually every time," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27501.565, "end": 27504.845, "text": "City Hall found that zoning changes were reasonable and said yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27505.665, "end": 27512.585, "text": "What we're talking about here is bringing back this giant ball of red tape and just mummifying City Hall with it, just completely coding it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27512.785, "end": 27518.585, "text": "We're taking it taking our city council and just asking it to waste so much of their time and so much of our money" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27518.805, "end": 27522.705, "text": "to approve lot by lot zoning changes that are obviously just fine." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27523.485, "end": 27529.705, "text": "Another thing that I think about a great deal now is property taxes, now that I am paying them directly, and sustainable city finances." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27530.065, "end": 27538.885, "text": "If we reverse the zoning change, we are pushing the city back towards a sprawl based development model with a huge and expanding footprint for city services" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27539.365, "end": 27540.845, "text": "and provincial services too." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27541.285, "end": 27549.385, "text": "Meanwhile, there is this donut of decline, a ring of neighborhoods with built up services and transit, older neighborhoods like the one where I live, Highland Park." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27550.065, "end": 27555.685, "text": "And water and sewer lines exist. Our internet, Calgary Transit bus routes are already in place." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27556.205, "end": 27563.385, "text": "Schools and medical clinics exist, libraries and fire stations exist, garbage, recycling, compost, and collection trucks already have the routes in place." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27563.865, "end": 27567.805, "text": "All of that stuff has to be built fresh when we only expanded the edges of the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27568.225, "end": 27568.925, "text": "And" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27569.065, "end": 27574.425, "text": "it's way, way cheaper for the city to support a new build in an existing neighborhood than one on the edge of the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27574.905, "end": 27582.065, "text": "So if we reverse the zoning change, we are locking in bigger property tax hikes to pay for our services forever." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27583.165, "end": 27585.545, "text": "And another point that I think is very important to make," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27585.985, "end": 27589.245, "text": "when you buy a home, you're only buying that little parcel of land." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27589.505, "end": 27592.925, "text": "You don't acquire the right to take a snapshot of your neighborhood like a Polaroid" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27593.245, "end": 27595.965, "text": "and just freeze the city at the instant when you moved in." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27596.485, "end": 27598.825, "text": "The city is a living thing, it grows and changes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27599.065, "end": 27606.185, "text": "And a big part of why I'm comfortable with the rezoning is that for about 10 years I lived in Crescent Heights and I got to see that change play out up front." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27606.905, "end": 27609.025, "text": "That's a neighborhood with every kind of dwelling." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27609.865, "end": 27617.685, "text": "On my block, there was a detached house, which was next to the three-story, fourteen-unit condo where I lived, which was across the street from the three-unit row house," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27618.145, "end": 27620.285, "text": "which is next to an eight-unit multifamily building," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27620.545, "end": 27623.345, "text": "and there were other buildings of other descriptions besides on the same block." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27624.045, "end": 27631.865, "text": "And what you realize living there is that it's a very normal neighborhood. The sky has not fallen on Crescent Heights. It's actually a super desirable place to live" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27632.265, "end": 27635.625, "text": "because almost every humanity you can think of is within walking distance." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27635.925, "end": 27640.165, "text": "And that keeps interest in the neighborhood really high. It keeps property values up as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27641.165, "end": 27643.245, "text": "So I would urge City Council" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27643.505, "end": 27646.565, "text": "keep the interests of all the people who can't be here today, people at work," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27647.065, "end": 27651.945, "text": "people who can't afford the property market yet, people who haven't moved to the city yet, keep their interests in mind." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27652.345, "end": 27655.665, "text": "If we only listen to the folks who have already got their homes" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27655.985, "end": 27664.445, "text": "and who just want to keep the supply down so that their home price only ever skyrockets, we are going to destroy the livability of the city for everyone else in future decades." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27665.025, "end": 27669.665, "text": "Let's not do that. Let's keep the reasonable and well considered zoning rules we have now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27670.025, "end": 27673.985, "text": "Maybe with an amendment or two and thank you council for your time and consideration" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_53", "start": 27674.425, "end": 27676.185, "text": "and uh thank you for the chance to speak today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 27677.165, "end": 27681.605, "text": "Thank you. We have some questions for this panel. I'm gonna go first to Councillor Atkinson, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27685.725, "end": 27700.605, "text": "I'll just say thank you, Patrick, for that uh singing some praises to Crescent Heights. It's in my brain. I I'm I'm hoping to speak with uh um Miss Law, please, um, from the Calgary Student Alliance, if you're still on the line." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27701.445, "end": 27702.765, "text": "Hello, yes, I am." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27702.925, "end": 27721.025, "text": "Hey, um I just wanted to to check. So you're representing an organization that is representing multiple institutions, and I wanted to make sure like, are you in agreement across those institutions in terms of this stance to sort of support RCG uh housing?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27722.305, "end": 27733.985, "text": "Yes, all of the organizations came together and we agreed that a campaign regarding the rezoning hearing was necessary to get the student opinion out there. So I am speaking on behalf of all of the organizations." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27734.285, "end": 27768.145, "text": "Great, thank you. And you kind of somewhat mentioned it in your speech, but Councillor Schmidt earlier today, when uh we had Naomi in from the UFC mentioned sort of you spoke in you're speaking from specifically students, but this question of sort of graduates, and that's really when homeownership sort of becomes uh more of a possibility. Did you have any thoughts specifically about that point in uh that transition to once you're graduating and you're becoming a you know a professional and maybe home ownership becomes a little more available to you?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27769.485, "end": 27787.305, "text": "Yes, of course. I would say it is important, or one thing that rezoning has provided is a variety of different housing options. A fresh graduate is unable to afford just your base single family home. It's just the way it is with a housing market right now, and it also does not help that our graduate students have a lot more debt than your average undergrad." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27788.185, "end": 27832.845, "text": "So rezoning has helped a lot to put home ownership back into the picture for these new grads with townhomes, with duplexes, with all of the options that are there, because sure, there's the argument being made that rent hasn't gone significantly down, but these condos and complexes are typically still more affordable than owning a full-on single family home. And they're also adaptive to the need of a graduate. A graduate student who is new or a brand new graduate from the University of Calgary who just moved to Calgary for their degree and is now placing their roots, doesn't have the same amount of things that they have. They don't have that as much ownership. They don't need a full on single family home for all of their belongings. They only need something small to fit their need." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27834.005, "end": 27840.765, "text": "That's great. And sorry, so your organization is not only for undergraduate students, it's also for graduates uh associations as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_41", "start": 27841.865, "end": 27846.245, "text": "Yes it is. Our friends at the University of Calgary Graduate Students Association are also members." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27846.645, "end": 27849.025, "text": "That's great. Thank you so much. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27849.725, "end": 27851.765, "text": "Peter, Peter, are you still on the line?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27853.145, "end": 27854.405, "text": "Uh yes, Councillor, I am." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27854.485, "end": 27878.525, "text": "Hi, Peter. Thank you so much for talking about. I really appreciated your conversation around generosity. The generous nature. I feel that generosity, I've been feeling it all week within Board 7 and sort of sharing this out. You were going down that path. You were not able to wrap up. I'm wondering if that you had any final thoughts that you wanted to share, other than sort of the final line that you had there." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27880.465, "end": 27884.845, "text": "Yeah, I was pretty close to the end. Um m my final thoughts were really" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27885.885, "end": 27896.865, "text": "You know, given where we are with six-story buildings beside, well, within 50 meters of single-family homes, you know, I just have a different perspective that I've gotten used to. Um so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27897.465, "end": 27904.105, "text": "with the RGCG blanket rezoning, as far as I can understand it, the maximum h height of uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27904.625, "end": 27907.085, "text": "new buildings will be 11 meters." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27907.745, "end": 27911.505, "text": "And I have a hard time imagining that we can't do something" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27911.945, "end": 27913.365, "text": "that's reasonable" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27913.785, "end": 27919.725, "text": "that mitigates the impact on the surrounding community when the maximum height is eleven meters." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27920.145, "end": 27921.145, "text": "And so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27921.325, "end": 27938.185, "text": "just throwing out, repealing, um blanket rezoning totally, um, feels to me like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. And uh I think we just need to take it a step at a time and fix if there is something that needs fixing about this, just incrementally fix it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27938.845, "end": 27939.325, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27939.325, "end": 27940.265, "text": "That's it. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27940.685, "end": 27942.145, "text": "That's great. Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_46", "start": 27943.405, "end": 27944.385, "text": "All right, you're welcome." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_57", "start": 27946.805, "end": 27947.525, "text": "Councillor Kelly, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_40", "start": 27950.925, "end": 27990.585, "text": "Thank you, Roshi. Mr. Wong, if you wouldn't mind. It is so good to see you. I hope you're doing well. Um you and I, obviously, um knocked on a lot of the same doors, talked to a lot of the same people. Sounds a lot like from your presentation that we heard a lot of the same things. Um just wondering, uh, as it were you mentioned in your presentation the need for local area planning. Uh definitely something that I was hearing a lot when I was outdoor knocking, and a lot of our neighbors in Ward 4 don't actually have local area plans. Uh wonder if you could share with us uh what you what you heard from folks and if you'd uh you'd join me in advocating for uh local area plans for Ward 4." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 27991.725, "end": 27993.105, "text": "Thanks for the question, Councillor Kelly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 27993.825, "end": 28042.565, "text": "I agree with you. The many neighbors that I heard from, they thought that the local area planning process and being able to give real community engagement and input into the planning process is much more effective than a blanket approach. And so prioritizing that process for Ward 4 residents is a huge priority. Residents that I talked to, they want affordability. They really empathize with some of the voices that we just heard on making sure that people can afford places to live. But affordability can come through planning along major routes, transit, commercial areas, in neighborhoods, in parts of the neighborhood that residents want to see density increase and not just a blank approach everywhere. And so it sounds like we we did hear many of the same things at the doors." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_40", "start": 28043.345, "end": 28049.785, "text": "Yeah, fully agree with you, absolutely. Um thank you so much for being here today and I'll send you a text. Maybe we can go for lunch or something." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_21", "start": 28049.905, "end": 28050.345, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28052.005, "end": 28055.165, "text": "All right, thank you, colleagues. That uh concludes this panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28057.485, "end": 28061.065, "text": "We'll start calling for some names uh who may be on the line right now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28061.465, "end": 28065.385, "text": "Are there any individuals on the line from panels 70 through 75?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28069.865, "end": 28073.125, "text": "Anyone on the phone from panels 76 through 80?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28077.025, "end": 28079.545, "text": "Anyone from 81 through 85?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28084.685, "end": 28086.965, "text": "Anyone from 86 through 90?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28090.965, "end": 28092.965, "text": "How about 91 through 95?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28094.365, "end": 28095.185, "text": "ninety five." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28095.985, "end": 28096.945, "text": "Thank you. Who just spoke?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28096.945, "end": 28097.505, "text": "My name is" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28098.245, "end": 28099.205, "text": "My name is Tim." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28099.605, "end": 28100.645, "text": "Last name Clotten." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28101.785, "end": 28102.925, "text": "Thank you, Tim. Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28103.425, "end": 28104.045, "text": "please stand by." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28105.445, "end": 28108.545, "text": "Anyone on the phone from panels 96 through 100?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28113.185, "end": 28114.185, "text": "Anyone from" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28114.745, "end": 28116.565, "text": "101 through 105?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28120.765, "end": 28122.845, "text": "Anyone from 106 through 110?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28124.605, "end": 28126.525, "text": "Um, yeah, my name's Kelly Hornick." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28127.125, "end": 28127.425, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28128.645, "end": 28130.085, "text": "Dudley, thank you. Please stand by." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28131.525, "end": 28134.125, "text": "There was another speaker if you could just uh state your name." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 28136.465, "end": 28137.565, "text": "Uli Wuko." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 28137.785, "end": 28138.805, "text": "Panel 110." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28139.525, "end": 28141.605, "text": "Sorry, who was it that just spoke on 110?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28145.425, "end": 28149.185, "text": "Sir, could you repeat that or take yourself off speakerphone? It's uh coming through muffled." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 28150.125, "end": 28152.505, "text": "Oh, yeah. Jeff Banks, U Panel 110." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28152.785, "end": 28154.505, "text": "All right, Jeff on 110." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28156.005, "end": 28161.745, "text": "So I have Tim, Kelly, and Jeff so far. Were there names that uh I missed in between those ranges?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 28164.065, "end": 28165.865, "text": "Oli Walkerow on 110." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28166.985, "end": 28170.485, "text": "All right, uh another person on 110. Uh what was your name?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28174.085, "end": 28175.245, "text": "Okay, please stand by." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28176.765, "end": 28181.085, "text": "And I did we have somebody who walked in uh here in person who is still signed up to speak?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28181.525, "end": 28183.805, "text": "Yeah. Come on down. We'll uh accommodate you first," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28184.405, "end": 28187.245, "text": "and then the uh remaining four on the line." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28191.345, "end": 28195.305, "text": "Thanks. If you don't mind just introducing yourself, uh your name and which panel you're on." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28201.645, "end": 28223.065, "text": "Uh hello. Um thank you, councillors and mayor Farkas. I don't envy the difficult decision you have before you. Uh my name is Sterling Carlson. I'm uh born and raised Calgarian. I live in Ward Six, but I grew up in West Hillhurst, where my family has lived in our own property for over 60 years. I believe I bring a perspective from multiple sides of the issue." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28223.625, "end": 28281.425, "text": "I followed these hearings closely. I've heard the concerns from residents who don't want change in their communities, and those who those concerns are valid. I've also listened to people who are scared about what happens if the rezoning is repealed. People struggling to find housing they can't afford. I've been a real estate agent for over 20 years, working with first-time buyers, families, builders, and developers. I've seen the cycles of this city, and I understand both the opportunities and the risks involved in building housing. I also have significant experience assembling and working on larger mixed-use developments. I've personally gone through the rezoning process myself and some of my clients with the development process. I built a foreplex in Richmond and experienced firsthand the delays and financial strain caused by the approval process and an appeal from neighbors that were once my friends. Even when you follow the process and do things right, there is still a real risk of major financial loss." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28281.745, "end": 28308.105, "text": "I also wanted to address the position presented by the Calgary Real Estate Board. That presentation stated that they were representing over 8,700 members in support of a full repeal, yet there is no clear evidence that this position was formally approved by the vote from the board, and certainly not from our membership. Many of us realtors feel that what was presented does not reflect the full range of informed perspectives from within our industry." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28308.605, "end": 28314.565, "text": "That was not advocacy on behalf of our membership, but misrepresentation." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28315.445, "end": 28333.945, "text": "A little about me. I did have a father growing up, and my mother worked very hard to provide for my brothers and I. My grandmother owned our home, and we were incredibly lucky to live rent-free. Even with that help, we often struggled to eat and sometimes relied on great organizations like the Calgary Food Bank." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28335.345, "end": 28355.425, "text": "That's why it's uh so difficult to hear the stories from Calgarians today who are struggling to find the housing they can afford. If Calgary loses access to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, the costs will be significant, not just financially, but in real opportunities lost. That funding could and should support housing for those who need it the most." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28356.425, "end": 28418.505, "text": "But how we keep that funding matters just as much, uh how we use it matters just as much as how we keep it, if we keep it. I believe we should be directing growth into areas where communities have already said that they support it, and we already have a process for that. Local area plans. These plans take years of collaboration between communities, developers, and the city to determine where density belongs and what type of development is appropriate. But right now, even with when a project aligns with an approved local area plan, developers are still sometimes forced to go through rezoning and come to city for approval. This creates unnecessary risk, wastes time and taxpayer money, and often pits neighbors against projects that their own communities have already agreed to be allowed. I've experienced a newly approved local area plan process firsthand with properties we own in West Hillhurst. Uh after years of planning, the vision is clear, yet the process still remains uncertain and delays uh creates delays and conflict. It doesn't make sense. If rezoning is repealed, then I offer a simple" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28418.885, "end": 28437.505, "text": "Suggestion. When a local area plan is approved, zoning should automatically be updated at no cost to the homeowner to reflect the maximum height, density, and uses outlined in that plan. No additional rezoning, no unnecessary delays, no forcing people to come back and fight for what has already been debated and agreed to." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 28437.825, "end": 28493.705, "text": "If a developer wants to go beyond that plan, then there should be and absolutely be a process, and the community should have a voice. But if a project aligns with the approved vision, it should be allowed. This process reduces risk, encourages significant development in the right places, and respects the time and input communities have already invested. This may very well give you the amount of property that is needed to be rezoned to keep the federal funding. At the same time, we need to ensure that we're building the right types of housing, housing that supports people with mobility challenges, allows seniors to stay in the communities they help build, and creates attainable options for those who are struggling. If we want builders to deliver these types of housing, we need to create the conditions that make these projects viable. Calgary is a city that continues to grow because of opportunity and the quality of life. We need to make sure that the opportunity remains within reach and that our policies actually help us get there. Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28494.065, "end": 28498.865, "text": "Thank you so much. We're gonna go to Tim on 95 next, please. And then Kelly after that. Please go ahead, Tim." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28502.805, "end": 28506.845, "text": "Thank you, uh Mayor Parkins, and uh thank you counsel uh today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28507.445, "end": 28508.065, "text": "Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28508.705, "end": 28511.405, "text": "I like so many other people uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28511.645, "end": 28515.745, "text": "long uh well I've lived in Calgary almost all my life and I've lived in" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28516.165, "end": 28518.165, "text": "uh every quadrant of the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28519.345, "end": 28520.365, "text": "And uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28522.645, "end": 28529.685, "text": "I find I find that the listening today I I've got so many iterations of what I could have written, what I did write" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28530.085, "end": 28535.105, "text": "And and now I come down to random musings and notes and footnotes and bullet points" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28535.305, "end": 28541.885, "text": "on paper, listening to all the wonderful people that have uh come to give their time and perspective to this whole" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28542.025, "end": 28543.265, "text": "uh discussion." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28543.865, "end": 28556.765, "text": "And what I've concluded is that it looks like uh even those that are opposed or against the uh uh upzoning being repealed." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28557.125, "end": 28563.545, "text": "The the commonalities in so much of what I hear today is that it we need to get to a solution." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28564.025, "end": 28572.105, "text": "And so for that reason, I was uh when I filled out the the application to come on, I was I was not committed one way or the other." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28572.385, "end": 28580.985, "text": "But after listening, I now I now see that it's important that we do a repeal and a whole do over again" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28581.325, "end": 28593.405, "text": "based on what everybody understands this issue to be, what the amendments might be, what does an RCG look like, what does HGO look like, what does an LAP look like, all of it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28593.545, "end": 28599.665, "text": "It i it is not clear. And I I in in what we do, we need to have clear written" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28600.245, "end": 28602.565, "text": "policy and definition." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28602.985, "end": 28608.185, "text": "Listening to some people that went to DAB uh on an appeal, that's subjective." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28608.605, "end": 28611.465, "text": "Coming to council, listening to something is subjective." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28612.325, "end": 28616.125, "text": "But I've lived in uh in a lot of areas and I'm I'm back in Englewood." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28616.565, "end": 28618.685, "text": "Um I've lived in uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28619.345, "end": 28622.185, "text": "My first home was in uh midfield trailer park" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28622.905, "end": 28624.845, "text": "in uh 1980." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28625.325, "end": 28642.085, "text": "And uh I look at it today and I watch the development go there. It's important uh to get that done. It's gonna be a small city, but we don't have access to what's gonna be there. And uh that's not defined. Um what I'd like to quickly get to is the fact that there's a couple" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28642.365, "end": 28649.945, "text": "uh situations that arose that uh I you know I really want to go back to uh reference of Stephanie uh Shapoor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28650.305, "end": 28652.045, "text": "And she was on day four," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28652.465, "end": 28659.625, "text": "hour number seven, and concluded at seven thirty-five. She had some great perspective that I I too agree with." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28660.685, "end": 28665.805, "text": "I had uh the bold people that have been referenced so many times. They've done such a great job" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28666.125, "end": 28686.265, "text": "uh at what they're doing and and integrating and developing and bringing all of this together, uh taking all the great ideas from all the students, from all the the learned people. What I want to talk to about is something that I know. I'm in I'm involved in the industry, have been since 1991. One of the biggest things that we have right now." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28686.505, "end": 28692.125, "text": "That's a problem is the development site servicing. I've heard one person reference it so far." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28692.325, "end": 28695.105, "text": "What's happening is that our our" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28696.505, "end": 28712.985, "text": "accountability on the DSSP drawings in conjunction with all of the um different engineering firms, the City of Calgary inspections, you it right now it is happening that these DSSPs are not being followed, and I know it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28713.225, "end": 28714.165, "text": "And they" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28714.865, "end": 28723.145, "text": "are still getting occupancy. And I think that there needs to be more oversight in that particular area, especially when you look at the weather today," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28723.685, "end": 28731.485, "text": "the outcomes of where all that water's gonna go on this watershed that we've heard everybody talk about so frequently. And I I find it" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28732.365, "end": 28740.365, "text": "one of the biggest things that's gonna happen. You take away all the trees, you take away all the grass. Where's the water go? Well, it goes in the storage tanks on these sites." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28740.705, "end": 28743.865, "text": "And there's there's manholes, there's there's catch basins." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28744.265, "end": 28746.865, "text": "And these are things that are are affecting everybody." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28747.265, "end": 28750.025, "text": "I want to talk back about the ability" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28750.405, "end": 28752.365, "text": "to have integration" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28752.525, "end": 28756.285, "text": "of accessibility as Stephanie so so well put." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28756.945, "end": 28789.905, "text": "We can do it. There's a $50,000 grant that can be given for somebody to develop a site servicing plan, yet I don't see that same money that is uh actually federal money given uh and and shown towards something that Stephanie so eloquently spoke about. And uh I work with her on uh Citizens Appeal panel and uh and I agree with what she is saying. And we see the vulnerabilities of people from a day to day basis, and affordability in this city is not one of them." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 28790.965, "end": 28793.005, "text": "And I imagine I'm just about out of time." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28794.305, "end": 28798.705, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to Jeff next, please, and then Ole after that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28800.105, "end": 28802.605, "text": "Um sorry, I think that you missed me. My name's Kelly." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 28802.465, "end": 28804.585, "text": "So apologize, Kelly. It's your turn." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28804.825, "end": 28805.605, "text": "That's okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28805.765, "end": 28806.845, "text": "My bad. Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28807.305, "end": 28832.345, "text": "No problem. Hello, my name's Kelly. I am 27 years old, and in September of 2025, my partner and I purchased our first home in Calgary. I'm here today to explain why I strongly oppose blanket rezoning. I want to begin by sharing a bit of my background because it directly shapes my perspective and not in a way that you would imagine. I come from a lower middle class family. I regularly worry about how my parents will retire, and I often find myself supporting my mom financially." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28832.485, "end": 28838.685, "text": "Because of this, I learned early on to prioritize financial responsibility and stability over short-term lifestyle choices." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28839.025, "end": 28858.345, "text": "There are many things I imagined doing, like having a big fun wedding, but instead my focus shifted to post secondary education and homeownership. My partner and I saved independently and put down a 20% down payment with no family financial assistance. I'm not sharing this for sympathy, but to challenge the idea that young adults can only buy homes with generational wealth. That simply is not true." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28858.845, "end": 28872.245, "text": "When we searched for our home we had four non-negotiables, a reasonably sized lot, a home set back from the sidewalk, a private backyard for future children, and most importantly, a fully detached property. Oh and we did want to stay in southwest inner city Calgary." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28872.625, "end": 28875.065, "text": "We viewed only three homes. One was in Earlton." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28875.465, "end": 28890.165, "text": "While the interior was beautiful and honestly my favorite, we ruled it out immediately due to what was happening around it. One neighboring property was being redeveloped into a 16-unit building, another into an eight-unit building. Across the street, multiple homes were listed for similar redevelopment purposes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28890.725, "end": 28910.505, "text": "That home was effectively boxed in by large scale densification. I felt genuine empathy for the family trying to sell it. A well maintained detached home made significantly less attractive due to rezoning decisions that directly affected its livability and resale value. Whether intentional or not, blanket rezoning can trap homeowners financially and remove their ability to make meaningful choices." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28910.925, "end": 28931.945, "text": "I'm also concerned about how multifamily rezoning is consistently framed as affordable housing. Based on real examples in areas around my own neighborhood, that narrative does not align with reality. For reference, we purchased our detached home on a large lot in Meadowlark Park for $755,000. My best friend and her husband purchased a duplex just three blocks from us for approximately $1.2 million." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28932.285, "end": 28939.065, "text": "I reviewed townhouses currently for sale in southwest inner city Calgary, many priced between $700,000 to $800,000." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28939.225, "end": 28953.565, "text": "These homes are often hundreds of square feet smaller than ours, sit on a fraction of the land and carry monthly condo fees between $250 to $500 a month, which will only increase over time. And fingers crossed that they don't get hit with a special assessment. Property taxes are often comparable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28953.945, "end": 28968.705, "text": "In exchange, buyers give up privacy, accept shared walls, noise transfer, and long term uncertainty. Several friends have shared how poor soundproofing negatively affects their daily lives. And they often play music when their neighboring properties are having showings to showcase just how thin those walls are." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28968.965, "end": 28973.025, "text": "No one should feel uncomfortable or anxious in a home that they worked years to afford." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28973.505, "end": 28980.785, "text": "Affordability can't be measured by density alone. True affordability includes long-term costs, livability, privacy, and resale value." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28981.125, "end": 28996.065, "text": "Blanket rezoning also ignores neighborhood level impacts, increased density without adequate infrastructure planning, strains parking, traffic, schools, green space, and emergency services. Not to mention, crime rates tend to be significantly higher in densified neighborhoods. Look at the stats per capita. They don't lie." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 28996.485, "end": 29000.445, "text": "These impacts are already being felt in many inner city communities, including my own." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 29000.705, "end": 29009.845, "text": "Where a recent change in boundaries has now made my future children have to cross a busy expressway to get into an elementary school when there's one just three blocks away from us in Windsor Park." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 29010.225, "end": 29048.405, "text": "Looking ahead, my partner and I hope one day to live in neighborhoods like Elba Park, Alboya, or Britannia. Aspirational neighborhoods matter. They show what's possible through hard work and long-term planning. Eliminating them through broad rezoning risks people's los risks people losing the ability to have real ambitions and goals of upward mobility. Detached housing in family-oriented neighborhoods are is not an outdated ideal. They are legitimate, meaningful goals and remain critical to community stability. I'd also be curious to know how many people pushing blanket rezoning, particularly landlords and developers making substantial profits from multifamily developments, actually choose to live in those developments themselves, or if they instead live on large lots in detached homes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 29048.605, "end": 29062.465, "text": "It's also those corporations that are charging insane amounts of rent to students and young adults. Their selfish profits are ultimately setting our younger generation saving goals back. For reference, my rent prior to my recent home purchase was more than half of my what my half of the mortgage is." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 29062.745, "end": 29067.345, "text": "I am living proof that young adults can purchase detached inner city homes without generational wealth." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 29067.625, "end": 29074.645, "text": "Based on the realities I've shared, choosing a multifamily alternative would not have brought me closer to that goal. In fact, I'd probably still be saving." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_08", "start": 29074.985, "end": 29089.905, "text": "To conclude, I am firmly opposed to blanket rezoning. I support thoughtful, targeted development that respects neighborhood context, infrastructure capacity, homeowner impact, and long term affordability, not sweeping policies that reshape communities without nuance or consent. Thank you. Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29090.505, "end": 29093.885, "text": "Thank you so much, Kelly. Now it's time for Jeff." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29096.785, "end": 29115.825, "text": "Thanks very much. Hello, my name is Jeff Banks. I've called Calgary home for over 40 years. I've been married for a decade. I have a little boy who was born here and means the world to me. I'm college educated, have held the same job for 18 years, and earn a six figure salary. I volunteer in the community. In short, I think I'm the kind of person most would be happy with as a neighbor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29116.425, "end": 29128.825, "text": "Yet over the last week I've listened to the public speaking on rezoning, and what I've learned is that none of that matters. Apparently, I've destroyed the character of my community. I'm a burden, constantly weighing on my neighbors that eats away at their quality of life." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29129.205, "end": 29143.705, "text": "Why? Because the place I call home happens to be an infill duplex in an established community. And it's not just me that must bear this shame. Our close friends have raised their children in a four unit infill townhouse complex, and again it's been made clear that for many Calgarians, they're not welcome either." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29144.305, "end": 29156.605, "text": "As much as it hurts to hear that you're not welcome in the community that you love in the city that you love, it's been utterly heartbreaking to watch members of this council nod along in agreement to these sentiments and compliment the speakers who stand and list the ways that I don't belong." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29157.085, "end": 29165.485, "text": "Because if I don't belong, what does that say about the many people who aren't financially secure, who have yet to start a family, or who are new to our city, or perhaps even new to our country?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29166.025, "end": 29177.185, "text": "Maybe I'm naive, but I thought Calgary was a city where anyone and everyone would be welcomed, could find a home suited for their lifestyle, in a community that was perfect for them, begin building a life, and contribute to our city's legacy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29177.665, "end": 29188.245, "text": "What I've heard this past week is that a large portion of our city should be open only to those who can afford a detached single family home, or those who can be thankful for the opportunity to have a shoebox apartment next to a bus stop." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29188.505, "end": 29204.985, "text": "Anyone who doesn't fit these two categories should be banished to the far flung suburbs. Thankfully, I've also heard from many others this past week who have offered up another vision for Calgary. One where reducing planning red tape ensures every community can offer a variety of housing choices and welcome the broadest cross section of Calgarians." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29205.245, "end": 29222.425, "text": "Critically, many of the voices who have stood up and encouraged Council to say no to repeal are not just speaking for themselves. They've been speaking for the hundreds of thousands of Calgarians who do not have the ability to set aside time to come speak at council. The Calgarians who are grinding away, trying to build a life and working towards securing a place they can call home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29222.925, "end": 29230.125, "text": "This silent majority of Calgarians could care less about zoning rules and simply want City Hall to make their lives better and make life in Calgary easier." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29230.485, "end": 29244.925, "text": "If Council's been paying attention to the information provided by administration and many of the presenters this past week, it's clear that repealing rezoning will create red tape and roadblocks to housing, drive tax increases, and require more sprawl. How exactly is that helping Calgarians?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29245.165, "end": 29255.965, "text": "I'm old enough to remember that when secondary suites were also seen as a policy that were destroying neighborhoods. Ironically, many who spoke out against secondary suites are now offering them up as a better solution to rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29256.665, "end": 29279.365, "text": "That's to say change is hard, but the question before council shouldn't be. Look, I get that council has heard a bunch of competing narratives on what was good or bad about rezoning, but I'm hoping we can all at least agree on a few simple things. One, that old way wasn't working. We have decades of evidence that single family zoning was driving sprawl and making housing in Calgary more expensive. Going back to the old policies we had before, this is just dumb." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29279.865, "end": 29301.185, "text": "Two, change is inevitable in a city growing to two million people. We all might love the Hallmark story of the street we grow up on as children, looking the exact same six years on, but the price to protect the majority of our city streets from change is one we just can't afford. Look at the prices in Toronto and Vancouver for how that story ends. We are all going to have to accept some level of change if we want to keep Calgary affordable." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29301.685, "end": 29313.585, "text": "And street, whatever people think of the full full portfolio of RCG, four unit townhouses and duplexes with suites just aren't that scary. There should be no issues seeing them built across our city. The stakes are high." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29313.805, "end": 29346.205, "text": "Calgary has had a long held goal of creating a 50-50 balance between a growth in new and established communities. The five year average has been 69% in new communities to 31% in established communities. Last year we finally saw a meaningful 12 point swing off the five year average, a 57% to 43% split. What changed last year? Blanket rezoning. Why does it matter? Well, hitting that 50 50 balance is projected to save the city of Calgary billions in infrastructure costs over the next few decades. That's significant fiscal firepower that can be deployed to build a heck of a lot of new pipes, wreck facilities, and LRT tracks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29346.465, "end": 29373.245, "text": "So today I've shared my story. Over the next few days, this council will write its own. Do you represent all Calgarians or only the single family homeowning type? Will you embrace ways to invite people into Calgary's communities or write rules designed to keep a vast majority of them out? Will you have the resolve to place good policy ahead of populist politics? Will you recognize that the old way of doing things was really about creating a pathway for people to say no? No to change, no to density, no to anything that isn't a detached single family home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_52", "start": 29373.605, "end": 29385.505, "text": "I hope you'll show that Calgary is still a city willing to say yes to new things, and that living in a townhome or a duplex doesn't make anyone less of a Calgarian. I hope under this council, everyone can still find a corner of Calgary to call home. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29386.445, "end": 29391.025, "text": "Thank you so much. And I I think it was Ole on 110. Are you with us?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29392.345, "end": 29393.225, "text": "Yes, I'm still here." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29393.405, "end": 29394.325, "text": "Thank you. Please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29396.105, "end": 29401.545, "text": "So uh my name is Oli Walker. I uh I live in Ward 11, uh specifically in Palliser." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29401.725, "end": 29410.665, "text": "And uh I've lived in Palliser for the last 40 years. I'm here to ask council to repeal bylaw twenty one p two thousand twenty-four and to uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29411.065, "end": 29414.825, "text": "to uh to ask them to find a better way to grow the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29416.905, "end": 29422.305, "text": "So uh I uh I've been a resident of Palliser since that since nineteen eighty six and uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29423.085, "end": 29427.205, "text": "There's probably no reason why I would ever want to leave this area. It's it uh it actually uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29427.385, "end": 29439.945, "text": "gives me everything and anything I would ever want out of a uh stable, very friendly, very dreamed community. And that is really what I was looking for. It's mostly a single family community, uh I should say a single uh home home community per lot." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29441.065, "end": 29450.945, "text": "And uh my wife and I uh raised uh two boys uh in our home, uh one of which I actually has liked it so much that he's decided to put down roots here as well, and he's become our neighbor." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29451.125, "end": 29456.925, "text": "And uh and he's uh he's looking for the same thing. He's looking for a wonderful community and neighborhood that he can be a part of." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29459.565, "end": 29501.725, "text": "So they say with with these with this uh up zoning change, there are a number of things that uh that are different than the way it was before. The way we had it before is that we uh we have stability in our neighborhood. The uh the uh the area was zoned for specific use. In this case, it was uh it was for uh for single-family homes. Uh, if development was proposed, and it could, then of course it would have to go through uh the rezoning requests, it would have to go through public hearings, councils would have to look at it, vote on it potentially. They would have to look at the impact on things like uh the the street, the character, the uh the greenery, et cetera, and the infrastructure, and then make a decision around whether to uh to permit this. And the uh uh the development would have to be balanced." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29502.065, "end": 29507.265, "text": "Uh what's changed is that uh now the uh with the with this uh with this um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29507.985, "end": 29528.205, "text": "This new uh uh uh regulation, uh you're looking at potentially up to eight units per uh per lock. And in fact, uh what I could say is that we actually have one development in our area as we speak, and it is an eight-unit development. And I spoke to the neighbors around that, it's gonna be under review. I spoke to the neighbors immediately around that, and they are not happy campers. The impact on them is quite negative." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29529.125, "end": 29550.105, "text": "It's uh it's uh basically uh no control to them because it's uh it's it's uh speculation, it's basically a development. Someone that has no uh no interest in the community at all, who will not live there, who just wants to basically uh capitalize on on a quick profit, that sort of thing. So see uh the regulations have changed, they don't take into account things like infrastructure uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29550.765, "end": 29562.585, "text": "And uh and the impact on the on the nature, the makeup and the character of the uh of the community. And those are some of the negative things that uh that uh I I I'd say I would have to say that I'm not happy about." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29564.645, "end": 29565.325, "text": "Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29565.325, "end": 29567.565, "text": "So what uh what does it mean? Go ahead, sorry." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29567.565, "end": 29568.825, "text": "No, sorry, please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29570.085, "end": 29571.405, "text": "Okay, so so what does it mean?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29571.405, "end": 29578.065, "text": "Sorry. Sorry for interrupting you. I thought uh you had concluded. Um I sincerely apologize. Please go ahead, Ole." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29579.005, "end": 29611.765, "text": "No worries, okay. So so uh what's changed? Well, first of all, if with with this change, it risks the change in the character of our of our neighborhood entirely. Everything from the building, the setbacks to how nature interacts, the quality, the the neighborliness, the friendliness is affected by this. We've lost our voice. We uh we uh we have we don't have the ability that we used to have in terms of voicing our opinion and our vote and and our let's say there's no accountability. Uh parking infrastructure, of course, will be strained by these large developments. Eight developments per lot is a significant increase." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29612.305, "end": 29624.545, "text": "Long-term neighbors are being pushed out. In this particular case, because uh speculators are not invested in the community, it makes it unattractive for people that are looking for a stable single-family home type environment." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29625.365, "end": 29664.225, "text": "This uh the the uh the upper zoning is a blunt tool instrument, it is not the right instrument for this specific purpose. Just by uh sharpening a hammer doesn't make it a better hammer. And I think that there are other areas in the city where this could be applied much more effectively. I'll give you an example. Uh McLeod Trail, the North South Corridor, and I've seen this in other European cities, is actually an area with with aged uh single story type commercial developments, just and and also unbuilt lots, just begging for redevelopment. And everywhere that I've seen development along that particular corridor, it's actually been beautified instead of aglifying it like it would in single in in these uh established uh neighborhoods." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29664.525, "end": 29671.785, "text": "Uh and of course we're losing trees, we're losing the uh the natural uh ambience that that we so much liked and which actually attracted into our neighborhood as well." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29673.585, "end": 29682.025, "text": "So what are we looking at? I'm asking Council to repeal blanket up zoning. I'd like to restore the old zoning with no tinkering." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29682.545, "end": 29684.225, "text": "And I would start to uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_47", "start": 29684.545, "end": 29688.205, "text": "to uh promote local planning over again as it was before." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29690.085, "end": 29691.165, "text": "Thank you very much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29691.525, "end": 29692.825, "text": "That concludes" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 29693.945, "end": 29699.125, "text": "that concludes this panel. Uh we'll go to Councillor Schmidt uh for questions for the panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29699.285, "end": 29700.725, "text": "Uh Mr. Carlson." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29703.545, "end": 29707.805, "text": "Because we heard from Kreb earlier and" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29708.885, "end": 29709.545, "text": "they did" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29711.165, "end": 29713.545, "text": "And I don't want to misquote them, but there was" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29714.205, "end": 29715.945, "text": "a strong representation that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29716.445, "end": 29728.045, "text": "their submissions were included all of the membership, so I'm just wondering what your perspective on that engagement was around that and your own perspective." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29728.825, "end": 29731.565, "text": "Well we have a board of directors. They are voted on" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29732.045, "end": 29735.905, "text": "just like council. Uh and we get to decide" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29736.805, "end": 29782.385, "text": "Who we want to put in those positions? They typically are supposed to vote on something. We can't find anything that says the board of directors voted on it at all. There would be meeting minutes that we can we can see. There was nothing proposed to any Calgary realtor. There was nothing in the Kreb. We typically have the option, if there's something so massive that we would get a voice, we would get to vote on it. Of course, you're not going to get 8,700 realtors to vote, but at least we should have had a choice, and there should have been a percentage of realtors chose that we wanted a full repeal. But the way it was proposed, and it was I was watching that at the time, and Councillor Kelly sort of asked a question. You were trying to get an answer out of them, and they didn't tell you the truth the whole story. There is really two representatives saying" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29782.625, "end": 29809.245, "text": "Or alluding to the fact that 8,700 realtors think that rezoning is bad. That is ludicrous. And it was not an option that we were given to say anything about it. So I really felt it was important that I got up here and a and explained that there are probably thousands and thousands of realtors who completely agree with the rezoning and and don't want it repealed at all, or at least want amendments. And I really didn't like the fact that they didn't even" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29809.905, "end": 29836.325, "text": "They didn't even look into the amendments. They had no position on it whatsoever, no knowledge. They just came in with a one one opinion and didn't have anything to offer, no statistics, no nothing to say anything about amendments that are being proposed. So how can they speak on behalf of the professionals who are here to try and help sell your homes, help you buy homes, and they're speaking on behalf of all of us? It was it was disgusting for many of us." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29837.485, "end": 29848.985, "text": "So then your perspective as a realtor selling people homes with the changes that have come since 2024, what have you seen?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29850.125, "end": 29919.785, "text": "Look, I come from this. Uh it's been terrible for me in many ways. I worked with developers doing townhomes, and they would buy one lot and and they would build a fourplex and they would sell off four units and I would get four listings, so therefore I'm getting five deals out of it, and now people buy one lot and they turn it into a rental. It's not good business for me. I don't come here because it's been good for my business. I come here because I care about Calgary and I understand what it's like to need the growth. I see we travel a lot, my family travels a lot, and we understand that people are coming because it's a great city. And you need to put them somewhere and to say that you can't have any increased density in certain communities, or at least have the thoughtful engagement of the communities with local area plans. Okay, well, if you can't if you're gonna repeal it, well then put it where they said they want it. And don't make a developer go through it and put in the financial risk and then fight with your neighbors, because that's what I went through. I've got I've been through it before. I've done rezonings for multiple properties, I've done a rezoning for for a fourplex, and and you end up just fighting with people. But if that's what the community wants, why are people fighting about it? That's what you asked for. You spend years putting these LAPs together, and then you still have to fight about it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29920.705, "end": 29928.825, "text": "And so then we also have heard that there is a scarcity now of single family homes available to buyers and that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29929.545, "end": 29931.565, "text": "the these changes have" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 29932.025, "end": 29942.565, "text": "really only made this type of row house, townhouse type build available in areas where people want to live. Have is this something that you've experienced?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29942.565, "end": 29959.605, "text": "Well, I've been through many cycles. Yeah, being a realtor for more than twenty years. There's there's ups and downs of our market. It's it's going to continue to change. Yes, single family happens to be sought after right now, but there was a time when single family was not and you could basically give them away. Uh and now yes there's more" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 29960.265, "end": 30031.685, "text": "There's more choice, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If there is more choice, then that means that the prices for townhomes and for smaller units that people can actually afford, a lot of people who can't afford a big expensive single lot house can now get in the market. That's not a bad thing. If prices of single families homes go up because of it, what how is it what's the problem? You're still creating housing for people who need it. And you can't put everybody in a single family home. What is the the average now? You've got, what is it, something like 30% of people uh of Calgarians live one single person in a single family home? That's not like when we grew up, right? When I grew up, everybody had three kids, four kids. You had homes with six people in them. Now you have homes with one or two. I got lots of friends and and clients who choose not to have kids. They're never gonna have kids, and they live in a single house with one person in it. And that's not how you actually grow a city. You can't just keep growing out. At least that's not my opinion. I I don't I don't want to see that. I'd love to see the neighborhoods, the inner city communities where you get you walk and you get to see your neighbors, you get to know everybody. How many people have got up here and spoken about how great it is? There's a forkplex that was built next to them, and now they're shoveling the sidewalk of the old person next door. It creates community." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 30032.805, "end": 30036.925, "text": "So then, based on your experience, are single family homes at risk in Calgary?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_49", "start": 30038.485, "end": 30039.925, "text": "Of all being redeveloped?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30039.925, "end": 30112.385, "text": "Well, there's are lots of communities that already have restrictive covenants, and you're gonna have to take them to court, to court a king's bench, to actually have that restrictive covenant removed. You've got lots of communities that are going to oppose everything, and they're the land is so expensive. If you talk with like Civic Works did a fantastic job years ago when the rezoning went through, I understand that it's millions and millions of dollars, and people didn't want it, but what do you do when you're when the government dangles almost a billion dollars at you? Okay, well, we got to do something and you have to do it now. It wasn't thoughtful, it was just a blanket reproach approach, and I get that. But at the end of the day, um uh there is a need for housing, and sometimes, like civic work was saying, there's only about 5% of all the homes that were rezoned to RCG that you can actually build anything that is like an RCG property. You can't do it. I live in a cul-de-sac with a front attached garage and no back lane. You'll never gonna see a fourplex go in mine. You can't provide the parking for it. So it's not gonna happen until the housing choice, uh the options for housing changes. With the RCG zoning, you're never gonna do it. And that is about 95% of the homes in Calgary. So not every single family home is at risk, a very small percentage." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30113.185, "end": 30115.665, "text": "Might see the increase in density, but not every home." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30117.665, "end": 30118.105, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30119.125, "end": 30120.225, "text": "And those are all my questions." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30120.725, "end": 30122.165, "text": "Thanks, uh Councillor Shabot, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30124.825, "end": 30126.445, "text": "Same, same uh presenter." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30127.525, "end": 30130.665, "text": "Yeah, I'm not sure if we're getting some of your statistics, but uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30131.045, "end": 30132.305, "text": "not gonna question that. Um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30132.645, "end": 30134.825, "text": "you did make reference to something though about um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30135.445, "end": 30137.425, "text": "about LEPs and uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30138.385, "end": 30142.545, "text": "Following in line with some of those LEPs, but we did hear a lot of folks here" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30142.945, "end": 30146.165, "text": "speak to the LEPs and say that it was a flawed process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30146.605, "end": 30147.225, "text": "So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30148.085, "end": 30151.545, "text": "based on what you're saying, the communities, what the communities want." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30152.045, "end": 30154.925, "text": "But that doesn't necessarily mean that that's what the communities want." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30155.665, "end": 30178.825, "text": "You know, blanket rezoning is not what everybody wants. You're never going to find a policy that works for everybody. It's impossible. And the same thing with an LAP. But the the difference with an LAP, at least in my experience, because we own a couple of properties in West Dillhurst. And we just went through it. So I understand the process. I came at it from a developer, so they were they were talking with myself with a couple of different options. As a homeowner and as a developer, how do you how do you" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30179.805, "end": 30184.925, "text": "Create the density where people want it. And you're not gonna get, of course, the neighbors behind don't want any density." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30185.465, "end": 30221.005, "text": "Just like anybody, you know, there's lots of people beside a fourplex, don't want it there. Well, where are you gonna put it? It takes years to engage, and you of course you can't make everybody happy, but at least there was a choice. It wasn't in a week-long hearing. This happened over years. There's so many opportunities for people to engage and give their opinion, and they did. And then they come back and they go, Okay, we can't make you all happy, but this is the best we came up with, and they agreed to that. That is the vision for the community, and most people, I believe, agreed with where that density should go. Not everyone, you'll never in a million years get everyone to agree." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30221.325, "end": 30236.385, "text": "So that's that's great. Um if you look at LEPs that were approved uh prior to the blanket rezoning, there were areas that were identified as neighborhood local uh limited scale, which would have allowed single and and semis." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30236.385, "end": 30236.605, "text": "Right." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30236.865, "end": 30238.685, "text": "Uh post-implementation," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30239.345, "end": 30254.565, "text": "the the option was completely taken out of the LAPs. So it therein lies the the dilemma. This is now permitted everywhere in the local LAPs. So you're saying where people support it, but that wasn't actually uh even on the table." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30254.825, "end": 30265.985, "text": "I I I understand that that some of the LAPs are older and it doesn't necessarily support it, so maybe some of these need to be revised, maybe they need to go back. I'm just saying in that there are LAPs that called for density. And so" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30266.625, "end": 30282.485, "text": "I don't know what that time limit is. Like, was it anything done this year is fine? Everything two years and older is not fine. I don't know what that time limit is. I'm not here to speak and say how old an LAP should be to therefore support it. But I'm just saying that if" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30283.165, "end": 30299.345, "text": "you're not going to, if you're if you're going to repeal rezoning, if you're going to say we don't want it everywhere, then where are you going to put it? And what's the process to get there? You're and LEPs with community involvement that take years is the, I think, the most fair" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30299.925, "end": 30304.485, "text": "option for increased density that is available." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30304.705, "end": 30309.845, "text": "If you had I'm not sure if you've been paying attention to what's been going on over the last little bit, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30310.585, "end": 30311.485, "text": "I I've asked." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30311.485, "end": 30312.905, "text": "Councillor Shabot, you don't need to go." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30312.905, "end": 30334.945, "text": "I'm getting to a question, Your Worship, respectfully. So I appreciate what you're saying. I guess the challenge from my perspective, and maybe you can tell me what you think, is if we do repeal, there's some LAPs that had no low density" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30335.325, "end": 30335.965, "text": "No load inc" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30335.965, "end": 30345.505, "text": "limited scale, i.e. single and and semi. The older ones did. And so I to your point, you're saying don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, you're throwing everything out." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30346.325, "end": 30357.565, "text": "But if we go back to a city initiated redesignation in areas where it's supported by the community, do you think it would be wise to revisit some of the ones where that wasn't an option, which would be the newer ones?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30357.965, "end": 30361.785, "text": "like you're talking about uh protecting certain areas." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30361.805, "end": 30365.005, "text": "By looking at where it makes sense to your own" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30365.005, "end": 30368.085, "text": "I m I don't think it's fair that that" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30369.605, "end": 30423.645, "text": "The blanket rezoning went everywhere. I get it. I understand the the dilemma and the fear of everyone. But I understand also what it's like for a developer to now pay a million dollars or more for a single in inner city lot because that's what it costs now. And and what it has what's happened because of it is these developers are now being pushed to go a little bit further out. And it's creating communities and different housing options in different communities that didn't exist before. So I I think that the LAP, you know, well the blanket rezoning has worked in many ways because now you've got increased density in areas that would have probably never seen that without the blanket rezoning. And then if you're not, if you are going to repeal it, and then you have to have, I get it, that people want to, they bought into an RC1 neighborhood, they they have an expensive home, they want to protect it. I get that. And I don't I don't think that that's wrong. I just think that there are air areas in every like a look look at uh um" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30424.105, "end": 30459.265, "text": "Who was it? Uh uh one of the counselors, I think it was Pentosopoulos. I think you were talking about 17th Avenue as a as a prime place the other day for let's put a lot of increased density along 17th Avenue. Well, there's a restrictive covenant for uh CN Rail or CP rail uh that restricts anything more than a single family home. If you can't put increased density along 17th Avenue because of restrictive covenant, then where can you put it? That is one of the busiest traffic no traffic nodes in the city, yet, and there's also a set a road widening setback. So you can't always put it where it looks like it should work." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30459.805, "end": 30475.425, "text": "But you do agree that that uh public engagement through the and and public consultation should form uh at least part of the plan on a go forward basis so that there's good public input and consultation to acknowledge where it makes the most sense." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30476.185, "end": 30487.125, "text": "I l I love the LAP process. It's not great. I don't get exactly everything I want on properties that I've looked at purchasing or developers or, you know, some of my clients have bought. It's not it's not perfect." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30487.865, "end": 30511.385, "text": "Like look at uh 37th Street. It's a prime example. You had MC1 zoned. And I think everybody here can realize that 37th Street is not great. A lot of people are developing things and they're going back for a rezoning because MC1 wasn't enough. It wasn't good enough. It didn't create what they wanted. It didn't create a mixed use kind of housing type where you've got businesses and it just wasn't great. At least it's it's a step in the right" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30511.985, "end": 30519.145, "text": "in the right direction, and you're literally trying to help put the density somewhere, and it was a process." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30520.365, "end": 30521.625, "text": "That was city initiated." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30521.765, "end": 30532.845, "text": "City, yeah, that one was done. And exactly, it was done like an LAP, like I'm proposing, is hey, if you're not going, if you're gonna repeal it or you're gonna put restrictions on the RCG zoning so you can't work, it doesn't work," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30533.605, "end": 30535.025, "text": "uh then put it" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30535.765, "end": 30547.125, "text": "put to the zoning through that is proposed in those approved LAPs, anyways. And then it just takes the risk out of it. And developers will go there and they'll increase the density for you. And hopefully you can keep the federal money." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30549.045, "end": 30550.045, "text": "Sounds like a great plan." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_38", "start": 30550.985, "end": 30551.505, "text": "I hope." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 30551.965, "end": 30554.105, "text": "Thanks. No further questions for me. Thanks." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30555.765, "end": 30560.625, "text": "All right, uh Councillor Shabot, thank you. This uh I believe this concludes this panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30561.505, "end": 30568.185, "text": "We have about 15 minutes uh remaining here. Uh I do I see somebody had just walked in uh who had been registered to speak." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30568.645, "end": 30571.045, "text": "Yeah, let's uh accommodate uh you please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_28", "start": 30571.685, "end": 30571.785, "text": "Yeah." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30571.785, "end": 30574.085, "text": "Sorry, I don't know your name, but please come on down." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30575.645, "end": 30581.085, "text": "Uh I'm gonna seek uh just one more name on the phone, and then I think that's going to uh wrap our public hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30581.625, "end": 30585.065, "text": "Is there anyone on the line from panels one through 20?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30590.525, "end": 30593.445, "text": "Anyone on from panels 21 through 40?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30598.185, "end": 30600.685, "text": "Anyone from 41 through 60?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30605.105, "end": 30606.905, "text": "How about 61 through 70?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30613.145, "end": 30614.525, "text": "71 through 80?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30619.505, "end": 30620.765, "text": "81 through 90?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30623.165, "end": 30624.545, "text": "Sorry, did somebody just speak now?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30628.865, "end": 30630.805, "text": "How about 91 through 100?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30633.745, "end": 30634.545, "text": "Yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30634.805, "end": 30636.085, "text": "Alka Kaplan" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30637.945, "end": 30640.045, "text": "Thank you. Could you let me know which panel you were on?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30641.525, "end": 30643.345, "text": "uh from panel ninety-four." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 30644.225, "end": 30644.925, "text": "Thank you so much." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30646.845, "end": 30659.505, "text": "All right, uh we will hear from these two speakers and let's assess at six o'clock uh council if there's perhaps relatively few amounts of people to to hear from. We may have an option to continue to be able to close the public hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30660.205, "end": 30661.785, "text": "Uh please uh approach." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30663.445, "end": 30665.425, "text": "If you don't mind just letting us know your name and panel number." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30665.865, "end": 30666.345, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30666.785, "end": 30671.665, "text": "My name is Kira Ostrasser and I was registered on panel 66." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30672.765, "end": 30674.885, "text": "All right, thank you for your being with us. Yeah, five minutes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30676.285, "end": 30679.205, "text": "Thank you for the opportunity to speak today." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30680.065, "end": 30685.325, "text": "My name is Kira and I live in the University District, which is in Ward 7." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30686.385, "end": 30692.305, "text": "I grew up in Sylvan Lake and would come to Calgary sometimes as a getaway with my mom." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30693.525, "end": 30702.125, "text": "And something I always noticed when driving into Calgary from Sylvan were all of the individual houses sprawled on the outskirts of the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30703.205, "end": 30710.725, "text": "Now, as a resident of Calgary, I would love to see us stop building outwards and focus on building up throughout the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30712.345, "end": 30717.265, "text": "There is no need for a city of our population to have such a large geographic footprint." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30718.405, "end": 30722.585, "text": "Blanket rezoning is one way for us to stop the sprawl going forward." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30724.325, "end": 30726.945, "text": "I moved to Calgary from Edmonton four years ago." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30727.985, "end": 30736.605, "text": "I graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and moved to Calgary to go to law school and study environmental law." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30738.145, "end": 30744.725, "text": "Growing up in Sylvan Lake, I had easy access to natural spaces. The lake was my backyard and my playground." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30746.025, "end": 30751.905, "text": "Blanket rezoning is one way for us to protect natural spaces on the outskirts of Calgary from development." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30752.785, "end": 30762.285, "text": "If we repeal blanket rezoning, it will make it harder for Calgarians to access natural spaces because they will have to go further and further outside of the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30763.565, "end": 30768.325, "text": "Access to natural spaces is incredibly important for the mental health of our communities." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30769.445, "end": 30773.405, "text": "When I moved here from Edmonton, my rental prices almost doubled." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30774.425, "end": 30781.285, "text": "Rent is incredibly expensive in Calgary, and rezoning would help us to increase the availability of affordable housing in the city." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30783.245, "end": 30789.565, "text": "I love living in the university district because it is such a walkable community and there is lots of high density housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30790.245, "end": 30797.105, "text": "Rezoning would allow more neighborhoods in Calgary to be like the university district, and I think that would be a very positive thing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30798.985, "end": 30814.145, "text": "When I moved here from Edmonton, I was expecting transit in Calgary to be much more accessible, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case. More communities in Calgary need access to transit, and that won't happen if we keep expanding the city's footprint." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30818.365, "end": 30824.385, "text": "I would also like to buy a home eventually. As a young lawyer, that feels like the natural next step in my life." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30825.245, "end": 30833.885, "text": "I would like to stay in central Calgary so that I am close to my office downtown. However, I feel that homes in the communities close to downtown are very expensive." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30834.845, "end": 30842.485, "text": "Keeping blanket rezoning would allow us to increase the availability of affordable homes in areas of the city where people want to live." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30843.865, "end": 30848.505, "text": "It is for all of these reasons that I would ask you to oppose repealing blanket rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30849.285, "end": 30856.265, "text": "Blanket rezoning allows us to protect our environment, build a more climate resilient city, and support affordable housing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30856.665, "end": 30861.665, "text": "I would urge you not to repeal blanket rezoning without replacing it with something else." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_61", "start": 30862.245, "end": 30862.825, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30863.385, "end": 30866.525, "text": "Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to Ostrasser next, please." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30868.785, "end": 30869.425, "text": "Oh, that was you?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30870.225, "end": 30873.685, "text": "Okay. Uh no, that's sorry, that was uh Kaplan on 94. I apologize." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30877.425, "end": 30877.885, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30879.265, "end": 30880.545, "text": "good evening, council." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30881.125, "end": 30887.225, "text": "My name is Alka Kaplan. I live in Ward 8, and I am in grade 10 at Western Canada High School." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30888.025, "end": 30888.485, "text": "I" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30888.685, "end": 30893.765, "text": "I'm here today to urge the council to vote no to repealing citywide rezoning." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30894.645, "end": 30899.005, "text": "Being a teenager, as you can probably guess, I appreciate my autonomy." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30899.905, "end": 30908.285, "text": "Nevertheless, I still often find myself asking my parents for rides around the city due to its underdeveloped transit system." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30909.045, "end": 30913.545, "text": "Higher density will lead to better transit, as other panelists" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30913.705, "end": 30922.145, "text": "have already shown, and I will no longer be wasting my parents' precious time just to schlep me across our city's considerable sprawl." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30923.005, "end": 30924.285, "text": "Mayor and counselors," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30924.565, "end": 30926.245, "text": "please consider your commute," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30926.465, "end": 30927.825, "text": "the ones of your children," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30928.165, "end": 30929.645, "text": "and the time lost to it." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30930.185, "end": 30936.045, "text": "Please also take into account the environmental impact caused by driving when putting in your vote." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_05", "start": 30936.865, "end": 30939.665, "text": "Thank you council for your time. Please vote no." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30941.085, "end": 30943.165, "text": "Thank you so much for that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30944.265, "end": 30946.505, "text": "I don't see any questions for this panel." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30947.425, "end": 30954.225, "text": "Colleagues, uh, I believe that we have four net additional callers on the line. Um Mr. Clerk, uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30954.725, "end": 30958.325, "text": "what would it uh take for us to perhaps reconsider the previous" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30959.225, "end": 30960.545, "text": "decision uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30960.745, "end": 30963.705, "text": "uh to end at six o'clock and maybe revise that to six thirty?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_37", "start": 30964.885, "end": 30966.165, "text": "We can prep that motion, yes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30966.265, "end": 30971.265, "text": "Okay. Uh colleagues, what do you think of pushing another half hour? It's possible we may conclude the public hearing." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30973.625, "end": 30973.805, "text": "Okay." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30974.705, "end": 30976.725, "text": "All right. Uh we will prepare that motion." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30982.845, "end": 30990.725, "text": "Actually, just a moment from a process standpoint. We did share with the public that we would be going to six o'clock, and if we did not" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30991.005, "end": 30992.065, "text": "go beyond," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30992.465, "end": 30994.825, "text": "or rather, that we were going to end at six o'clock," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30995.225, "end": 30998.525, "text": "and that if we did not conclude by six o'clock, there'd be the opportunity on" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 30999.005, "end": 31004.865, "text": "Tuesday. I actually just regret what I just said because I think from a pre process and procedural fairness standpoint," }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31005.525, "end": 31006.165, "text": "it" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31006.385, "end": 31010.725, "text": "uh it would not be that it wouldn't be fair for us to push hard" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31010.985, "end": 31014.485, "text": "a little bit later tonight in order to end the public hearing. I know there's probably" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31014.865, "end": 31017.925, "text": "A desire to get to questions of clarification and debate, but" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31018.325, "end": 31020.665, "text": "from a process standpoint, uh I would" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31021.145, "end": 31023.445, "text": "advise that we do not uh do that." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31025.025, "end": 31031.725, "text": "And I I apologize for opening the can of worms and uh immediately trying to uh to to jam it sh to jam it shut." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31032.705, "end": 31033.205, "text": "Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31033.845, "end": 31037.985, "text": "at this point, I though I believe that uh we we do have another eight minutes." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31038.745, "end": 31040.965, "text": "I'm going to attempt to get one more speaker." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31041.225, "end": 31042.625, "text": "Uh Councillor Chabot, did you want to speak?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_33", "start": 31044.905, "end": 31049.245, "text": "Just wanna suggest that we got through these last two in about eight minutes. Maybe we could get through two." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 31049.525, "end": 31049.725, "text": "Yep." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_36", "start": 31050.145, "end": 31050.965, "text": "All right, let's try to" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31052.025, "end": 31053.405, "text": "All right. Uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31055.365, "end": 31058.625, "text": "Anyone uh from 75 to 100 on the line?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31062.765, "end": 31064.405, "text": "Anyone from 100 to 110?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31068.545, "end": 31069.365, "text": "Anyone from" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31070.285, "end": 31071.205, "text": "sorry, who just spoke?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_44", "start": 31072.765, "end": 31074.185, "text": "Kendra Holinski." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_44", "start": 31074.365, "end": 31075.025, "text": "Oh, I uh" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_44", "start": 31075.545, "end": 31076.765, "text": "11 actually, sorry." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31077.765, "end": 31078.565, "text": "Sorry, Kendra?" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31079.745, "end": 31083.625, "text": "We're we're gonna sneak you in. Go ahead. Uh you have five minutes starting now. Please go ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_44", "start": 31086.405, "end": 31087.385, "text": "Sorry, me, go ahead." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31087.585, "end": 31089.025, "text": "Yeah, please go ahead, Kendra. Thank you." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_44", "start": 31090.105, "end": 31097.785, "text": "Okay. Um, hello, Mayor, Councilpersons, and fellow Calgarians. Uh I want to say I really like your rubber ducks, by the way. Uh your worship." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31097.785, "end": 31098.105, "text": "Thank you." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31098.825, "end": 31101.025, "text": "My name is Kendra Holinski. I'm 20" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31101.825, "end": 31103.345, "text": "lifelong Calgarian. I live in" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31104.325, "end": 31109.925, "text": "I'm here to speak on behalf of myself, but I would also like to speak on behalf of the people who aren't able to be here." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31110.225, "end": 31114.785, "text": "And had voice in these proceedings, even though they will be some of the most affected by your decision." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31115.285, "end": 31117.045, "text": "Some of these people were actually not able to" }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31118.025, "end": 31119.105, "text": "election either." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31119.865, "end": 31129.145, "text": "One of whom should and maybe the people in their early 20s too, who just haven't quite realized that politics affects them yet." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31129.605, "end": 31134.445, "text": "Well, I've been there. I used to think this kind of stuff was pretty boring and had no real effect on my life." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31134.765, "end": 31142.725, "text": "However, I've been watching these hearings and listening to the Calgarians sharing their opinions with great interest because I know that the decision this council makes after these hearings." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31142.985, "end": 31146.645, "text": "It's going to have longstanding consequences for everyone who calls this city home." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31147.565, "end": 31152.165, "text": "I understand that a lot of people were upset about citywide rezoning. It wasn't popular." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31152.505, "end": 31164.425, "text": "However, good leadership isn't all about popularity. It's about doing what needs to be done, planning for the future, and taking the welfare of everyone into consideration, not just the loudest minority." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31165.085, "end": 31188.605, "text": "I am so frustrated hearing all the same circular arguments. I'm angry that this entire clown show that we're calling engagement has been going on, where we're asking a bad question and asking people who aren't qualified to understand city planning to give their opinion on how we can build our city for the future. I can't believe we're having a vote to repeal the bylaw made by our previous council without even trying to come up with a reasonable replacement first." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31188.765, "end": 31200.225, "text": "This is the worst kind of politics. The swinging back and forth, undoing all the work of the previous council to please the people who voted for you with no thought of planning for the future or creating actual sustainable policy." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31200.505, "end": 31216.625, "text": "Also, can we please talk about how RC1 is the definition of one size fits all zoning? Universal RCG gives us more options, not less. But believe it or not, if you do not repeal this bylaw, every neighborhood full of single family homes is not going to be bulldozed overnight." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31216.925, "end": 31229.465, "text": "If this bylaw stands for 30, 40, or 50 years, I can guarantee there will still be many neighborhoods in Calgary full of single family homes because that's what some people want. That's what the market wants. But people want and need other options too." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31229.945, "end": 31241.365, "text": "I find it so ironic how many Calgarians advocate for a free market and for the market to regulate itself on everything except housing. No, when it comes to housing we need more government control, regulation and red tape." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31241.985, "end": 31242.625, "text": "Come on." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31243.285, "end": 31251.705, "text": "I will end this by asking you to please consider young Calgarians in the choice you make because we are the ones who are going to be inheriting the mess if you choose to repeal this bylaw." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31251.885, "end": 31287.725, "text": "We're going to inherit the higher tax burden, the municipal services spread thin over endless sprawl, the forced car ownership, and the unaffordable home prices. We're going to be stuck paying over half our monthly income and rent just to survive. And the people who are currently homeowners and who are the strongest opposers of citywide rezoning will have moved into old age homes or they'll have passed away, or they'll still be living in their precious single family home, aging in place, refusing to give up driving because they can't get anywhere otherwise, and they'll be wondering why their kids moved out of Calgary and made it so that they only get to see their grandkids a few times a year." }, { "speaker": "Public Speaker", "start": 31288.365, "end": 31296.925, "text": "Also on that note, please look into allowing more zoning for walkable neighborhood corner stores and other small amenities within communities. Thank you. That's all I have." }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31298.505, "end": 31329.845, "text": "Thank you so much for being here with us. I understand there's uh six more people in the line, colleagues, so I think we've arrived pretty much at six o'clock here, and we're gonna be back uh at 9 30 a.m. on Tuesday in order to continue and and likely uh conclude the the public hearing. I think it's the intent of uh most of you that I've spoken with for us to run Tuesday to the public hearing and then recess that day and then come back the day after uh to begin uh questions of clarification and and potential debate. So" }, { "speaker": "SPEAKER_58", "start": 31330.065, "end": 31341.705, "text": "uh with that I'm gonna bang the gavel three minutes early. We will uh everyone have an amazing Easter. Enjoy uh a very long weekend with your families and see you back fresh on in the chamber at Tuesday at 9 30. Yeah." } ], "full_text": "All right, welcome back to Calgary City Council. Mr. Clerk, would you please call the rule? Thank you, Mayor. On the role. Councillor Tyres. Councillor Wyness. Councillor Wyness, did I hear you say here? Yes, I'm here. Thank you. Uh Councillor Yule? Thank you. Councillor Kelly? Present. Councillor Dollywall? Thank you. Councillor Pantasopos. Councillor Atkinson? Councillor Schmidt? Councillor Clark? Councillor Chabot? Present. Thank you. Councillor Ward? Here. Thank you. Councillor Jameson? Councillor McLean? Here. Councillor Johnston? Here. Thank you. Mayor Farkas. I'm here. Thank you. Thank you. I'm gonna go over to uh Councillor Shabot, please. Thank you, uh worship. Sorry for not getting my RTS in. I think um to ensure that uh the the public are well informed about our process and expectations, setting expectations now ahead of starting uh this public hearing again, we we need to set um uh direction as far as what our intent is on a go forward basis with regards to the agenda. Um it's been it's been a long couple of weeks. Um I know myself I'm way behind in so far as my emails and responding to citizens. Uh would like to be opportunity to do a little bit of catch-up work uh as well as uh as catching up with family. Um it's been a long week, like I said, and we haven't really even had a chance to catch up even with family. In anticipation of Good Friday and in preparations for that, um I would uh like to propose that we uh end the public hearing today at six o'clock. And uh and again, like I said, to try and catch up on emails and constituent issues. uh taking the Monday off uh for that purpose and and reconvene at this public hearing on Tuesday morning. So it's a motion that I would like to put forward and let council uh debate and decide on the best path forward at the end of the day. We need to set direction as soon as possible so that the public is well informed. Yeah, and uh from a process standpoint, uh I believe you mean to to recess at six o'clock. Uh the public hearing would continue if uh we had remaining people who are signed up and it would just uh the this meeting would continue on Tuesday at 9 30. That's what I'm proposing. Thank you. All right, so that's been moved by Councillor Shabot. Is there a seconder for this? Seconded by Councillor Jameson. So the the motion in front of us is to uh to decide now that we will end today at 6 p.m. We'll conduct the public hearing, listen to uh as much uh submissions as possible until six o'clock, and then this meeting would uh reconvene on Tuesday at 9 30. It's unlikely at this point uh that the public hearing would conclude uh today. I believe we have another 200 folks uh total uh or so that uh have been registered that we've not been able to hear from. So this is uh on the floor right now. I'm going over to Councillor Schmidt, please. I concur. All right. Any further discussion on this? Okay. Councillor Yule, please. Maybe in your clothes, why why not 9 30 today? Um and do the same. R resume on Tuesday Uh I will just jump in as far as debate. I think out of respect for s uh the public and staff, especially given the weather right now, I don't want to uh see people in a situation where they feel like they have to rush down to City Hall to be able to make it. Um I I think also given that it's Good Friday, Easter Monday, uh I think having a little bit of a uh a break and weekend to be able to catch up on work as well as family, not just for council members, but also for staff and the the the public i is warranted here. I will say in the event in the possibility that the public hearing uh perhaps closes because we run out of people before six o'clock today, I think we should still just honor that recess and not push through to debates or amendments today. So if as a council we can make that commitment that Uh we will hear from the public today, but if we run out of people to talk to and the public hearing closes, we won't be rushing through a decision uh for those folks who may be uh watching along on the line. So back to uh Councillor Chabot to close, please. Yeah no not not much more to add. It's uh you did mention the weather issue and uh I know that uh I myself had to leave earlier this morning and not just this morning but other days uh as well just to make it here on time and I'm sure staff are in the same situation and and it's gonna be likely similar going on. So it's extra time that got everything off. Um it's a little extra time uh for us to um again maybe relax a little bit or take the time to um reach back out to constituents. Uh I certainly have a lot of of requests on my desk. That I've been pushing out and uh I'd like to be able to at least respond to them if or meet with some of the individuals that are now seeking in for um to meet with me. In fact, I've had folks actually threatening me that if I don't respond to them that they're going to take action. And so again, I I want to be as responsive as I can to my residents as well, and that's kind of what I'm looking for here as well. So please support this. Thank you. And uh this is m I this may be material to the decision as well. I'm sort of reinsert myself after the close. Um Mr. Clerk, do you have a sense of the the total number of submissions that were received uh by council uh prior or rather post start of public hearing? Because I know that there's a website or e scribe has been updated as they've been coming in. Apologies, Mayor, I don't have that number off the top of my head. Yeah, my my sense is it's at least six or seven hundred submissions as well that the the public is owed uh an obligation that council will uh r read through those. So with that, uh Mr. Clerk, let's uh please engage the e-vote on the uh uh recess for six o'clock today. On the recess motion, Councillor. Councillor Ward, your vote, please. for me? I'm a no. Councillor Ward, sorry. No. Thank you. On the recess motion, Councillor Ewell, please. No. On the recess motion, Councillor Dogwell. And Councillor Atkinson, your vote, please. Yes. Councillor Tyres will mark her absent. Councillor Kelly, your vote, please. Yes. And Councillor Johnston, your vote, please. Councillor Johnson, your vote, please. No. Sorry. Thank you. Mayor, all the votes are in. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Please uh display the results. On that, the motion is carried 10 to 4 with counselors Johnston, Ward, Yule, and YNS uh opposed. So again, just to clarify, we will go through the public hearing today until 6 o'clock. Uh we will uh be reconvening this meeting on Tuesday at 9 30 a.m. If the uh public hearing is to continue, we'll be hearing from the public at 9 30. If uh the public hearing was concluded today, uh we will be going into the questions of clarifications on Tuesday at 9 30. All right, so just by a quick show of hands, uh how many people are in the audience that are here to speak? Okay, great. All right, so colleagues, uh we had many other panels have uh signed up since uh Uh we've last conducted our public hearing. I've attempted uh within the confines of the procedure bylaw to to as fairly as possible call uh a mix of names that had never been called before and names that hadn't. Uh I know that given the uh tracking of the panels is on the website, there's an expectation largely for members of the public who had maybe been waiting for their panel to arrive. So with that, uh my approach here is going to be to call one panel at a time. If the members of the panel are all here, we will hear from that panel. However, if there are slots that were not filled by that panel, I will fill them with names that had previously been called. So on a for every panel, we'll have a mix of folks who will be on the panel that's up, as well as filling backfilling from panels that uh um had not been previously called. So uh in other words, uh we we left off at the previous meeting at panel 106. So I'm gonna be calling panel 107, 108, 109, 110, and so on. When I call for panel 107, we'll hear from all of the folks who are in panel 107. And if there's no one, if there's absentees from that, we'll refill the remainder of that panel so that sequentially, uh, this is my attempt at doing it the best fair way, given that many names have been called many times. But then there's other people who may have showed up in the audience or been on the line uh waiting for a long time for their name to be called that hadn't been called yet. So uh I hope that's uh clear as mud. Uh we're gonna start by calling panel 107. Do we have Austin Surson with us? Austin, was that you by chance? Alright, everyone, uh, please mute if you're on the line. I'm gonna go to uh 107 again, Ross Strong. 107 uh Joe Vipont. Okay, come on down, Joe. You'll be our first. 107 Mark Hayden. Mark Hayden here on the line. Thank you, Mark. Uh please stand by. And everyone, if you're not currently speaking, please make sure your devices are on mute. And turn off the live stream as well. Uh on 107, do we have Scott Reed? Nope. Alright, so again to recap, I've called all of panel 107. Two of the names were here, which means that we have three slots to fill based on catch up of previous names. So is it somebody on the teams by chance? Yeah, it's likely uh to Councillor Atkinson's point, and it's probably somebody who's on the phone in the live stream simultaneously. All right, so to recap, I called all of panel 107. Two individuals were here, three were not. I'm going to fill the remaining three slots with people uh starting from the uh previous panel. So we're looking for three more names to join this. Do we have anyone with us or on the phone from panels one through 25? So it looks like we have two individuals here. Yeah, please come on down. Do we have any people here from panels 26 through 5th group? Alright, let's give this a moment to the the the technical staff to attempt to resolve. Is there anybody on the phone or in the chamber with us who had been assigned panels 26 through 50? Sorry, did somebody just speak right now? I think this is what hell is like. So a question of privilege here. This does not appear to be a teams problem. It does not appear to be a a muting problem. I'm wondering if we have an issue with the Temporarily, can I recess to the call of the chair for us to uh resolve this technical issue? if we believe that we have a uh a uh uh somebody working on the technical issue. Okay. Well stand by. I don't think we've recessed. No. We need unanimous consent or we'll need to put a motion. But I I think we need to stay in the meeting in order for the um IT to stay live. So Alright, we will stall here, Councillor Kelly. So what are your plans for the weekend? You know, it's it's actually quite uh to the credit of the team and the public, it's quite a surprise that this has not happened until now, based on a good uh almost solid hundred hours of uh proceedings. People have been pretty good uh for hitting the meat button. Okay. All right, we're gonna we're gonna attempt to continue. Was there Anyone on the phone or in person from panels 51 through 60? Alright, we have uh one more individual here. So just to recap what I did here, I had called panel 107. Two people were here, and I filled the remaining slots with uh people who previously uh were called. So why don't uh we start this panel? I believe we have Joe and Mark from 107 and then three folks in the audience that uh I hadn't catched their names. So Joe, why don't you start us off? You have uh five minutes, and I'll just state for the uh the public. Uh we do have timers on uh right in front of the the podium there. So it uh goes to yellow when I believe you're a minute uh uh left and about red uh when you're out of time. And I'll just politely uh perhaps ask you to wrap up if you haven't by about five minutes. So uh please take us away, Joe. Thanks so much. Thanks everybody the hearings. You guys must be so and gals must be so tired. Um, but you're here because you care about this city. And I'm here because I care about the city. And everybody here on either side of the issue is here because they care about this city. So thanks to all of you for attending and for being engaged on this issue. I think it's a testament to democracy that that this this procedure takes place and to the interest in our populace. For the record, I'm the co-chair of the Calgary Climate Hub. I'm grateful to be able to share my perspective on uh this vision for the city. I'm here to oppose the repeal of blanket rezoning. You've heard all the arguments. There are a few facts that I can inject into this conversation that you haven't already heard. But to reiterate, blanket RCG1 means more resilient infrastructure, lower taxes, higher density, and a more vibrant, less homogenous community. Um It's hard not to notice the disparity between those that have been opposing versus those that have been supporting people in this hearing. We have the have nots versus the haves, the youth versus the not as young, um, the political newbies versus the political powerful. It's rather stark. Being from Hillhurst and Ward 7, I'm surrounded by diversity. Uh single-family homes, duplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, and apartment buildings. There are renters, homeowners, people on Ash, new immigrants, students, millionaires, and even billionaires. Hiller's strength is in its diversity and its density. It allows for plentiful restaurants, businesses, transit, all while there are taxes in our area help subsidize the far off, underdense suburbs. For a brief moment in time, the city had red tape production, the management of affordability crisis, the housing crisis, the infrastructure crisis, and yes, even the climate crisis. And now we see that we may be going back to a time where all the positive movements of the last two years move even further backwards. Politically, you may feel a need to repeal this progressive mood move. But I urge you to consider continuing blanket RCG one. If that is not deemed feasible, please do consider replacing with policy that supports those that are not able today to be homeowners. We have a great city that is even that is getting even greater. Let's ensure that continues. Thank you for your time today. Thank you so much for being with us. We'll go to Mark next, please. Good morning. Thanks for uh having me, uh Mr. Mayor and uh counsel um and uh putting us uh uh being patient with us as we all uh uh give our opinions. Uh I'm Mark Hayden, I've been uh a resident of uh Northern Hills area, north central Calgary, for over 25 years. Um for the past two years I've served on the board of the Northern Hills Community Association. And more recently taken on the role of president. I'm here to express our general opinion that I've had in my experience, as well as what I've heard from our residents and members, not to prescribe a specific solution, but to uh express the uh opinion that though there are issues with the current blanket rezoning, that a full repeal Would not serve our community to our best interests. Historically, we have been representing a neighborhood at the edge of town. We're a mix of recently built up, developed neighborhoods surrounded by continuing development and undeveloped land. And The previous zoning regime put undue pressure, in my opinion, and of many uh residents in our area to develop dense uh neighborhoods in the edge of town because uh the old regime um pretty much discouraged uh any sort of gentle densification in uh the more established inner city neighborhoods. That said, we do understand that with the blanket rezoning, we may have gone too far the other way. The point of zoning is to be a tool in planning development. And if it's all uniform, then there isn't much room for that. For that in the zoning rules, if it's too uniform. However, we are surrounded by neighborhoods that were encouraged by the lack of inner city densification, and that has placed a lot of that has placed a lot of strain on our infrastructure. Our transit is running over capacity. Our roads get congested because we have a lot of density. Compared to a typical outer suburb neighborhood that has to commute to the inner city. So we find that the blanket rezoning eases pressure on that. However, we are also sympathetic to those people who face redevelopment with increased density because we've seen that in our area. Previous green spaces being rezoned for higher density development than we would have expected or be accustomed to is the norm and has been for many years here. So I don't have a specific solution to that, but I would urge council to commit to zoning reform if there is repeal of the blanket rezoning. And if there isn't a repeal of the blanket rezoning, examine ways to make The current RCG zoning more predictable for residents. When I was listening on a previous uh public hearing, there was panel 102, I believe, uh, for example, uh, that uh outlined some very good ideas for for perhaps uh defining when discretionary uh different discretionary uses for RCG would be would be put in place uh can uh on a contextual basis. So we wouldn't see development proposals that that are uh uh a jarring. you know, are incongruous to what's existing beside them. But uh in general, that's our opinion is that uh the the the uh the original regime doesn't serve didn't serve us well in the past 20, 30 years and uh we would like to see continued changes or continued reform. uh uh uh whatever path is taken forward. Thanks, Lot. Thank you so much. Uh we'll go now to the three presenters here in the chamber with us. Uh we didn't catch your name, so just maybe please approach in the order you're seated. If you don't mind just uh letting us know your name and uh your panel number and it's good to see you again, man. Uh hi. Uh thank you, uh Mayor and members of council. I'm Turn Kaplan. I live in Ward 8 and I was on Panel 8. Uh whether we like it or not, Calgary is a big city. No matter their geographic division, Calgary is top five in Canada for population, and undoubtedly the social, economic, and to an extent cultural center of both the eastern Canadian Rockies and the prairies. Therefore, Calgary must act like a big city. One essential element of this is a modern housing strategy, a housing strategy that allows a city to build up, not just out. This bylaw is by no means uh by no means the be-all-end-all of the city's housing strategy, but having no plan simply isn't an option. Repealing this bylaw would set Calgary back another decade, as I as I think is made pretty evident by this hearing alone. Over the course of this hearing, there's been a lot of talk of the new generation not being able to imagine buying their own homes. Personally, I find there is a multitude of problems with this statement, ranging from its assumption that everybody needs a single family home and the implication that renting is undesirable. The greatest issue, however, is that my generation will not be able to foot the bill for the exponential cost of continued sprawl. Never mind a house. I also heard frequent mentions of the bylaw resulting in change that is too much too fast. Yet Calgaryans have been saying this for decades, and that is why we find ourselves in this situation. Sure, it would have been nice to go from R1 to R2, to let gentle density build up, well, even more gently, but the time has passed for that. We cannot stick our heads in the sand anymore and try to maintain a small town feel in a city that is approaching 2 million. That isn't to say there isn't a place for single family homes, but it cannot be 60% of the city's land use. And some neighborhoods, like Somerset or Country Hills, will most likely always be single family. But restricting density to lengthy hearings for each individual development isn't a good use of your tax dollars, and it's not what I want to spend my future tax dollars on. And I'd like to close with saying that there's a large section of the Calgary population that cannot or will not speak at this hearings. So you should know that the political pressure on you isn't as big as it may feel. I urge the members of council to not repeal the bylaw. Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. Uh we'll ask our next presenter to please approach. If you wouldn't mind letting us know your name and panel number. Chair. My name is Grant Simon. I am Ward 4. I spoke in 2004 in front of City Council. Councillor McLean asked City Administration about an example of a location that had blanket rezoning in place. City administration did not acknowledge that. I ended up being the next speaker, and I talked about Auckland, New Zealand. We started their blanket rezoning in 2016. I was on panel one, but I was in Disneyland last week. In fantasy, just like the expected outcomes, a blanket rezoning implementation by the city of Calgary. I'll give you an Auckland update. Do you need me to speak louder in 2026? Let's get out of fantasy and back to reality. In Auckland, the median is now $1 million for a detached home for the third month at $1,015,000, up 1.5% year on year. Up from 777,000 10 years ago, which happened to be 2016 when they implemented blanket rezoning. $23,800 average yearly. In 2024, rentals up 4.5% from the year previously. April 5th, 2023, Auckland government reversed the decision of blanket rezoning, citing a failed experiment. The government is finally addressing the national disgrace that is our broken housing market. So back to Calgary. Deeply applications based on blanket rezoning RCG that do not meet building codes. Sufficient infrastructure? I guess that's why the city is budgeting $10.6 million on infrastructure maintenance and deficiency. Concerns about CMHC pulling funding incentives for housing. Who are these fundings dispersed to? Is it the city? It's not the citizens. November 20th, 2025, offices to residential conversions produced at 490 homes. All receiving government incentive funding, taxpayers' money. Backyard suite funding incentives, just get infrastructure fixed. City community outreach tool. I am on our community board. The first community outreach tool I read was done by a consultant for a property on the 60th Avenue block. Documents stated development references for 19th Avenue. It's just cut and paste just to check another box in the approval process. As a community member board, we are, have, and will be dealing with blanket rezoning, which requires volunteer boards to deal with communities breaking apart instead of volunteer time on plans to bring our communities closer together. Fixing homeless, drop in center statistics on their clients. In 2023, 6,839, 2024, 8,731, 2025, 8,789. Drop in helped find 3,100 homes since 2017, almost 10 years ago. I don't think that's sufficient. Housing prices in my community from MLS Real Estate. In July 2024, the average detached home sold for $540,000. One year later, June 2025, the average detached home sold for $599,500. $59,500 increase. The fact that I'm here again is disappointing. This could have been put to bed as early as over a month ago. It's a two step process. Step one, repeal blanket rezoning. Step two, restart restructure based on information gathered by this public forum. Less intrusive, less aggressive. Thank you. Thank you so much. We'll ask our finalist, our final panelist uh to please approach. Good morning. My name is Naomi Bakana. I'm from Panel 59. And I am the president of the University of Calgary Students Union. So in my role, I represent the interests of over 30,000 undergraduate students across our various campuses. And while we have students living all around the city, wards seven and eight have historically had a large student presence due to the University of Calgary sitting in Ward 7. As counselors are aware, after rezoning past, Ward 7 and 8 received an overwhelming amount of developments. And for years, the University of Calgary Students Union has been at the forefront of housing debates, and we continue to do that today in our involvement with the Calgary Student Alliance. Today, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining blanket rezoning. The biggest concern that students are confronted with today, which I assume is not a great surprise, is affordability. From dealing with rising tuition to seeing an influx of users within our campus food bank to the high Canadian youth unemployment rate, which was 14.1% in February. Students are forced to constantly choose the cheap option more often than not because that's what they can afford. There are students right now who are sleeping in their cars, and I know there are some folks around the room who this morning started their cars, let it sit for a minute so when they headed here they weren't so cold. However, there are students right now paying thousands in tuition, sleeping in their cards, overcrowded units, and settling for unsafe options if it means they can lay their heads at night. Students are a unique population that doesn't tend to fall within a specific bracket of this conversation. And this is why it's crucial that our experiences are taken into considerable thoughts. There are many students that I represent who feel hopeless to speak out because they feel that they will get brushed off. And within these students is a strong international student population who come to the Calgary who come to give back to the Calgarian economy, yet sometimes have to look elsewhere due to unsustainable housing. If we want to continue to attract talent and diversify our city, the city needs to provide the adequate resources like rezoning that give developers the opportunity to build affordable options for students. And to speak to my own personal experience, I was born and raised in the city and have lived in neighborhoods like Montgomery, Ogden, and now Nolan Hill. And last year was the very first time that I was involved in the stressful process of house searching. And that, paired with the mental turmoil of balancing my job and my studies, was quite overwhelming. The housing market as it stands is so bad that as my mom and I were searching, we looked for opportunities to build a basement suite to provide more housing options. I love the city. It's home. And there are so many opportunities that exist. And this is why it's my duty as a resident to speak up and provide my insights. And when it's my time to become a homeowner, I would hope that the choice that I made to stand up here was not in vain. And that my peers and I would be happy that the city decided to invest in them. So, as city counselors are coming to the end of these panels and are ready to make a vote, I want everybody to remember the tens of thousands of students who will be impacted by the decisions that are made, the tens of thousands of students who struggle to find themselves safe, affordable options, and most importantly, the tens of thousands of students who are the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh that concludes this panel. Let's please go to Council Yule for questions. Yeah. My questions for um Mark Hayden. Are you still on the line, Mark? Yes, I am. So I just wanted to confirm your opinion today is representing the opinion of the Northern Hills Community Association. Uh yeah, my opinion uh i in terms uh or the opinion I'm expressing about the uh the old Blanket rezoning or the pre-blanket rezoning uh regime not serving our community well is the opinion I've uh gotten from our community associations activities. Uh yes. Um we don't really have a we don't have a strong opinion officially on uh what to do in the event of repeal uh or retaining the blanket rezoning. There there hasn't been a uh a consensus established there beyond the fact that we do need to commit to uh reforming uh our rezoning. Um My personal opinion would be to uh evolve what we have, um, but the opinion that we haven't been served well uh by the old zoning uh zoning system uh is is the community association's opinion. And when you say old zoning, you mean before blanket rezoning. That is correct. And how so just to just remind us how many communities um Northern Hills Community Association represents. So Northern Hills uh is in uh in Ward 3 and comprises five neighborhoods in north central Calgary. Uh uh of approximately fifty five to sixty thousand residents. It's about the size of Medicine Hat all by itself and and uh and represents a significant portion of Ward three. Well thanks Mark. You're the first community association from Ward 3 to speak, so I appreciate your your time today. Thank you. Over to Thank you so much, Mark. Uh thank you and over to Councillor Schmidt, please. Turn, thanks for coming today. And I remember meeting you at the doors. I believe we had a conversation there. So um I gotta say, not a lot of folks your age take this deep an interest in this subject. So do you wanna just sort of tell us why how you came to take an interest in this and why it's so important to you? Um, well, I think uh I take an interest in it because it's um I I like um the housing domain and the city development and city building, but um I think I think it's very important because uh it has a lot of impacts on uh my everyday life. I take public transport everywhere and um I live in an apartment building and I think uh in other places I've lived as well, it's um clear to me uh the the benefits and and how um higher density in places uh uh can um can uh really uh i have um make make people's lives better, make public transport better and m make um yeah, like that. How how come that's important for your future? Because Well, because um I think as many people have rightly pointed out, um it's not very clear cut for people my age nowadays to imagine where they're gonna live and how they're gonna live uh once they're adults. But I think um uh giving people the option uh of, you know, and making uh making it acceptable to, you know, live in um in um different types of housing that are in single family and making people see the benefits of that and how that can be really valuable is why it's important to me and my friends and people in my school as well. so You know, I for I guess for clarity on that comment, I mean I don't really want you to go back into what other people have said, but there's an interesting perspective here that you can add where we've often heard that the types of housing being built when people notice that the yards are smaller, that there's fewer parking spots, that they say that's not a healthy way for people to live. So for you. How do you view that type of housing and you know the fact that say your first house that you're able to own doesn't have as big a yard or doesn't have parking, what effect would that have on your life versus say a city that would only offer you single family homes? Um well personally for me I think that's fine because it offers uh the opportunity for a lot more communal space. You know, uh places where maybe you don't have as big of a backyard or as big a as um as a space in your house um is should be replaced or or compensated with with uh communal areas, you know, parks and and libraries and and um gyms, the recreation centers. And it's doing these things uh with your community that I think is is a great benefit of of housing that um is less on the individual and that gives more financial and um and social room for people to be together in these types of places and that also makes the quality of these uh third places better. Yeah. Thank you. That's uh given us a lot to think about. I appreciate you coming. Uh Naomi, I have a quick question for you. So you your presentation focused on the effects of housing on people who are currently students. What about for Your colleagues who are graduating and considering what to do next? What what about this is relates and is relevant to that? Yeah, no, that's a really great point. So my focus was mainly on the current students just because that's our the population that I do represent. However, I'm also a graduating student, and there's a lot of students that are looking to stay in this city post-graduation because they have, you know, given so much time, taking the time to get a degree, building so many meaningful connections as they've you know gone throughout their undergraduate journey. This decision affects that population so much, especially as we're going into becoming new homeowners or you know, looking to rent a place. It's moving from the residents living to the city living and ensuring that there are safe, affordable, and Thoughtful options that are available. And what would you see happening if those options weren't available? Unfortunately, I would see a lot of people moving away, even though that they've invested so many time. I've had so many conversations with people who chose to come to study here and are questioning whether or not they actually have the opportunity to stay. The job market is tough as it is, but the fact that the housing market adds on to that burden is not desirable. Okay, thank you as well for coming. Thank you. Thank you so much, uh, Councillor Pantasopoulos, for this panel. Yeah, Ms. Bacana, one more, one more question. Thank you. We've had a lot of folks uh come and present prior to you uh certain groups' needs. So for example, there was an individual talking about needs for disabled housing and some very specific solutions, seniors uh housing and what they need, and um non market, excuse me, et cetera. And and obviously there's lots of very unique needs, and a student's needs are very unique as well, whether it's just coming for eight months and giving up. So I'd love to hear your thoughts on conversation from other Calgarians about the challenge with blanket across the whole city versus targeting. So, for example, targeting senior care by actually putting capital on our shoulder towards building more senior facilities for student housing, actually being thoughtful and spending money directly to address student housing as compared to sort of everywhere. What are your thoughts? Do you think we should target that, focus on student housing, your specific needs for 100 units, or should we enable 100 units across the whole city, regardless of where they are, regardless of proximity to transit? What do you think would be better served for students when we think about a housing strategy? Yeah, no, that's uh giving me a lot to think about just in this 10 seconds that you're so good. Um but honestly, any option that is favorable to students is the option that I'm fighting for. Um, whether that be targeted or you know, blanket, because the thing is with student housing, that is like you mentioned, some students are here for eight months or a year or four years throughout their degree. But then there's also that recent graduate perspective to take into consideration, and so they are left outside of the student housing bracket. So I would say. Both? No, I appreciate that. Appreciate it. Maybe just particularly on student housing, one of the the uh comments from a lot of folks in community is generally where density makes sense. We have the you may have heard things like LAPs, local area plans, is along transit routes. So transit oriented development, et cetera, versus you know, if you have a choice of an Aplex, put that where a bus or a C train is versus in the middle of a community. So your thoughts from a student perspective, if if we had to choose, I appreciate you mentioned and, but if it was a or, Yeah. you what would make more sense from students on transit focused, if we were to put our capital and our efforts there, or again, there's such a shortage that students would be agnostic, just build it everywhere, build as much as you can. What's your your perspective as the student leader? From this year that I've had, I would say that transit and housing are the two largest concerns that we hear from students. And so being able to have purpose-built housing near transit hubs would be ideal for the student. That makes no I appreciate that. It's so important because we have to have this, you know, there's a blank, there's a problem, how do we solve and individually there? And I think maybe finally, it sounds like the um uh uh basement and garage suites, and there's a conversation going on in or right now. The rules are in or you can build a basement or a garage, and and there's a conversation about an and. So if you have a single family home, you can build a garage and a basement. So from your perspective, from student housing, that's a critical component of where UFC, Mount Royal, and other post secondaries. That's an important consideration. Yeah, 100%. Wonderful. Thank you so much. Thank you for your leadership in coming down. You represent your uh university very well. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Yeah. Thanks, uh Councillor Atkinson, please. Sorry, don't go anywhere. I think the student student issue in housing is as you've mentioned, there's folks currently attending. But you also mentioned, so you're you're a representative for the SU at the University of Calgary, but you also for a moment there mentioned you're part of an alliance with other um other institutions. Can you speak a bit to that? Yeah, so we are part of the Calgary Student Alliance. So that is comprised of the University of Calgary Students Union, the University University of Calgary Graduate Students Association, Mount Royal University, Students Association of Bow Valley College, AU Arts, SAIT, and a few other, like the just a group of all the smaller, larger universities and colleges around the city. And I know you're here as a rep for the SU. I don't know if you can speak at all to whether this has been an issue that you've discussed uh across that. wider organization and sort of what what you've been talking about uh across the the different institutions, all the students across these different Yeah, definitely. I know that my the chair of the Calgary Student Alliance is online and hoping to speak sometime soon, who can speak to that a bit more. But from what I can say of the conversations that we've been having is that kind of what I mentioned the transit aspect, the housing aspect, those have been very big conversations. So a lot of what I've been pulling from today is the voice of the students that I represent, but also the voice of the students across the city. It's we're kind of banging on the same drum, singing the same tune, and really wanting to emphasize the importance of, you know, student housing, transit, uh, and all of these things. amazing. It's definitely appreciate you bringing that and sort of the the yes and approach that you're bringing in terms of this conversation. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, colleagues. That uh concludes this panel. Uh thank you so much for for being here with us. All right, for our next panel, I'm gonna call Brian Donaldson, please, and the remainder here 108, Nick Reed, Whitney Punchak, Doug Roberts, Nathan Green. Here. Uh was that you, Doug? Yes, yep, I'm here. Thanks, uh, thanks, Brian. Thanks, Doug. Was there another uh name on the phone who jumped in? Nope. Uh do we have Nathan Green? Yep, thanks, Nathan. Do we have Kelsey Wiggers? Yeah, I'm present. All right, Kelsey, please stand by. Thank you. Okay, we have our four here. I'm gonna fill uh is there anyone from uh 61 through 65 in the chamber or on the line? Mayor Farkas, I'm from panel fifty-nine. Am I able to speak? Uh who spoke just now? Julia Law from panel fifty-nine. Was that uh 69 or 59? Fifty-nine. Okay, uh we're not quite we're we're not quite at you yet. Uh I'm gonna fill we have our four names here, and I'm gonna fill the remaining two with the individuals who just raised their hand uh in the chamber. I think we have two folks here. Thank you. Uh please come on down. All right, uh Brian, uh, why don't you start us off? All right. Um I'm on panel 93. Oh, there's my slide deck. Perfect. All right. My name is Brian Donaldson. Um I'm a resident of Ward 1, and I'm here representing myself today. So most of what you've heard in this public hearing has been advocacy for or against the repealing of blanket rezoning. I wanted to take a different approach to deeply understand the data and separate the signal from the noise. So I went through the public submissions, both from 2024 and today, to analyze the feedback and find the patterns. What I'll show you is not a position. It's what emerges when you look deeply into the data. Next slide, please. Here's a visualization of the 2024 public hearing data from all the written submissions and presentations. It shows that there is an 87% opposition to blanket rezoning and 13% support. But the commonly held belief is that the opposition was about 70%. It wasn't, it was 87%. But 87% opposition doesn't mean that 87% of people are saying the same thing. When you look inside that opposition, the picture is much more nuanced. Next slide. The opposition to blanket rezoning is not monolithic. It breaks down into three buckets. Of those that opposed blanket rezoning in 2024, about 40% supported some form of density. About 25% opposed density altogether. And the remainder had issues with the city's engagement process, infrastructure capacity, and the overall trust concerns for city administration and council. And these buckets are detailed on the right hand side of the slide, and we can talk more about them in the QA session. But now let's look at the 2026 data for the current public hearing on repealing blanket rezoning. Next slide. This data includes all the publicly available written submissions. And it shows 77% support for repealing blanket rezoning and 23% opposition. But these numbers don't accurately reflect the submissions. Next slide. The corrected data shows an 80 20 split for supporting versus opposing the repeal. The submission question referred to quote the issue, and this was confusing to a lot of people. In fact, about 8% selected opposed, but they actually meant in favor. But only about 1% made the reverse error, so the error is not symmetrical. And the corrected results shift by a few percentage points. But how do the 2024 and 2026 results compare? Next slide. So these graphs sh show blanket rezoning opposition both in 2024 and 2026. And you might expect that two years later the pattern would look very different. It doesn't. In both 2024 and today, the opposition to blanket rezoning breaks down in almost the same way. And here's something important. The concerns bucket only includes those who didn't clearly indicate opinions on density one way or the other. And I did this to avoid double counting. But here's the thing. When we include those who support or oppose density and also have concerns, it gets very interesting. Next slide. Those who have concerns are shown superimposed in yellow over the graphs from the previous slide. In 2024 and now, about three quarters of respondents have concerns about process, infrastructure, and trust. And look at those pure red areas. That represents only about 5% who firmly oppose density no matter what. So, what does this data say? This isn't about growth and density alone. It's about how decisions are made and whether people feel heard and engaged. So I've covered a lot in a short time. So I'll stop here and I'm happy to get into it further during a QA. But I want to leave you with a question. What might the responses look like if those concerns were addressed? Thank you for listening. Thank you so much. We'll go now to Doug, please. Thank you very much. My name is Doug Roberts, panel 108. I had a written submission that I uh I attached, which I'd like to uh refer to in a few minutes. Uh my background in this area includes acting as development chair for the Richmond Knob Hill Community Association from 2010 to 2018, and also as the Glendale resident representative on the working group for the Westbrook Community's Local Area Plan from 2019 to 2023. In listening to the submissions and discussion over the past week, week and a half, seems to me that somewhat of a consensus seems to be emerging on several issues, including one that densifying and diversifying the housing options in Calgary's established communities, while challenging, is important for a number of reasons, including a the fiscal, the city's fiscal sustainability, including taking better advantage of existing infrastructure and amenities, and helping to keep municipal tax increases in check. Secondly, environmental sustainability, and thirdly, allowing residents to transition from one form of housing to another as they go through the various stages of life without being forced to leave the communities they have grown to love. Secondly, two unit developments, not counting suites, such as semi detached homes and duplexes, are generally compatible with single detached homes as they share the same parcel coverage height and other building envelope limitations as single detached homes. And therefore, there isn't really much need to limit where in low density areas those developments should be allowed. Three plus unit developments, again again, not accounting suites, such as triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, and townhouses, are less side by side compatible with one and two unit developments due to their larger parcel coverage, height, and other building envelope limitations, and greater potential to create issues such as overshadowing, overlooking, parking, etc. And this seems to be the primary source of pushback against the blanket rezoning bylaw. Fourthly, thoughtful community-involved planning is considered to be needed to determine suitable locations for these three plus unit developments within the low density areas of Calgary's established communities. Examples of what tend to be considered more suitable locations for these three plus unit developments seem to include A in close proximity to transit hubs. Such as C train and BRT stations, B on or adjacent to higher traffic streets, C adjacent to schools and green spaces, and finally corner parcels. My reason for speaking today is to ensure that council is aware that what I just described already exists in a number of Calgary's established communities, including my community of Glendale and the other nine communities in which redevelopment is governed by the Westbrook Community's Local Area Plan. Or Westbrook LAP for short. The Westbrook LAP was one of Calgary's first new district LAPs and was a result of an extended planning process that began in the fall of 2019 and culminated in the approval of the plan by council in 2023. It involved a working group comprised of stakeholders from affected communities, including community association representatives, resident representatives such as myself, local business representatives, and developer representatives. It involved multiple planning and consultation sessions over the period for both primarily with the working group, but also towards the end extended to include the broader public. Now, although the creation and the eventual approval of West Beck LAP preceded the blanket zoning bylaw, it was pretty clear at the time that exclusionary zoning was under attack across North America and its days were numbered. So as a result, the working group Push to make sure that the uh Westbrook LAP addressed this issue of redevelopment of the affected community's low density areas. And as a result, in section 2.2.1.6 of the Westbrook LAP, which I would like to have called up on the screen, it's page 10 of my written submission. I'd like to direct council's attention to policy B, which provides that building forms that contain one or two residential units, again excluding suites, Are supported throughout the neighborhood, local, and limited scale areas. And policy C, which provides that building forms that contain three or more residential units, should be supported on parcels with rear lanes in the following areas transit station area, core zones, and transition zones, along or adjacent to a main street, one corner parcel, one adjacent or across from a school, park, or other open space of a certain size. The inclusion of these planning policies in the Westbrook LAP has means that in those are Time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts. just to say that because of the Westbrook LAP, the fact that these communities are zone low density zoned RCG does not mean that a three plus unit development can be developed on any of those parcels, only if it meets the requirements of the LAP. And that isn't very important to understand. Great. Thank you so much, sir. We'll go now to Nathan, please. Good morning, Mayor Farkas, Counselors. My name is Nathan Green. I'm a resident of Ward 7, and I'm here to speak on behalf of my family and especially my three daughters who are eight, six, and two years old. I oppose, we oppose the bylaw to repeal rezoning in its current form, which is a full repeal. Children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I'll say that again. Children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children. These are the ancient words of St. Paul to a group of Christ followers in Corinth, Greece, nearly 2,000 years ago. But the normative principle he articulates is so important to the decision before you today. The simple reality is there is a generational gap. The baby boomer, largely homeowning generation had a much easier time purchasing property if they earned the median salary than millennials and younger do trying to break into the market now. In the last five years, this gap has gotten dramatically worse. That gap and the severe issue of housing and affordability is why the housing strategy and rezoning were implemented in the first place. The decision before you today is whether we should go back to the way things were. Rezoning has played a role in moderating prices for rent and home purchases, especially in the townhouse and row house sector. Repealing rezoning will just recreate the conditions that only widened the gap between haves and have-nots, which is largely the gap between old and young. Many people have suggested that going back to the previous zoning and planning process is somehow more thoughtful. Thoughtful for whom? I'd argue it was so slow moving and preferential of incumbent interests in entrenching wealth, which is not thoughtful at all about the predicament widely faced by young people today. The LAP process isn't fundamentally problematic, but its outcome seemed to just be a pretty colorful map. Why don't LAPs conclude with rezoning applications to reflect the conclusions of that planning process? A colorful map doesn't do anything for young people. Young people making less than the median salary, frankly. Largely feel screwed over and shut out of most neighborhoods if they're going to return to single family only. Today's price environment is not great. It's still not great. It's getting better, but we've got a long way to go. And frankly, I'm here for my children more than anything. Because if we go back to the way things were, I am extremely worried that unaffordability will deteriorate to the point where they will have no choices. The decision before you isn't an actually more thoughtful process. It's to go back to the way things were, with no promise to ensure meaningful variety of housing options can be developed in many parts of this city. And I want to speak to a view I've heard repeated a lot of times, which is that people's housing purchase is their biggest investment. I take issue with that. Our children, the next generation, that should be our biggest investment in making sure that they have choices, that they can thrive, that they can succeed. Going back to the way things were without a promise to implement significant plan zoning changes in appropriate areas near transit corridors, employment, healthcare hubs, educational institutions, it's not a good idea to do that today. I suggest coming back with a better alternative or amending the current option. And for what it's worse, I'm in favor of doing basement suites and backyard suites on the same lot. And I think not forcing three parking spots at the same time. That's a big cost, and frankly, that's an option I'd like to do in the future to help house my parents and my children. So at the end of the day, I think it's the normative principle I articulated at the start, which should be animating and informing this decision making process. Children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children. Repealing rezoning without an immediate replacement is asking the younger generation to make sacrifices to protect the wealth and community character of their parents' generation. That's not more thoughtful. To close, I'd just like to wish you all a happy Easter this weekend. Happy Easter, Nathan. We'll go next to Kelsey, please. Good morning. My name is Kelsey Wickers and I'm a twenty-eight-year-old Gen Z resident of Ward Eleven, and I'm on panel one oh eight. I've resided in Calgary for most of my life. I have two degrees from the University of Calgary with a background in both business and arts, with experience in risk policy, logistics, and analytics. I'm speaking today as I'm strongly in favor of a motion to fully repeal blanket upzoning for a multitude of reasons. To begin, I'd like to outline how the logical argument behind creating affordable housing is fundamentally flawed. It goes like this. If there is a home for sale for, let's say, $500,000, then hypothetically builders could buy it and rebuild higher density units at more affordable prices for the end consumer. A necessary assumption for this argument to work is that the new prices of developed homes are actually affordable and lower than the original purchase price. But what does reality dictate? Builders are business people and run their companies as such. Take this build as a prime example. 1426 23rd Avenue Northwest, please flip to Exhibit A. It appears that this now 24 unit parcel was built on land that was previously had four single family dwellings. You can see in exhibit C D and E. Average prices in the area before this complex was built ranged between $450 to $650K for single family homes. What is the current sale price for this complex, you might ask? $18 million for 24 units. Please see exhibits A and B again. Let's pretend that a person wanting to buy an affordable housing unit could buy just one. $18 million divided by $24 is $750,000. I'd like to understand how this is more affordable when there are currently several single family dwellings listed ranging from the mid $500K plus in the same area. With this development, not only is the consumer's land size smaller, but it becomes more expensive. Not to mention, it does not appear that one could even purchase just one single unit. We can see that this specific example has instead invited speculatory investors to buy up the newly created supply of homes and profit off of dominating the rental market. Clearly, this policy isn't generating more affordable housing for homeowners. It's simply better business for builders and investment companies alike. The Calgary Real Estate Board has also noted that zoning changes do not guarantee affordability, and we can see that clearly represented by the example above. Connected to this issue, I'd also like to address some claims from individuals in their 20s supporting blanket of zoning due to housing affordability concerns. I would respond to this in two ways. First, as shown above, this approach does not consistently achieve affordability. Secondly, home ownership does not requires deliberate financial decision making. A basic principle is that financial outcomes improve through increasing income andor reducing expenses. I am also working towards buying my first home and have made intentional choices to support that goal. Living at home, purchasing used vehicles, and minimizing unnecessary spending. In contrast, I've witnessed many in their 20s prioritize comfort and instant gratification, financing new vehicles, buying brand name clothing, and maintaining discretionary expenses rather than building savings. Buying a home does not happen overnight. It requires long-term discipline and sacrifice. As someone who has taken these steps, I find it difficult to align with the sense of entitlement reflected in this perspective. Lastly, we must also analyze the definition of democracy. According to UNESCO's definition, democracy is a system of governance in which the power resides with the people, allowing them to participate in decision-making processes, typically through voting. It emphasizes principles such as equality, freedom, and justice, fostering both political engagement and representation. Canada, as a country that prides itself on these principles, should in every respect ensure that it protects and practices the very principles that make it part of the democratic country we are. Unfortunately, in 2024, Calgary's council members pushed through blanket upzoning despite the fact that the strong majority of Calgarians, approximately 70% of Calgarian respondents at the public hearing and the ballot box, were opposed to blanket upzoning. Our council members did not accurately represent the voices of the constituents they pr represented in this instance. How is it possible that within one of the world's strongest democratic countries, one of Canada's largest cities, saw this breakdown occur? Furthermore, what sort of message does ignoring the democratic process sent to our younger generations to come? Let there be no mistakes. The only way to restore public trust and democratic legitimacy is to repeal blanket upzoning in its entirety. Furthermore, in the context of 2025, the majority of council members were elected on the basis of their commitment to repeal blanket upzoning. Voting to fully repeal blanket upzoning will begin to take steps to ensure that both the democratic process is restored and that constituents can begin to build trust in current council members too. I want to conclude once more by emphasizing a clear request for full repeal of blanket upzoning and a return to planned, logical, community-based growth. Counselors may be tempted to amend the bylaw rather than appealing it, but let's forget that blanket upzoning, again, one, initially violated the democratic process, and two, would not satisfy the goal of achieving achieving affordable housing. Tweaking the rules will not solve the core governance flaw that bypasses local conditions and context. Our city needs to target growth in a logical manner by consulting with communities and targeting density in areas that make sense via local area plans and corridor planning with proper notice and hearings. Thank you. Thank you so much for being with us. Uh we have two individuals who raise their hand in the audience. If you don't mind, just uh please approach and uh introduce yourself by name and let us know which panel you're on. One at a time, sorry. My name is Kate Easton. I was on panel 68. I am currently a resident of Ward 6. I have lived in Calgary for about 70% of my life in different phases. I've moved here and moved away several times and keep coming back. In that time, I've lived in many different kinds of housing and neighborhoods. As a teen, I lived in a suburban neighborhood that had no grocery store and no schools, and you had to drive or take the bus to get anywhere. As a young adult, I lived in the Belt Line in apartments. My first home was a townhouse close to Mount Royal University. And that I think was my favorite neighborhood because we lived close together and we got to know each other and we developed a very strong community. And I really still think fondly of those neighbors. We purchased our current home in Glendale about a year ago after living in Ontario for four years. And coming back to Calgary really highlighted a lot of changes, one of which being that the arterial roads, which previously had been busy, now seemed full and much busier than before. And so today I'm here because I want to speak in opposition to repealing the blanket rezoning. The neighborhood I live in, Glendale, is a very empty neighborhood. It's hard to get to know the neighbors. Everyone is very far apart. I go running and cycling in the neighborhood, and I rarely encounter anyone. It recently reopened as a Turkish restaurant. They make delicious food and I really hope they can stay in business. But without the residents to support that, I doubt they will be able to maintain their business for long. They will go the way of the previous businesses. I want more neighbors. More neighbors makes a better community. Um I am an I'm an engineer by training, and so I look at things in terms of problems to be solved and root causes. And what I see here in these hearings, I've watched a few days of them, is that what we are debating is something that doesn't solve any problems. Blanket rezoning solved a few problems. It helped us get some federal funding. It increased housing starts. It increased the tax productivity of the land. And arguably it increased property values. It eliminated a process that took a lot of counselors' time without providing benefit to the developers or to the opposed residents. And it helped reduce arterial traffic, which results from a far flung city. So I asked you, what does repealing this policy solve? It doesn't solve anything. It just brings us back to individually applying for rezoning for each property parcel. And we'd still be doing all of the same things. So, what I call on council to do is take some leadership, listen to all of the people in favor of repeal, and understand what really is the problem that they're getting at. Is it traffic? Is it shading from larger buildings? Is it parking? Is it noise? What are these problems? Because all of these problems can be solved outside of zoning rules and should be solved outside of zoning rules. Repealing the zoning doesn't actually address the issues that residents have raised here. So I think you should listen to the residents. And by the way, I don't think it's a majority that are in favor of repeal. Polls have showed that it is more of an even split. So I think council needs to take leadership and actually listen to the problems being raised and try and deal with them. And I think blanket rezoning should remain in place because it solved problems and repealing it solves nothing. Thank you so much. We have uh one final presenter for this panel, please uh approach. Good morning, Mayor Fakas, and uh members of council. My name is Sim Kartanda, and I represent the Faculty of Arts in the University of Calgary Students Union. The President has spoken today on the big picture. I'm here to hone in on the minute pixels. I stand before you today representing 9,000 students. And so, in numerical terms, that's 10% of wards 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 14 each. We are the researchers, the artists, the entrepreneurs who were either born in this city or chose this place as a place to start our lives. But as we see it in lecture halls, a shadow hangs over our studies. It is the shadow of a city that feels like it is slowly closing its doors to us. During exam seasons, one of my constituents jogs down the memorial pathway to relieve stress. Another volunteers at the Melkor YMCA. Just three minutes away from Hador. Personally, I walk through Eau Claire up to Crescent Heights viewing point to dream about what my future in the big, blue, big blue sky city looks like. We love Calgary for the promise it has always held, but if you that if you work hard, you can always build a life here. Today I'm here to ask does that promise still exist for my peers and the young people of this city? To be a young person in Calgary in 2026 is to live in a constant state of financial vertigo. We are graduating into a world where cost of education has increased 32% since 2019. Average rent is at $1,600 a month, probably the price of some mortgages. And the cost of simply existing is more punishing than ever. The cost of not living, just existing, is more punishing than ever. Every day I hear from students who are skipping meals to pay for textbooks, spending two hours committing from shaughnessy or working three jobs just to afford a shared room in a basement. We are doing everything we were told to do to succeed. Yet the mat simply doesn't add up anymore. For our parents, the reward for hard work was a home of their own, the stake in the community, with neighborhood stampede breakfasts and a sense of belonging. For us, that dream has been replaced by a wall. We aren't looking for a massive yard. We are looking for a foothold in a city that we love. We are looking for a city that prioritizes our ability to live, thrive, and pay taxes over the preservation of a status quo that no longer serves us. This isn't just about students. Now honing in on the pixel. It's about the young families squeezed into one bedroom apartments because nothing else is in their price range. It's about the young professionals who spent five years building a career here, paying taxes and coaching co ed flag football at the Foothill Soccer Facility, only to realize they can never afford to put roots down. When we talk about zoning, we're really talking about who we value. When we make it harder for diverse types of housing or restrict where those homes can go, we're effectively telling young families that they are a secondary consideration. We're telling the next generation of Calgaryans that they are guests in their own city rather than future owners of it. Council, you are the architects of the city we will inherit. The decisions you make regarding these zoning proposals will echo for decades. And fortunately, I have to live those decades. If you vote to repeal blanket rezoning, or at least without replacing it with another policy that resolves some of the common complaints, we are choosing a future of stagnation and sprawl. A city where only those who have already made it can afford to live in our established neighborhoods. But if you choose a path that creates real tangible space for the missing middle, you are creating vibrancy. You are choosing to let that mural artist, the energy economist, the robotic startup co-founder, and myself, if you're just security policy analyst, feel like we have a permanent place at the table. My appeal is clear. Think about Carl Green 2026, but also think about what it looks like in 2030, 40, 50, and maybe 200. Please look at the faces of the young people in this room, the young people in your wards. Think about the families looking for their first front door. Use your vote to guarantee that Calgary remains a city of opportunity for everyone, not just those who got here first and those who can afford an approximately $600,000 mortgage. Give us a reason to believe in the Calgary dream again. Give us a city that has room for us. Thank you. Thank you so much, sir. I'm gonna go over to Councillor Kelly, but before I do, uh Deputy Mary Jameson, would you mind just taking the chair for uh one moment? I need to step up for a minute. Councillor Kelly, please go ahead. Uh for questions for the panel. And well Susan, this hearing's been so long that we're starting and ending with different deputy mayors. I'm thrown off. Uh Miss Easton, if you don't mind. Uh We just heard from uh Mr. Atanda there about challenging us to think about uh our neighborhoods, not just tomorrow, but in 2030, 2040, 2050. Um when I take a look at Glendale specifically, where where you live, um I can see that there's been like a 30% population decrease before the blanket rezoning. And it's pretty much been a direct downward trend. You talked about the restaurant, uh, the restaurants, and that you're when you're cycling and running, you're you're you're not seeing any people. Um I wonder if you can provide us a little bit of that that local expertise. Like, why do you think there's so many less people living in uh in your neighborhood? And what what does that look like to you in 2030, 2040, 2050? Um, I mean it's it's hard to project out to the future, but I I think the the decrease in population has been because it it started out as a a neighborhood of families, and those families have grown up. Um a friend of mine, his his mother still owned their bungalow in in uh Glendale, and um she recently passed away. Um so we've we've gone from having families living in these bungalows on these giant lots to just one or two people living in them, and and that's why the population has decreased. Um we are seeing some young families move into the neighborhood. Um But I mean these houses they are old. They were built in the fifties. Um when we looked at houses, we looked at a lot of houses everywhere from Haysborough to Cougar Ridge. And um In Glendale, there were quite a lot of houses that frankly needed to be knocked down. And we didn't have the time or the money or the expertise to knock those houses down. It really takes developers to do that. There was one house we looked at, and the the real estate agent was like, Oh, I really hope someone buys this house. It's a gem. I wouldn't like to see it knocked down. And unfortunately, It needed to be knocked down. Someone that lived there had been smoking there for years and years, and the walls were just impregnated with smoke. It was a health hazard. There was no way you could you could live there. It had to be knocked down, and it was. And two beautiful homes have been built in its place. So I think for Glendale to be revitalized and for it to grow its population in the future, we need that. We need some of these rundown homes, these homes that are no longer livable, that that have been lived in by a family for for their most of their life, unfortunately they need to be they need to be replaced. And it's the developers that have the money to do that. And dividing the lot into multiple units makes that financial financially viable. So that's where I see it going. I mean, there is currently a lot of development on the edge of Glendale on the arterial roads. And I have said to my husband as we drive by, who would want to live on 17th Avenue? It's so busy and so noisy, and the air pollution from the traffic, uh the particulate matter would be a health hazard. And yet we're building homes on arterial roads. And I think that that is wrong. I think it is morally wrong to do that. We need to build these homes inside the community where people should actually live. Uh thank you for the perspective. I really uh appreciate it a lot. Uh Mr. Donaldson, if you don't mind. Um thank you for bringing some additional data to our to our conversation here today. That's that that's always appreciated. I'm sure that uh a few folks listening, whether on this side of the horseshoe or online or in the audience, sort of perked up when you said uh uh it's n the the opposition to blanket rezoning is actually uh in terms of the submissions is actually more than you think it is. Uh but then when you uh broke it down in terms of what that binary for or against is actually about. I really I really appreciate that nuance because unfortunately nuance is kind of missing a little bit in our by we have a binary decision vote for again for it or against it. So you have a little bit more insight here. I'm wondering if you can uh give us a little bit more detail in terms of uh for those that might be um against the uh uh uh against what's before us here today, um the the what you're seeing in the data for why they're against it. I think you had a slide there with uh a little bit more detail that you didn't have time to get into in your in your five minutes, if you wouldn't mind. Okay. Thank you for the question, Councillor Kelly. So uh let me just start with this. Um yes, the the opposition to uh to blanket rezoning and the support for repealing it is you know you know pretty massively outweighs the other. At least from the written submissions and the presentations that have happened that happened two years ago. I have not yet put together all the presentations that happened this year. And there are a number of submissions that came in after the deadline. I know this because Councillor Johnson put this out on X and posted. And so just this is a uh tangent, but I I really would like to advocate for that data becoming public. I see no reason for it to be private to council. I I think that it should be transparent. Um but in any event, um Let me interrupt you there just right now. Are you talking about the public uh the public submissions? public submissions. Yeah, we we can't see them. If they came in after uh March 16th, uh the public doesn't see those. Now maybe eventually they will, but I know that counselors can see them because Councillor Johnson posted the results uh on X. Maybe if I may, just there like in terms of point of order, I my understanding was that like everything that's gone up has been has been distributed. Uh Chair, could we confirm that with clerks? Yeah, let's check in here with clerks about the the status line. Yeah, apologies, Mayor. I didn't have the number uh with me uh conveniently handy earlier. There have been 833 public submissions received since the agenda was published. Those public submissions, some of them, a small minority of them, have been kept confidential because of the way they were received or the fact that they contained personal information. But the vast majority of them should be available through Calgary.ca. Okay, and I'm just here to tell you they're not. So um at least I couldn't find them, and I looked. Maybe if I may again just on the on the same point of order, uh uh Chair, can we just confirm that those are publicly available on the website? Could we uh maybe just verify which URL uh for members of the public to They should be available at calorie.ca slash uh ph just bear in mind that the um the distributions of the submissions, um this meeting has spanned multiple days, so you I think they're they'll be under the March 23rd date. Um under today Well the the most recent ones will be under today's date, correct? Yeah. thank you very much. Thank you. In any event, um, sorry for that tangent, but um the the the the data the the newer data that that comes in doesn't really move the needle. I saw Council Johnson post that said that the opposition was about 79 percent. Um, or sorry, I'm gonna get this wrong. Now the opposition, the support for repealing is around 79 percent. And my data, my corrected data showed at around 80 based on the submissions up to March 16th. So it's consistent. But that's not, in my mind, what's the most interesting. What's the most interesting is what is behind it, right? When you uncover that data. So if you want to flip to slide six, and this sh this is this shows it when you put it in buckets for both 2024 and 2026, it's fairly similar, right? So it's showing 48% support. This is of the people who indicated that they up uh either oppose blanket rezoning in 2024 or in 2026 they uh support the repeal. Okay, so somewhere between 40 and 48 percent, depending on which year it is, of those people actually support density. Although they said we don't want blanket rezoning, but they support density. Maybe a quarter, roughly, say no, we we oppose it. And then the rest, which is 30 to 35 percent, said, well, uh, we don't we're not commenting one way or the other. We have some pretty big concerns, right? Concerns about trust uh with the process, concerns about infrastructure. And these kinds of things. So now what I was saying in the presentation was those in the yellow with the process trust concerns, I didn't include them if they also expressed an opinion, either support, either pro or con for blanket rezoning. But on the next slide, I put those in yellow. I didn't superpose the yellow over top of the other one. So anything that's yellow or yellow ish. Shows about three-quarters of people in both of the years, 2026 and 2024, express concerns. Right? So that's like roughly 75% of people are saying we got some concerns here. Now a good chunk of those also support density, and some of them are against density, but it it makes you wonder if they're against density, why are they against it? Are they just against it because they're against it, or are they against it because they're they have concerns about the trust, right? So when you when you separate out those who just said they're they're against uh blanket rezoning altogether, they didn't give any other reasons about trust or anything like that, that is about 5%. Okay, so that's what that little red pie is. So keep in mind, this is this is 5% of the people who indicated general opposition. So it's 5% of 80%, which is about 4% overall, if you do the math. So it's a pretty tiny slice of people that are just like, no, no way, I don't want this in any way, shape, or form. Very small percentage. The vast majority of people are saying, um, yeah, we support this in some form, but this process is wrecked, man. This is this is screwed. It needs to be redone. The way it was done is not acceptable. So that's the question that I was uh posing at the end of the presentation was just for you guys to think about you know, how how might these numbers look different, right, if if those trust concerns were addressed? How might that look different? I I really appreciate you bringing that up because most of the neighbors that we've had from Ward 4 that that have come forward, this is actually exactly what they're talking about. It's the it the it to your point, it's it's not s for some people it's about the density, but for the majority of folks, at least in Ward 4, it's about the um the ability to have a say. It's the blanket part of it that that they're that they're struggling with. And when you look at the data on that on that note, is there anything in your data that would say? If we did this in a in a in a in a meaningful sort of community engagement community engaged sort of way through something such as like local area planning, which in Ward 4, most of our neighborhoods don't have never had that discussion, don't have that, do you think that that would start to address address some of what you're seeing in the data? So one of the things that the data shows is that the the the problem that people are having is not being listened to, it's being engaged with. So people can come to these hearings and talk and and and the counselors are listening, but there's a difference between listening and engaging, right? And this is this this this was quoted with um uh concerns about LAPs and other things, right? Is that there's an opportunity to speak, but that's different than an opportunity to engage, and people want the opportunity to engage. If you flip back a couple slides, um one more, one more this one here. So this actually shows um um what what people are saying, right? What's kind of behind these comments? So um so of those that that overall oppose blanket rezoning but support density. Um they say, well, we support density, but just not in a blanket form, right? Or we prefer some form of local area planning, some revised form. Um the current local area planning isn't isn't up to snuff in a lot of people's minds. And we want targeted and corridor-based kind of growth. So these are the people that that keep in mind, I just keep saying it, but I want to make this point. This is people who are opposing blanket rezoning, but they're saying we can support density if it's like this. And then those with concerns, the process, right? So the engagement, the timing of the processes, uh the infrastructure. So people have a lot of concerns about not only the physical infrastructure, but also just the uh the readiness, um, you know, support in in schools and um you know in and in the the local public structures. Um and the trust is huge, right? So people don't trust how the process unfolded last time. Um they're hoping it's gonna be better this time, but And this is not my opinion, by the way. I'm just I'm just saying what the data says, right? So this is this is what I read out of the data, like as a as a data scientist kind of person, this is what I see. And and I appreciate that perspective that you're bringing here today, because I think uh for most of us when we look at this, whether it's you know, a house being built next door to me that doesn't match my like what I what I believe my community character to be, or whether it's like I'm I'm long-term looking to be able to afford a house and I'm concerned that one option or the other will make that unaffordable to me. I I appreciate this sort of like there's a lot of emotion in both of those, whereas this this is a a little bit more just like nuanced and and and straight up. I just try to take the tr take the emotion and the and the advocacy out of the presentation altogether. And I will maybe just say in terms of this, like it uh while you know, depending on how you run the data, you I I would imagine that these percentages would change slightly. Um, but certainly if anecdotally for feedback for you, it it kind of matches for me what it is that it I'm hearing from people and the questions that I that I've been asking. And it certainly matches the effectively what I was hearing at the doors when I was uh when I was campaigning as well. Um thank you very much. I'll give I'll let some of my colleagues maybe if they have any questions for you dig in a little bit uh more on the on the opposition or or or the foreside if they have some uh some uh questions and they're looking for some additional nuance. Thank you, Mr. Dawson. Thanks, colleagues. We're about 55-0 minutes to our break here. Bear in mind that there's many people in the audience that came down on a pretty terrible day to see us. It would be great to be able to have at least one more panel uh before uh we break. Over to Councillor Chabot, please. And the one last thing I'll say is uh Councillor Johnston's name was mentioned, and I have been asking presenters not to call out specific counselors, but I had mentioned in my previous ask. Quoting a member of council is is adequate. It's a data point by which the the public has been informed. So again, if it's a personal attack on an individual or calling out or addressing a specific person, uh that's out of bounds. But if you're here providing evidence that was presented by a member of council in a quote, uh I think that's fine. Over to you, Councillor Shabot. Thanks. Mr. Donaldson, thanks uh for being here for your providing us with that input. Um I'm just curious. Have you taken a position on this? For or against. You know, I I do have a position on this. Yes, is the answer. And your position is? Well, my position isn't important. Um and I don't come representing a position. I come representing data. Um so you've had whatever whatever the clerk was quoting um hundreds of presentations so far people emphatically supporting one position or the other and I don't necessarily think I'm going to bring anything new to the table by by quoting by giving a position and quoting what it is. I think what I bring to the table is impartial data analysis and that's what I'd like to present and talk about. It's interesting that you're providing us with data, but you're providing us data on positions that people have taken for or against. But yet you yourself aren't Councillor Shabot, the answer was given to you. you're not and you're not answering whether you're adding to one or or the other of that date those data points. Yeah, you heard what I was saying. You're right. All right, so that's all the questions I had for you. Thanks. Thanks, Councillor. Um next question is for uh Mr. Roberts. Online, I believe. Yes, I am? Thanks. You you didn't get a chance to finish your presentation and I was kind of interested in seeing how you want you were going to conclude. Do you mind? Uh sure. Uh that was all I yeah, just the conclusion that I missed. It was uh That uh the 2024 blanket rezoning bylaw has raised legitimate concerns regarding the manner in which the low density areas of Calbreid established communities will redevelop. However, that does not necessarily mean that it should be repealed and that the city should return to its previously fiscally and environmentally unsustainable approach of having 90% of its population growth accommodated through concede suburban falls. That's the new district LAPs. And the Westbrook LAP is an existing example of how, with the inclusion of appropriate planning policies, district LAPs can help to ensure that the redevelopment of the low density residential areas. Unless you're the current speaker, please go ahead. Accordingly, instead of repealing the 2024 blanket rezoning bylaw, I strongly urge City Council to direct City Administration to essentially revisit all of Calgary's approved and in-progress district LAPs and ensure that they contain planning policies, including locational restrictions for three plus unit developments that are comparable to those that already exist in the Westbrook LAP, designed to help ensure that the low density residential areas of Calgary's established communities become even more desirable areas in which to live. As they redevelop, diversify, and densify. Thank you. Thank you for that last closing statement because it you you sort of alluded to it in your presentation. You talked about neighborhood local limited scale and how um multifamily was not permitted uh through the LAP process in some of those areas. But subsequent uh LEPs that have been approved. Uh did not include that that sort of designation. So I I guess what I'm hearing is you're suggesting that if council should choose to repeal this, that we should need to go back and and revisit some of those ones that were approved post implementation of blanket zoning. Actually, I would suggest uh the Heritage LAP is the only other of the eight existing approved district LAPs that has essentially comparable um occasion restrictions in its section 2.2.176. Heritage was uh was being created at roughly the same time, essentially the same time as the Westwood one. The first LAP, the North Hill one. um had I guess an early version of the locational rules, except it has a significant distinction in that it um it says um it provides lane parcel as one of the options as opposed to a prerequisite and then a series of locational like instead of it has to be a lane parcel and it has to meet one of these following you know in one of these locations. It says it has to be a lane parcel or it has to be. So what it essentially means is that you can do a three plus unit development on any lane parcel in the communities that are governed by the North Hill LAP. The ones that came after were all approved after the blanket rezoning bylaw that was approved by council. And because the the bylaw had been approved, administration, I in my understanding, is in working on those subsequent LAPs, they took the position. That um they had to not include any of those locational policies in the subsequent LAPs because they felt the council's direction was that three plus unit developments should be possible to build them anyway. Um I've took an exception take an exception to that interpretation because to me, if you go back and look what council said, council said that they should be it should be possible to build them in any community. In Calgary, it is the council did not say it should be possible to build them on any parcel in every community of Calgary. They simply wanted to ensure that every community could have these sort of slightly higher density forms of low density developments. So in fact, uh a year after the bylaw was passed, the up zone bylaw passed, um, administration tried to remove the locational policy. From policies from the uh, I think it was the Heritage, uh, Westbrook and North Hill LATs. Um, again, under this, what I consider this misconception that they felt, council's direction was that it it had to be possible to build one of these three plus unit developments on any parcel in every community. Um fortunately, that uh council did not um or denied that uh that motion and it it failed. Um so from my perspective, that was good because. Essentially, what these locational policies do is they create, they kind of take the place of what exists in new greenfield communities in the form of master planned communities, right? Developers of new greenfield communities understand that people looking to buy a single detached home or a semi aren't necessarily, you know, wouldn't be that or be would be concerned if there's a possibility of something significantly larger going in right next door. So they master plan the new communities and say, okay, you know, this these block faces over here, these will this is where the single detached homes will go, and over here is where the semis will go, and over here is where the row houses will go. And they don't do that with zoning because all of the new communities, the low density areas, have RG zoning, which is the greenfield equivalent to RCG. What they do is they do it contractually. If you're a potential buyer and you go look and say, I like this parcel here, I'd like to, you know, I'd like to have a single detached home. Built for me on this parcel, you'll find that there's maybe three builders assigned to that parcel. And each builder has maybe four models of home that you can choose from. So if that's the parcel you want, you're gonna find that there's maybe you can choose between one of 12 home models to have built. And all of those 12 models are essentially the same, you know, the same basic configuration and that kind of stuff. And that whole block base will be like that. Well you'll know that, you know, whatever goes in on the rest of the block page is going to be essentially the same as what you're having built on your core cell. That doesn't exist in in established communities. There is no master plan design except you know to the extent that we can do something like that in the U District LOD. Thanks. That's um yeah, I I I didn't need you to go into that much detail, but I appreciate uh what you were saying there. So I have a question for you then. Um in light of what you were saying in regards to the LAPs, and and uh you can't fault administration obviously for taking the position they did because council had approved blanket zoning. Which in which in itself implied that that this type of housing would be permitted uh in every um the residential property and some of the LAPs were out of alignment with that and they were only trying to bring things back into alignment with the with the land use bylaw. Now having said that, um you um You were alluding to um to a a change should council repeal this. So the question to you now in regards to that is uh being as you seem to be very supportive of the LAP process, would you be then supportive of city initiated redesignations in those LAPs in those areas that are identified for higher density zoning so that everything then falls back into compliance? Um, no, actually. Uh first of all, I'm not suggesting that it should be repealed. I'm saying there's no need to repeal RCG zoning because RCG zoning, any zoning, is really one. Of two factors that need to be considered in looking at a parcel and what can be built on it. In addition to a zoning, any proposed discretionary development on a particular parcel not only has to satisfy the rules of whatever zoning applies to that parcel, it also has to satisfy the rules of any local area policy or local area plan that applies to that policy. So it's a two headed approach that Calgary uses in its planning. The f you know, to suggest that somehow the LAP has to be completely consistent with the zoning is is kind of silly when you think of it, because if the LAP has to be consistent with the zoning, if the two of them have to be completely consistent, well then why do we need two? Why don't we just have zoning? Or why don't we just have an LAP? My understanding, and if there's been lots of examples of this, the LAPs essentially form a second layer of controls, if you want to call it. Um, that complement and in some cases restrict what can be done under uh the uh the the zoning. And they are they represent this more thoughtful planning, and it was community involved planning, as I said. There were community representatives and broad consultation on the LAP. These were these, I think, just reflect or represent the thoughtful community plan uh um to say, you know, let's get more fine grained than what we can do just with. Just with um with land use districts. Land use districts are you know kind of the general thing, but then let's look at layering that with restrictions and you know policies in the LAP that create nuance. And there's another example. I mean, for example, some of the policies in the LAP that are open to um commercial development. If that policy or that parcel is nearly um You know, the the C train station at 45th Street, there are policies in the LAP that says that vehicle-oriented developments are not, you know, are strongly discouraged discouraged. So here's an example of where you know the zoning that might apply, the commercial zoning would say, Yeah, you can do anything. You can do you know, vehicle oriented, whatever. But the the LAP said, wait a minute, if it's within this distance, you know, a certain distance or a core zone or whatever of a of the sea train station, then you know, a drive-through uh at a you know at a McDonald's is a significantly significant disappearance. So that's an example of how the LAP creates another layer and more nuance than what you know we can expect to find in the land the various land use districts of the of the Land Use province. Okay, thanks for that. Um Ms uh is it Wigg Wiggers? Wiggers, Miss Wiggers is still on the line. Hi, that's right. Um I'm hoping I can get an answer out of you that's not necessarily as comprehensive as maybe some of the other answers I heard today, but in in general, uh would you be supportive of a of a process of uh having city initiated redesignation uh that's aligned uh to some degree with uh with what's identified within the LAP if blanket zoning were to be repealed? Could you give an example? Uh so an example would be um where areas are identified as as um neighborhood local but not limited scale and and incorporating some some land use initiate city initiated redesignations in those areas that would be supportive in the LAP for RCG zoning as an example, maybe not to its full extent, but at least partially uh doing uh some of those areas and redesignating them as a city initiated redesignation. I think that would be appropriate in areas where you are looking at new developments. So if it's a new area that's kind of like Greenfield going to be built up, that would be appropriate. In established communities, I don't think that's appropriate. Another thing I didn't have a chance to touch on because I wanted to trend as much as possible into a short amount of time. When you purchase a home, you also try to look for items that align with how you want to live. And being a large expense, I don't think it's fair or equitable to go back on saying how the zoning would be in an area where you've already purchased a home. So say I purchased a home ten years ago in an R1 neighborhood. I purchased a home in an R1 neighborhood because I wanted to live in an R1 neighborhood. I don't think it's fair then to now dictate how people should be living just based upon um changing uh the the community like status quo. I think it would be appropriate in areas where it is appropriate to do so, but it would need to be in new development so that everyone knows what they're getting into and they agree to it. So it's your position that whatever we have as existing land uses should re remain in perpetuity? I think it should remain as it is until there is more public engagement on the matter and people are able to have a voice and say how they feel about it. Okay, thanks. No further questions. Thank you. Yep. Thank you, uh Councillor Schmidt, please. Uh Mr. Donaldson, very quick question for you. Give you a very quick answer. The data was very helpful and fascinating. Is are there any other aspects to this data that You weren't able to get that you think would have been helpful in informing these answers. I'm thinking, you know, where they live in the city, age, homeowning status, those types of things as well. Oh, sure. More data is always better. But I think what that data would show is you know, there could be differences in different regions, which actually, if you think about it, speaks quite loudly to this idea of blanket rezoning, the blanket part of rezoning, right? Which is what people seem to have the opposition to. i i i is the blanket part. Not just the rezoning but the the the the blanket part. And then of course as is was just mentioned by the last uh speaker about the um the lack of public engagement um is the concern. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. Yeah, my pleasure. And then uh Mr. Roberts, also very briefly for you, I received your s submission. I read it at length. I found it fascinating. And your um submission today was also fascinating. What I got out of that is a conclusion, and if you could just tell me if this conclusion is correct, is that you see That there is a way that this blanket rezoning and better structured LAPs with more clarity can work together to address these issues. Am I correct in saying it that way? Yes you are and I believe that's already the case as I say in in the communities that are governed by the Westbrook LAP. I am I've been advised by a member of the city administration that the developments that have taken place, you know, have been approved are all been consistent with the the Westbrook LAP, that they are continuing to follow those locational rules that they tried but were unsuccessful in having removed uh last year. Excellent. Okay, thank you. Those are my questions. Thank you. Councillor Atkinson, please. Kate Easton please. You you spoke about community vibrancy, which actually hasn't been something that has come up and sort of the restaurant changing over and it's actually something that I've noticed even in in my neighborhood. Um can you can you talk about why that matters? Like you you mentioned living in different places and sort of the but I don't know. I think like one of the things is as communities change, there's this in-between point, right? Where we get to where there's maybe not enough people to keep things or going or get things going, but then there kind of flips a point. And we've heard from even some folks in West Hillhurst who were talking about a grocery store opening or these kinds of things and changing their relationship and experience with the neighborhood. You're in a community that seems like it's in this flux right now. And can you talk a bit about your experience with that? Yeah, um, I mean, I guess first I'll I'll say why we chose to move into this community. Um We didn't we didn't realize that it was an R1 community when we bought. We didn't think about that. What we thought about was its proximity to where our parents lived and its proximity to transit. We can walk to the C train, we can walk to the BRT. And you know, the the local businesses that are available within walking distance. So that was what was important to us in in buying into that community. And I think having the C train there has really changed that community on the fringes, but because of the historic RC1 zoning, the core of the community has been very, very slow to change. With the RCG zoning, we are seeing change happening a little bit faster. And it seems to be happening at the point that we need it to happen. We're at the point where a lot of community members that have lived there with their families their entire lives are now living there alone. And they're gonna get to the point where they can't mow that giant lawn anymore or don't want to and move into a smaller place, or unfortunately, maybe pass away. We need to the community um We'll be bringing more people in to buy those houses, but some of those houses, as I said before, some of them, yeah, you can buy them and live in them. We we bought one that was on a smaller lot. Um, it needs some work, but it was still viable. Um But a lot of those houses really you're gonna have a hard time attracting like a young family is not gonna buy those houses because they need a lot of work. Um and so I think the RCG zoning really helps the would really help the community to revitalize because you can get You can attract developers in to replace those those houses on the giant 120, 1x50 lots with a more dense housing form that that is financially viable for the developer, it's uh better for the city in terms of tax revenue, and it's better for the community because we get more neighbors and and um having more people close by really supports those those local businesses. That's great. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Thank you all for your presentations today. It was very good. Thank you, Councillor Johnston, please. Uh Mr. Donaldson. Hi. Yeah, sir. I just wanted to uh clarify that uh yeah, I also had trouble finding the late submissions on the public side of it. Um but it is updated now. Um so do you think you will be able to go through them this weekend? Yeah, for sure I will. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah, um would you be able to send it to the maybe somebody could send me a link um of where that is, unless it's just gone up in the last 24 hours, because I did look yesterday and didn't find it. Uh Mr. Clerk wants to jump in here. Yeah, thank you, Mayor. Just for clarification on hearing your your your concerns about landmarking where those were exactly, we've put duplicate copies on the Calgary.ca slash pH website under the March 23rd meeting. Just for clarity for the public and for council so they know how these late distributions happen. When we receive materials, we put them in batches and we distribute them to council through eScribe and on Calgary.ca in the day under which they are actually distributed. So to find them, you can go to this website under the where it says public hearing meeting of council. You'll see each day of this particular meeting there is a set of late submissions. So you'll see late public for each of these particular dates, and that's batches of those late public submissions. So just for convenience for the public, we've also put copies of those late public submission distributions under the March 23rd date just for ease of reference. But it's actually a duplicate copy of materials that were have always been on Calgary.ca as they've been distributed throughout the meeting. Thank you very much. I hope that clarifies things. Yeah, thank you. That's helpful. I appreciate that as well. So, Councillor Johnson, I I think you were asking me if I would uh um update my numbers based on the data. Yeah, I will commit to doing that and I can uh send that to you and whoever else is interesting. I'll I'll send it to everybody. Okay? Yeah, Okay, thank you, Mr. Donaldson. thank you. Thank you. Any other uh questions, Councillor Johnston? Nope. Okay. All right. So for we have about 25 minutes to the regularly scheduled break. Uh Council, I am going to ask uh for names for just individuals who are in the chamber here with us, out of respect that uh many people have made their way down and the weather is changing and and frankly getting worse. Um I will call names from 109. And if you're on the phone, unfortunately, we are going to go specifically to people who are here in person. So I'm not asking not I'm not asking for names of folks who are on the line. So do we have in person with us Patrick Mills, Rachel Leah, or Cheryl Ritter? Do we have Amir Eisenberg? Come on down, Amir. Do we have Kelly Hornik on 1010, Sterling Carlson, Ole Wokoda, William Thomas, Jeff Marsh? Okay, come on down, Jeff. Do we have Jeff Banks? Or Ashton Lancaster. Okay, so we have uh Amir and Jeff with us. I'm gonna seek three more people here from the audience. Uh do we have anyone in the audience who was here uh from panel 65 through 70? Or those no. Oh uh 70 through 75, 75 through 80. Okay, come on down. How about 80 through 85? Okay, come on down. Panel 81, or sorry, uh panel eighty six. 87, 88, 89, from 89? Okay, come on down. And then that will be our final panelist. So we have uh Amir and Jeff, and then three other individuals here. After we hear from this panel and we hear from members of council, uh, we are going to recess. However, I'd ask for the folks in the audience to please stay. I'm gonna pre assemble a panel to call for for 1 p.m. ish the the same way. So I want to make sure that if Uh we'll we'll be setting up another panel in this similar way out of the people who are in the audience with us. Just out of respect that you guys have made your way through uh uh down here in the in the store in the roads. So uh with that uh let's start off with Amir, please. Okay, I'd like to say thank you for all the hard work you've done so far. It's truly an honor and a privilege to be given the opportunity to speak today. And uh there's a bit of anxiety because I didn't think I was gonna get a call before lunch. My name is Amir Eisenberg, I'm a member of Ward 11, and I'm representing my family and my neighbors. I volunteer for two community associations and have been a director for both boards for the past 10 years. At one point I was on four boards, so believe me, I've heard a lot about the many issues that communities are dealing with. I'm here to express my strong support for the repeal of Blanca Rezoning, which was an emotional and irrational response to create affordable housing. This brash and reactionary policy change that was made in response to a brief uptick in population growth two years ago has had devastating effects for many residents who suddenly are faced with no other choice but to root relocate away from the construction of a new multiplex that will be adjacent to their once pleasantly situated home. I'm confident that you'll be able to find a much more targeted solution to housing availability and affordability through a collaborative approach with individual community associations who are more than willing to densify in key areas of the community that make the most sense and maintain the character of the neighborhood. We've heard at this hearing over the past two weeks of two dreams. One is the dream of the vulnerable young citizen looking for any way to afford a home for the first time. The other dream is that of the citizen who has worked their way up the housing ladder, sacrificed their whole life to have a home that offers the peace and privacy for their family that suits them best. Some council members are conflicted because they may have signaled support for both sides of the fence for their election. Others may be conflicted because they would like to deliver both dreams, but have been presented with the false decision that if they repeal the rezoning, they won't meet the dreams of affordable housing. The first dream is still attainable with a full repeal of blanket rezoning because you're going to come up with more ideas and better solutions that give back the community associations and their development committees their voice. As a member of community associations for a decade, I've seen development committees actually disappear. We used to have very active people on those boards. People that used to send out way more emails and communications about development than any other factor of what was happening in the community. Those places, those communities, the community the communities have been silenced by this rezoning because they have nothing to say. They can make a few comments, but the development goes ahead. The parties who have benefited most from blanket rezoning are not the vulnerable, but the developers who have profited by building expensive, low quality, non contextual multiplexes without any consideration to their contribution to what was aptly named earlier as community uglification. I love that word. The rezoning has materialized into a bonanza for developers who can confidently outbid regular buyers because the rezoning is a slam dunk for them. And recently, in Ward 11, locally close to me, there's been five applications on RC1 lots for eight unit multiplexes that is expected to be grandfathered in before anything happens. These guys are doubling down and making sure that they get their applications in before anything changes. Some speakers indicate that all communities should have to drop to the lowest common denominator. In Calgary, that's not the case. Calgarians value the ability to have a choice, to have a community of family-friendly single-family homes, if so desired. And most communities were planned and designed at their outset to have a variety of choices. Personally, from my experience, I've lived in townhouses, I've lived in six unit multiplexes, I've lived next to bus routes, and as time went on when I could move into the next place in the family unit that I'm in now. There might have been a perfectly good house that I that I really liked that fit all the bills, that checked all the boxes, but maybe it was on a snow route. Maybe it was next to, you know, uh some some other big sort of development or or something that was already there that I didn't want to live next to. But I had a choice, and I think that eroding that choice is is kind of diminishing the character of neighborhoods. So how do we meet both dreams? Firstly, by taking advantage of the newly announced federal funding with no strings attached and using it to support modest housing in nodes and corridors where the city already owns property and is not yet benefiting from. Secondly, by fully repealing the blanket rezoning and fully engaging communities to determine how and where additional densification should occur in their communities. Thank you, Amir. You're just a time, but maybe a final sentence to conclude your thoughts. Well, I'd like to say that the dreams of the young start off with simple affordability, but they they grow to include more as life changes, and in many cases their dreams will become our dreams to have choices available. So I asked, please don't steal their dreams. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. We'll go now to Jeff next, please. Mayor Farkas and members of Council, my name is Jeff Marsh and I'm a resident of Houndsfield Heights, Briar Hill. I'm currently the president of our community association and this is the capacity in which I'm addressing you today. Of interest, I'd like to note that in my decade of community advocacy, I believe that this is the first time I've spoken to counsel in favor of a motion under consideration. And in this case, our community does support this motion, but only as the entire package as it's proposed. With respect to the repeal itself, it has no direct meaningful consequence for Houndsfield Heights Briar Hill. Being part of the Riley local area for which a local area plan has been enacted, for all intents and purposes, blanket rezoning will remain in effect for us. Neighborhood local, the lowest intensity urban form in the local area plan, maps to RCG zoning in the land use bylaw, and our local area plan doesn't actually have any uh limited scale. The administration refused to implement that uh despite being asked. So, sure, after appeal, applications requiring RCG zoning within our neighborhood would once again need redesignation. And yes, this is extra work for all of you, since each application would have to come before council. Despite that, though, all of these approvals are entirely insured by the overarching neighborhood local policy in the LAP. So it's more work for everyone, but it's it's a moot point and it's gonna happen. So there's no direct impact for the repail for us. Our community association does feel, though, that repeal citywide will negatively impact our neighborhood and it will increase the pace of and ergo the pressures associated with redevelopment that we are already experiencing and our residents continue to struggle with. Developers who've perfected successful RCG building models citywide since blanket rezoning went into effect will be reluctant to abandon them and will naturally gravitate to where they can still be plied, which is in communities such as ours that have local area plans in place without limited scale considerations. That said, we appreciate being consulted about how redevelopment occurs with our community, as obstenbly happened through the local area planning process, and we respect that other communities deserve to be engaged to a greater extent on how redevelopment occurs within their boundaries than they have been with the current implementation of blanket rezoning. So, in that context, we can get behind its repeal. The transition rules for parcels for which redevelopment's already been proposed, while not ideal from anyone's perspective, are probably as good and as fair as we're going to be able to come up with. Most importantly for our community, however, though, are the proposed changes to the RCG designation. We strongly support them in that they provide a much needed counterbalance to the increased development pressures we'll face with an uptick in local redevelopment activity. These proposed changes will offset that increased pace in that what will be constructed will be considerably more respectful and contextual, and it's the lack of context associated with many new RCG redevelopments in our community that our neighbors struggle with the most. When our land use director, uh Beth Atkinson, addressed you earlier in the hearing, she went into more detail about this, and I won't repeat that here, but I will say that from our community's perspective, front setback is by far the biggest lack of context problem right now. One other thing that I'll note is that this motion before you, it's not a fet accompli, but it's a first step if you if you go ahead with this. We still need to modernize land use policy to enable our city to sustainably grow, but do so in ways that works for Calgaryans. Local area plans are an excellent way to do this. However, recently been through the process as a community rep, I'd like to impress upon you that this process very much needs to be tweaked to better solicit local knowledge from communities and residents to ensure that the resulting local area plan does indeed deliver upon local wants and needs. Right now, the process is far too prescriptive and a lot of local context is being lost. To summarize, Hounsfield Heights Briar Hill is supportive of repealing blanket rezoning, but respectfully requests that should council decide to do so, it needs to be done in conjunction with the transition rules and the RCDC designation changes also proposed. To do otherwise would place an unfair and detrimental burden on our community and all others for which local area plans are already in effect. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to uh the first of our three uh speakers that I didn't identify your names, so please come and uh approach. Uh let us know who you are and which panel you're on. Hi there, Steve Bentley from Panel 81. And uh I'm with Cal I'm with part of the Calgary Climate Hub. Uh Mayor, City Council, I I I I appreciate the opportunity to come and speak to you. I always appreciate this opportunity, and I'm always kind of blown away at at you guys being able to sit and listen to all of this from the yes to the no to the stuff you do agree to to wild conspiracy theories, to you name it. Uh my hat's off to you. I honestly, sincerely respect the hell out of you for being able to do this. Um I am against their appeal. And um the challenge when speaking this late in the game is to say something interesting that hasn't already been said. So I'm going to talk about Iran and the Strait of Horror Mews. Um so it's very, very likely, or one one hopes that in the room, when that man Decided to go and drop bombs over there, one hopes there was at least one person in the room who said, Mr. President, if you break it, you bought it. That's the Middle East. You you go in there, that's you're gonna own it. And the the the daunting and horrifying thing that I have to say to you is that if you rip out the only solution that this city has really ever m advanced on housing, and only significant solution, well now it's on you. Like it's just on you. It's this council because it's zero hour on housing in this city. The previous council, whatever you thought of them, the previous mayor, whatever you thought of them. They exercised real bravery to do what they thought was the right thing. And quite a lot of them paid the cop paid the price for it. But uh ultimately that's that's the daunting thing that stands in front of you. Now, to further torture my analogy on Iran, uh I the the the other thing to consider is that, you know, as that becomes a total disaster for that man. No doubt again, there's someone in the room saying, well, out of the out of the bad options that are in front of you, the least bad is just to declare victory tomorrow and get the hell out of there. And so similarly, I would expect if you repeal this, you're going to be trying to find a solution, and you're going to be having to find a solution that isn't the one that was put in place. It's going to have to be a brand new thing that other councils haven't tried. And so similarly, somebody will be advising you just, well, you know. Pull together a blue ribbon panel. Do some sort of policy paper that nobody's gonna read and then just hoof that can down the road. And I'll tell you there's a history of Calgary City Councils hoofing the can down the road. We call 'em kick the can councils, and and I it's my great hope. That this isn't a kick-the-can council. I always have a hope with a new group of council members that have that are educated and smart people that have come and put their put their their lives on hold to come and represent Calgarians. I've got hope every time for a council that they're gonna they're gonna do the right things. I I believe in my heart of hearts, even if I disagree with you a hundred percent of the time. You're here because you believe that you can make things better. That's what I try to say to myself. And so ultimately it makes for a it's an it's an awesome responsibility in the the traditional sense of the word awesome. It's not not something cool. It's kind of horrifying that you have to carry all this stuff. But it's a big, big important challenge. I again I I I I think there's I don't know the exact fit. I'm not a policy guy. I hope we're listening to policy people instead of people like me who aren't policy people when we're making these decisions. But it's really critical that we see this as a as the problem that it is. We also have to be aware that historically this city this city has made all most of its decisions to just comp continue to build on the far outskirts. And with beyond any shadow of a doubt, that's the most expensive way to city build. If you're building via sprawl and you keep building outwards, come on. It's just simple. The more roads you gotta make, the more pipes you gotta lay down, the further out you go, the more it costs. And so, is this a big spending council? Is this a a smart council that's going to be relying on policy? We don't know yet. But I I I it's a daunting task. I thank you for the effort that you put in. And um well, happy Easter and uh if you break it, you bought it. Thank you so much. We'll go now to our next presenter, please. Hello. Hello there. Um my name is Thomas Coyle. My friends call me Tommy and I hope I'm your friend. And Mayor Fargis Farkas in the council. Uh thanks for having me. I I can he bring anything here that's not already been here. So but I've I've got myself. Um I'm against the blanket rezoning. I think it's a bad idea for everybody. And if it carries through now, way down the road somewhere, someone's going to suffer because of it. I believe that the people who benefit from the blanket rezoning are developers and home builders. They're making money in this, and what they're building is not subsidized housing. It's no housing a first time home buyer. John and Mary, Jose and Marie can go in and buy. You work hard. You can get the money for a down payment and buy a house. But no these ones. They're not building homes for first-time buyers, as it says, are subsidized. They're building things, I call them like cabins in the sky. You can't swing a cat in them. And I use the example of 17th Avenue Southwest and 45th Street, where there's a railroad crossing. A wee bit further west down the road, you've got the two schools, Vincent Massey. And I think Westgate and I think there's another school and you've got hundreds of students and children crossing that road. And it's like when I stand in I stand up there and then I look at the EWE. I'll actually caught I see one is renting there. They're renting a one bedroom is starting at uh 18 starting at 1800 a month. Uh I stand and I look at them and there's as I see you can't if somebody dies up on the top floor, how are they going to get them out? If I'm up there, they'd need to put me out the window and lower me down. They wouldn't be able to walk me down the stairs if I'm dead. Um and when I when I look at it, it takes me back to the house that I was born in, which was a Glasgow tenement. And the the neighbors were great, the neighbors loved each other, but it was terrible housing. I see that the the these cabins in the sky, that's how I see them going. It's terrible housing. Um the older neighborhoods have been decimated. I I've always thought I came to Calgary in 1980 and I bought myself a house. I've never gone to a univers I don't have a university education. I was at a school for my 15th birthday. When I came here I worked hard. In 1980 I bought a house and I still have that house. But it would be hard to I could sell that and make money and try to buy one in at an older neighborhood, which I like. But I can't compete against a developer because they're coming in and they they've got big money, whatever a list price is in a home, they'll they'll add way way more. This kind of rezoning. Uh oh and when the when the the developers get finished with the inner neighborhoods, they'll start moving out to places like my neighborhood in Falcon Ridge. Uh they just love them because they have back alleys and they can use that for space to put in eight plexus, ten plexus. Um for me the the the rezoning shows a wee bit of lack of forethought. There's no planning, destroying the quality of life. This is uh this is uh like clearances. They're clearing places. Way back sometime 50 or 60 years ago, somebody at Calgary City Hall shuffled paper and never did their job properly. And as a result, we have a burst pipe out in Boness, which may have been avoided if work was done properly. And like you, I represented the city of Calgary. I worked for Calgary Transit. And I loved my job. I loved it. You have no idea how much I loved that. And after a thousand people would come and say to me, How can you drive a bus? I'd say it's the greatest job in the world. Every single day, when weather like this, may I be doing it that garage at Spring Gardens. Get my bus out, get to the bus stop and call dates. I'd even bring in donuts. And I'd have the bus nice and warm for people coming in, and I'd speak to every single person. What I'm saying is, my heart and soul was in that job. I'm begging you. to take off your business hats, put your hat and soul into this, and throw this blanket rezoning out the window. And work on something better. Um more than that, I can't say with thanks. Thank you so much, Tom. We'll go now to our final speaker here in the chamber. Yes, I'm I'm Tom March, and I'm on panel 86. I know you've heard all this before, so I'll keep it short. I'm just a Calgary homeowner and taxpayer and felt it was necessary to be here. I'm in favor of the council bringing back the city zoning system that existed in the land use bylaw prior to the city rezoning approved in May 2024. I believe the change was not done to improve city planning or development, but was only implemented as a condition to obtain a couple of hundred million cash grant from the feds. As a result, the city relinquished their control of planning and development to builders and contractors, and some 300,000 plus homeowners lost their zoning protection. Since the blanket rezoning decision effectively removes all zoning protection from low density residential properties such as mine, I don't believe that the amendment route is the way to go. You can't amend something that no longer exists. Once again, I'm in favor that the city council through with the full and I'll try that again. That the City Council follow through with the full and complete repeal of the citywide blanket rezoning bylaw and return to the zoning designations and related rules and policies that we lost in 2024. No amendments. Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. We're gonna go to Councillor Chabot for questions for this panel. Ms. Marsh? Thanks. So based on what you said, um You said that you wanted us to follow through with all the recommendations, including all of the amendments in recommendation number four? That's correct. Okay. Yeah, I'm not sure that that's been fully vetted with with community and or the industry in regards to all of those amendments. Would you be supportive of um uh being engaged in that process? Should council decide not to move forward with all of them today and and still look at further engagement to refine those? Well, I said that would be it would be very helpful, but again, if this goes forward out of sync, it's it's really it's really gonna cause a lot of redevelopment pressure within our community. Thanks. Um And you mentioned about um neighborhood local limited scale, how the limited scale element was um not included in your LAP? We we explicitly we explicitly asked for several things, limited scale being one. We actually asked for some special study areas that were unique and different, but I said the uh unfortunately the the planning the the the team we worked with from the city was great, but they didn't seem to be empowered to be able to act on any of the Of course this would have been post-implementation of the blanket zoning, right? Uh I'm not quite sure. R LAP would have gone in right around the same time. Okay. They the blank it was in the in the pipe, I think, at the same time. Right, but the final approval wasn't until after the blanket zoning. Wasn't Honestly, I can't quite remember. I have to double check that, but I think so. Okay, thanks. Um I guess the next question is gonna be uh if council were to move forward with this repeal, um you sounds like you'd be interested in revisiting the LAP to see if we could reintroduce that element? Yes, I think limited scale in terms of the existing structure. That that's the existing structure that would work. I think I think we would actually be better served to actually introduce um more granular urban forms, which could actually allow, right, to to allow and encourage things we want. Like you could allow You go back to having uh you know our RC1, RC2 equivalent urban forums, but you could also do different combinations, or you could also do urban forms that did things like stacked housing that we've heard about to allow things for more accessibility and mobility, just to try to. We can achieve the same density with more granularity and retain more character. Um would you be it sounds to me like you uh were engaged in the LEP process and you agreed with some of the principles that were adopted in it, which looked at increasing intensity of use within the area. So you're not opposed to density generally. No, but it it makes the most sense to get the get the intensity where it makes where it's the most beneficial to both the community and the and the uh the future homeowners and the future residents. Okay, what you're opposed to was the broad brush approach that was utilized. Yes. And would you be um supportive of uh city initiated redesignation in a more refined um um sort of uh approach? In theory, yes. Okay. Okay, thanks. No further questions. Thanks for being here. Thank you, Councillor Daliwell. Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Mr. Marsh. Uh just a question of c clarification. You you just said that repeal is a mood it is moot to you because you have an LAP. It's if if as far as a direct and meaningful impact, yes. So okay. I'm just trying to understand which one you prefer. You prefer blanket or you prefer LAP? I think LAPs are actually the way to go. I think the LAP process needs to be tweaked to get LAPs that are as effective as they can be, but I think I th so I I would I think it makes more sense for our neighborhood it's it's I said we have an LAP, so I consider it to be a moot point, but I think for the city as a whole, I think we'd be better served to repeal this and if necessary expedite the LAP process with some tweaks to the process to better recognize local context. You already have Riley LAP, which came in after the blanket zoning. And again, I I I don't quite it it was right around the same time. Yeah. So you had the you you y you did have s some. uh experience with blanket to influence LAP. Well, because blanket rezoning was in the pipe, that's as a for instance, that's why the planning team would not allow limit us to consider implementing limited scale because blanket rezoning was already in the pipeline. So, right, we weren't allowed to consider using the limited scale tool on neighborhood local. And but you you you prefer LAP. You you if if let's say hypothetically blanket zoning is repealed, you're okay with existing Riley LAP that exists right now because it has very um for instance 19th Street is neighborhood connector you got a big uh commercial center and and and so LAP will work for you fine. No, we would our LAP needs to be revisited because it said aspects of our LAP were influenced by Blanket zoning by blanket zoning. So there's other reasons why it needs to be revisited as well, but in this context, um, Ray said, like we were not allowed to consider implementing limited scale, which if I I believe it would be appropriate for certain areas of the Riley local area. And I think you answered, uh I think I just again, I think Councillor Shabot, you answered it. The re one of the recommendation number four is if we again, assuming it's repealed, we revert back to original RCG lots that were already designated RCG. And the new recommendation is to change criteria about uh the the rules around that. And you said you're supportive of that because existing rule is RCG mostly going on the on the corner lot. This one is proposing even going. onto the block, uh you're okay with it? Well so right right uh sorry if we went back to the old RCG rules then uh I my understanding is basically four plus fours would be allowed throughout our neighborhood since we're all neighborhood local, Okay. since we're effectively RCG. Um but And it's it's the it's the contrast between say a four plus floor and the the old single bungalow beside it that causes a lot of a lot of the struggles our our residents have in accepting this. So if instead it was only corner adjacent units and it was three plus threes and lot coverage came down to 55%, I think, it would just go a long way to making the proposals we're seeing for RCG developments in our neighborhood. They would fit in a lot better and it would it would it would just make things a lot smoother. People would be much more accepting of it. No great. Thank you for answering my questions. My w I have one other question for Mr. Eisenberg. Just one question. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. You used the term vulnerable young people. Could you define what that is? Well, you know, I have I have three young boys. They all want to own their own home one day. They feel like we had it easier, and we we didn't, you know, they're not gonna have the opportunities that we had. They feel vulnerable by that. Uh what they're really vulnerable is uh the tax burden that we all share. And uh the city has to come up with with ways of of streamlining things and making things more affordable for the new home buyer once they get into their place and uh so they don't they don't feel the squeeze of that tax burden that that we are all dealing with. A lot of property taxes have gone up. I think it was a blended thing that I read. It was between three and five percent. Some property taxes have gone up 18% in one year. And that is enough to make anybody feel vulnerable. So I I agree with one what what a previous speaker said is uh you know, the young younger people and and uh people that want to be first home buyers, they just want to get a foothold in the market. And uh it's it's really hard for them and it's a daunting task. But we all did it and uh we all did it with fixer uppers and we did it with small places and we put in sweat equity and uh they have to know that it's possible to be done and they need to be reassured that it can be done. Okay. Uh just follow up and then I'll end. Uh Two years ago this policy came in. You think that and one of the one of the arguments behind bringing this policy was more uh housing inventory, uh more supply, trying to overcome the demand and maybe then stabilize pricing or even bring the pricing down, creating affordability for vulnerable young people or those who are in the need of housing. You think this is uh we should give it more time, or you think this is not gonna work in your opinion? You know what, a one-size-fits-all thing does not work. It's got to be done in a in a thoughtful and meaningful process. It has to be worked with uh in a collaborative process with community associations. And uh, you know, it's been said many times before, zones and corridors are where where these things best happen. I heard a guy speak earlier uh when I was here on Monday night about how he's a builder, and if they build something that is is not offensive to uh the people that live next to it, then there's very little complaints. You know, so I I believe that you know the new zoning uh it it fast tracked um the development, but it didn't create affordable housing. Uh everything that I've seen is has taken a single family dwelling and put up eight units that were more expensive than the original dwelling. Okay, great. I lied one last question. You think this city, this council should be thinking about after appeal still? Housing being one of the key focus areas and especially affordable housing. Well, uh a lot of people ran on their um on their campaigns and got elected in on this sole issue. So I think that this is a uh a primary factor. It should be prioritized, and uh yeah, it has to be addressed. Everyone in the in the city is talking about it. It's the number one issue on community associations, it's the number one issue I speak to when I talk to people in my neighborhood. So it's a hot topic and it needs to be addressed. Thank you, Mr. Eisenberg. Thank you, Mr. Marsh. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Tyres, please. Oh yeah, we had some really interesting uh things that people said here. Don't be a kick the can council, community uglification, um just cabins in the sky, like people are very uh descriptive. I really appreciate that. My question's for Mr. March. Um Mr. March? Or March. I know there's a Marsh and there's a March, and I want to talk to Mr. March. Marsh? And I think there's two toms, too. Thank you. Yeah, that's what I saw that two toms two. Yeah, okay. Um you had mentioned uh okay, so you had lost zoning protection for your home. That's how you felt that um that blanket rezoning caused you to lose the protection of your home. That's what you said. That's right. I when I purchased, I talked to my lawyer who uh made me clearly understand what the caveats and the zoning. uh meant to uh how my property was going to be stable and not uh uh there's a house next door for sale to me and um okay uh uh it could be uh 12plex tomorrow I wake up to uh I have no secure uh security left be I I'm slowly being Uh uh expropriated out of my older neighborhood. This concerns me. This was the biggest purchase of my life, a home. Uh nowadays, maybe uh the expectations are different. You get out of school, you uh get a job, buy a mortgage, and move in. That wasn't it in my day. Uh I took for a lot of Uh time to well worked 10 years to get the first down payment. And then uh moving into the final residence was another 10 years. So 20 years plus any uh equity I built up in my property uh getting into the market. Uh uh then uh as I said, I I made checked things out carefully, uh the zoning and uh the type of neighborhood. And uh the stability I wanted, uh, I'm staying there, I want to stay there, but uh anything can happen now. Uh we had a good zoning system where different areas of the community were zoned differently. And uh I picked my zone. That was that's what I'm concerned, or that's why I don't like this new blanket zoning uh with the Previous zoning system, you could choose where you want it to be. Okay, understood. And you had also mentioned that you don't want any amendments. Can you elaborate on that? You said you can't amend something that doesn't exist. You took We found that dangerous. individual zoning regions throughout the city. There it's now one zone. Uh trying to patch that, what is it, like putting lipstick on a pig? You still have a pig? Uh there's uh you can uh you can't make a donkey into a racehorse, whatever example you want. That's the way I feel. We should go back to where we were. Okay. Completely understood. Thank you so much, sir. Yeah. Thank you. And we're gonna go to one of the two mics. Uh Councillor Atkinson, please. Uh well why don't we start with Mr. March first? Uh if I could. Yeah, sorry. Uh you're just in your comment there. So your understanding is that with the repeal that the current zone no longer exists? Is that your your thinking on this? Well, we have one zone now. Right. But so that zone existed prior to the the citywide rezoning coming into place, and it will exist still on the back end of repealing. It's just that your zone will go back to uh say an RC1 or an RC2, but the zone for RCG, the the that zone will still exist. I don't understand. Okay. No, that's fair. That's great. That's all I I needed to clarify. Can I speak with Mr. Marsh now, please? With Councillor Chabot's questions, you mentioned concern with repeal going forward, but without the changes being concurrent with that repeal. Can you speak to that concern? So we are with the LAP now having been in effect. I did actually check the dates. So the LAP went in are you it was approved on March 5th, 2025. So that was after blanket rezoning. We are already experiencing quite a big uptick in number of number and intensity of redevelopments in our neighborhood with the LAP and I guess and blanket rezoning being in effect. And I said our our residents are struggling with a lot of it, and a lot of what they're struggling with is not about having more neighbors or different housing types. It's about how the built forms are are its shadowing, it's the lack of context with a lot of the existing streetscapes. We believe if blanket rezoning is repealed, it makes sense that builders who have successful building models will keep plying them. So we are just gonna see a further increase in up to. Uptick in redevelopment, which will increase the development pressures and the struggles. Something that would help to mitigate that is if we were getting more the stuff, the new stuff that was being built was more contextual in nature. And our our read of the changes to the RCG designation would go a long way. I understand that they haven't been, there hasn't been engagement or consultation on them, and maybe they don't go far enough, or maybe they're gonna take away some things that will need to be restored, but it would be uh i we feel that that would go a really long way to um to mitigate the develop redevelopment pressure that our neighborhood is feeling if it's Is something like that's something you've you've been involved with the community association for a long time. So you've seen sort of this the pressures and community concern, and when you read these changes, they seem to sort of meet those contextual the pushback that you're speaking of when you're when you're feeling that from community. Yeah and it's it's not even a case I I think our our neighborhood accepts that change is coming. I wouldn't even call it so much as pushback as as it is is heartache and and struggle, right? We have We have a there there's a neighbor I was speaking to uh a couple days ago and and she has seen she has seen uh basically developments on three sides now which are really gonna and and they're significantly different than what was there and what she lives in, and it's really gonna change what living in her house looks like. Yeah. Fair. Thank you so much. Thanks for coming down. Yeah. All right, thank you. That uh concludes this panel. We're gonna come back about 120-ish. Uh before I hit this, uh for everyone who's in the gallery today and made their way down, I want to commit to you that we'll hear you in person uh when we get back. Uh please stay where you are though, because I need to go out and collect uh your various names. So we're back at uh 120, please. Welcome back to Calgary City Council. Mr. Clerk, please call the role. Thank you, Mayor. On the roll, Councillor Atkinson, Councillor Schmidt, Councillor Clark, Councillor Chabot, Councillor Ward, Councillor Jameson, Present. Councillor McLean, Councillor Johnston, Councillor Tyres, Here. Councillor Wyness. Sorry, Councillor Wyness, can you repeat that? Just want to make sure I'm here. Thank you. Uh Councillor Ewell? Councillor Kelly? Present. Councillor Dollywell? Councillor Pentezlopoulos? Mayor Farkas. I'm here. Thank you. So I went out and prearranged the panel from uh folks who are in the audience there. Uh just by just raise your hand. Do we have 90 Matthew, 92 Laura, 93, Marty? 95 Gunter and 96 Sarah Elder. Okay. Okay. Perfect. So those are RR5. Uh Matthew, why don't you start us off? I have a presentation. And out of curiosity, is that the one I sent last night? Yes? Okay, great, thank you. Uh good day. My name is Matthew McIntyre, panel 90, Ward 8, and let's get right into this. Slide three, please. What is the right amount of densification? Toronto, Vancouver, and Auckland are all boxed in geographically. All three cities have no choice but to pursue densification for growth. However, Calgary has real options and we need to decide what is right for us. Slide four. Toronto and Vancouver, to no surprise, have adopted blanket rezoning. And it is important to remember that their affordability problems are way worse than what Calgary is experiencing. So what did they do? Citywide, Toronto only allows up to four units per lot with a maximum height of 10 to 10.5 meters. Vancouver allows a maximum of five to six units, but rear buildings can only be two stories or eight point five meters high. Finally, Auckland, a pioneer of blanket rezoning, has recently repealed it. They are focused on densification around transit routes and city centers. All this begs the question: what possible justification did administration really have for insisting on eight unit developments with a height of 11 meters for Calgary, especially when opposition against it was so strong? I don't believe the majority of Calgarians are against densification, but we do want a repeal of a decision that was illegitimate. A decision that was obtained without any engagement with us as citizens, and a decision that was far beyond anything close to reasonable. Slide five. Statcan uses the concept of large urban centers to get an apples to apples comparison of city density. It calculates the density of the land area that is actually being developed. Why doesn't administration share this perspective with Calgarians? On that basis, Calgary compares very well to the other major Canadian cities. And without considering additional inner city densification, which will still happen, by the way, current plans for new communities will increase Calgary's densification significantly. Don't penalize Calgary for having the foresight to annex early. Slide six. Sprawl can be managed with respectful densification. Don't blanket anything, do the work. Use the local area plan process to choose the right change for each community. But ensure proper engagement is used to create plans that are sensible and respectful, that Calgaryans will support. And by the way, the recent local area plans were not done with proper engagement and need to be redone to restore trust. Slide seven. What about the commute time? The quick answer is it's just not that bad. Slide eight. What about parking? How about we just follow the city parking policy, which says on-site parking at residential properties is the primary parking location for residents? Slide nine. Using administration's data from attachment eight, we can reasonably assume a typical apex will have 10 cars per development. Slide 10. Using the 10 car assumption, it takes just eight a-plexes to saturate a perfect block. A community can quickly go from no parking problems to becoming a major headache. Slide 11. Taken to the extreme with a block full of a plexes, there would be 58 vehicles looking for a place to park. Now that probably won't happen, but the point is there's no longer any control on just how bad parking could get. Slide 12. Let's consider this Silver Springs example. The vast majority of homes have front driveways, so there's already very little street parking available. A single apex would be a disaster. And there are dozens of examples like this across the city. Planning needs to be done community by community, not by blindly throwing a blanket over everything. Slide 13. Enable people. For me, this is one of the most important slides. A car can be the difference between getting a better job or not. The opportunity for higher income is every bit as important as cost savings when it comes to solving an affordability problem. And it can also be the difference between children participating in activities or not. A kid can't be at soccer practice if mom and dad are stuck on the bus. Slide 14. Who is actually in need? In the last hearing, administration noted that 84,600 households are in a housing need. And yet they also noted that by percentage it's about the same as the last three decades. Slide 15. We have always had a lot of young people. Sorry, and now we have a growing segment, and that's where the vast majority of the most serious affordability problems are coming from. The median income for young singles and single seniors is especially low. Slide 16. For young people, the real problem is that minimum wage is not a living wage, and no amount of blanket rezoning can solve that problem. Slide 17. In general, couples can afford housing. Slide 18, conclusion. I think this is a very telling chart from Kreb. Inner city row houses are the most expensive by far. This is in sharp contrast to apartment condos which have similar costs everywhere. It illustrates that blanket rezoning is not producing affordable housing. It's simply producing a relatively small amount of expensive housing at the expense of existing homeowners. Please repeal the existing blanket rezoning in its entirety and find a better balance. Please engage us from the start and throughout the new process. Finally, please stop all development applications immediately. Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. We'll go to Laura on 92, please. Okay. It has been a long week. Thank you. I heard the deep sigh after that. I hear you. All right, Laura, thank you for being here with us. Thank you. Uh Mayor Farkas, members of council. My name's Laura McGregor, and I live in Ward 1. And I've just recently, in the last year or two, gotten involved in our Civic Affairs Committee, largely because of the blanket rezoning. But I'm here to speak on behalf of myself and my husband. And we fully support, we support the full repeal of blanket rezoning. This is a really important planning issue for our city, and I think we need to get it right. Thankfully, you guys have given us the opportunity to do that. A full repeal would allow us to go back to the drawing board with robust engagement to determine the best approach to creating more density and hopefully doing it without sacrificing existing homes, homeowners, and neighborhoods. We're now seeing massive new builds and applications for more of these new massive rebuilds that essentially take up entire parcels and dwarf existing homes. They don't even come close to fitting in with existing homes or the community. Picture one is a development currently happening in varsity. Picture two is the back of that same one. So it takes up the entire lot. Picture three is a build being currently being done in Charleswood, the poor house next door. Picture four, the same build in Charleswood from the front, where you can see that there's really no room for any kind of planting of anything. So when existing homeowners see these types of builds, which don't seem gentle at all, it leaves us deeply concerned. With blanket rezoning, all of a sudden, contextual sensitivity doesn't matter. Shadowing doesn't matter. Building massing doesn't matter. Privacy doesn't matter. Increased noise doesn't matter. Existing mature tree canopy doesn't matter. Adequate parking doesn't matter. Infrastructure capacity doesn't matter. Affordability doesn't matter because a lot of the new things that are being built aren't affordable anyway. Traffic flow and congestion concerns don't matter. Existing homeowner concerns don't matter. And community or neighborhood concerns and input don't really matter. So I can tell you that every time a property in my neighborhood comes up for sale, neighbors start to panic as to what's going to happen. Are they going to be faced with a massive row house building or buildings next door that dwarf, shadow, and impose on their home and their privacy and add eight uh eight to sixteen new residences where there was just one? Or will it be worse? Honestly, I think we can do a better job of planning than this. There might be places to start. Midfield Park, I hate to bring it, I don't know if anyone else, I mean someone else has probably brought that up, but it's kind of chafed me a bit just because it's been sitting there for eight years and and you know undeveloped. Motel Village, North Hill Mall. North Hill Mall is a huge empty parking lot, and I'm sure there's probably some constraints around that, but it seems like prime for some kind of development. And if there is something that needs to be built beside a single family home, it should take uh it should make sense considering surrounding homes. I found an example in Banff Trail. Picture six, please. Yes, this is a duplex, but you can see how it's been built and uh this is from the front and then from picture seven is from the side. You can see that it's bigger than the bungalow, but actually looks similar to the bungalow and and it doesn't take up the entire lot. Um so it's not ridiculously imposing. Each parcel in Street and Calgary is unique and deserves consideration for what is appropriate to build there. A blanket approach does not allow for any situational consideration. And I found out recently that last week actually that there had been amendments to the row house rules, and I think many of those would be welcome. But they were all installed without any engagement, and some seem to be kind of random. So while some of them are great, I think some of them might need more conversation, like reducing row house lot coverage from 60% to 55%. and and allowing rowhouse development and much larger developments on corner lots or the first three lots near a corner, thereby sacrificing homes just because they live near a corner. Doesn't kind of seem fair to me. While they're admirable, the amendments have made the repeal of blanket rezoning process a bit of a moving target. So I think we might need to go back to the drawing board from what happened, what was implemented in 2024, and then look at the amendments separately. Another issue for me is the grandfathering process because it seems quite like a long process. So I think things that have already been approved should be grandfathered, but nothing in the nothing that's been in the application process. Having to look over our shoulders all the time is exhausting and unacceptable. A perfect starting point would be to repeal blanket rezoning. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here with us. We'll go to Mart Marty on 93, then Gunter after that. Good afternoon, Mayor Farkas and Councillors. My name is Marty McNaughton. I'm a resident of Ward 7, a born and raised Calgarian and a millennial who is strongly in support of a full and immediate repeal of blanket zoning. My comments are not rooted in opposition to growth or densification. They arise from a deep disappointment with the process used to impose this policy and with the assumption that a single citywide solution can appropriately address the needs of every community. I've listened carefully over the past week or so to smart and passionate Calgarians very effectively address complex issues like affordability and environmental considerations. So today I just want to focus on how a blanket rezoning has unfolded in my own neighborhood and what that experience has revealed about the risks of this approach. My family and I moved to St. Andrews Heights from West Hillhurst three years ago. We were sad to leave our street and our neighbors, but our decision followed extensive research, careful financial planning, and long conversations about what kind of life we wanted for our kids and what we could reasonably afford. We've always made deliberate choices with our money. We lived for years in a home our family had outgrown because paying down my student loans and living within our means mattered to us. When we finally moved, we did so because St. Andrews Heights was a low-density single-family neighborhood where we believed we could stay long term, where our kids could safely walk and bike, and where traffic patterns were stable and predictable. That character was a defining feature of our community. Many properties in our neighborhood, including our own, are subject to one of two restrictive covenants, which were originally registered on those properties in 1953 or 63 as applicable, that prohibit multiplex development. Not every property has one, and the parcels without restrictive covenants have quickly become targets for redevelopment interest. Those covenants reflect long-standing deliberate expectations about land use and people relied on them when they invested their savings and committed their families to this neighborhood. Somewhat against my will, I've had to learn a lot about RCs over the last couple years, and I've learned that once a single multiplex is approved and the character of the neighborhood begins to change, those covenants become more difficult to enforce because it's no longer true that the neighborhood is uniformly single family. Enforcement of these covenants falls to individual residents who must challenge their neighbors for violations through expensive, time consuming court proceedings with uncertain outcomes. Blanket rezoning has destabilized the framework that people have relied on investing in my community and in many other communities in the city. For the city to effectively erase that framework without consultation is a profound breach of trust. Tells residents that the rules they relied on, the planning they undertook, and the sacrifices they made simply don't matter. The consequences were immediate and entirely predictable. As soon as blanket rezoning was adopted, multiple applications for 10 plexes appeared in our community. One has already been approved right at the entry point, with another pending at the other main entrance. This is exactly what residents warned about when a blunt citywide rule was imposed on established neighborhoods without regard to local context. Blanket rezoning has effectively turned our home into a teardown. It's a 70s house, certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but we love it and we intend to stay for decades. Yet under this policy, our home, like many others, is now treated as disposable because it's more profitable to tear down single family homes and replace them with multiplexes that primarily benefit developers. How does it make any sense to incentivize the demolition of perfectly livable homes to maximize redevelopment returns rather than protecting those homes so families can remain in their communities long into the future? My spouse and I are full-time working professionals with young kids. I contribute actively to the city and to my community. I volunteer at the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association, serve on a not for profit board, coach community soccer, and volunteer at my kids' school. This is the work that I value, the work that builds community and strengthens social fabric. We've spent significant personal time and resources simply trying to defend what we reasonably believed were stable property rights. Many of our neighbors have devoted far more time and money. That time has been taken directly away from our families and from our community service because the city chose expediency over good planning. Finally and importantly, I want to address the social impact of blanket rezoning. This policy has divided neighbors, strained relationships, and created resentment. Instead of building community, it has fractured it. Mayor Farkas, my ask today is simple and direct. I'm asking you to follow through on the commitments you made while campaigning, commitments that gave me confidence in your leadership and persuaded me to vote for you. Repeal the blanket rezoning and replace it with a neighborhood by neighborhood approach, one that supports thoughtful densification, where it makes sense, respects existing communities, and begins to restore public trust. Thank you. Thanks. We will go to Gunter on 95, then Sarah on 96. Good afternoon, everybody. Mayor Farkas, Councillors. My name is Gonter Samet. I live in Ward 7, and I'm Vice President of Hountsfield Heights Briar Hill Community Association. Today I'm speaking on my own behalf. No matter if the citywide zoning repeal is adapted or not, please approve the proposed RCG district rules. We need to achieve a 50-50 growth in Calgary in a fashion that works for more Calgarians. I do not understand why a large number of speakers that support the repeal of global rezoning vehemently oppose the proposed changes to the RCG rules. From my perspective, they do not harm the communities that won't have RCG when global rezoning is repealed, and it will benefit communities that will continue to have RCG developments. Developers can choose to not build if they think it's not profitable anymore. I do urge the council to vote in favor of the proposed RCG rules and potentially amend them with some of my suggestions that will follow. And once they are approved, immediately engage in consultation with all stakeholders on how to make RCG work better for everybody involved. If they are not approved, communities that still allow RCG will suffer even more because the development focused will be on them. In addition to the proposed district rules, I suggest the following Increase the parking requirements from 0.5 to 1. I think that's a more realistic car ownership number, even in TOD areas. Count secondary suites and backyard suites as units. Alternatively, give the option to reduce to 0.5 by charging a public transit or mobility improvement levy of either a set amount or a percentage of the selling price. According to Google AI, Calgary has a roughly 93% car ownership. At 2.6 average household size, that's more than two cars per unit in average. Allow and promote multi base parking systems to count for parking requirements. Reintroduce car to go or similar to give transportation alternatives. Current available car sharing programs are not flexible enough, and public transit is not always an option. Charge an infrastructure improvement levy. It's not fair that future development will have to bear the cost once the infrastructure reaches capacity, while current development profit from it. Use that money to upgrade old infrastructure in developed areas to get the density. Let's not kick the can down the road any further. Rethink garbage collection for row houses. And in my submission, there are a few examples. Limit number of units in an area per year or multi year period. Require more green space, allow green roofs and walls as alternatives. Reduce lot coverage from the proposed 55 to 50 percent if needed to manage storm water more cost effectively. Like we hear that from some developers, that that is an expensive undertaking on fourplexes. Work with developers to ensure that less units per lot can still be developed in a cost-efficient manner while still being safe and attractive. Reintroduce contextual height to reduce shading and massing. There is a difference if a 50, 55, or 60% multi unit development is built in between two multi story single family houses that maximize their 45% lot coverage versus building it beside a single story bungalow. Especially if the new development is not to the north of that bungalow. Mid-block backyard suites that don't have access to the front would benefit from having loading zones. Unloading groceries or picking up somebody can be very cumbersome if there is no designated parking for that backyard suite. Some comments to Greenfield development proponents that think it's cheaper, it's a cheaper option, which in my humble opinion it's not, at least not in the long run. To my knowledge, the following costs are not covered by the developers, and those are not exhaustive. Upgrades to major city-maintained thoroughfares, like Glenmore Trail, Grow Child Rail, bridges and interchanges. Upgrades to major thoroughfares funded by other levels of government, say example Deerfoot Trail, Stony Trail, upgrades to public transit, extension from the C train, more buses, and so on. Operation of public transit and other public services. Fire hall operation, if the tax base is an area that doesn't pay for operation until fully built out, as an example. And then I made a a little calculation on uh the property tax clarification. A lot of people said, you know, build multiplexes and it's gonna be a tax income for the city. If my current understanding is correct. Unfortunately, you're just at time. A final sentence to conclude your thoughts. Okay, thank you. So please remember, uh please consider to uh uh approve also those changes to the RCG rules, otherwise communities that have LAPs will bear the heavy load. Thank you so much. We'll go now to Sarah to round off this panel, please. Hello everyone, my name is Sarah Elder, and I'm on panel 96. Today I'm speaking to you as a resident in Ward 4, a business owner whose commercial lease recently ended in Ward 9 in Inglewood, and a landlord in Ward 1 of an innovative live work building. But most importantly, as a mother and a Calgarian that cares about this decision and the others that you make and how they impact Calgary today and in the future. To start, I'd like to share that I have been sincerely impressed by some of the very thoughtful presentations made by our fellow Calgarians, the questions and conversation by council, and the care with which everyone is giving to this issue and process. In 2024, I stood in this same spot and spoke to the former mayor and council on the introduction of blanket rezoning. My comments focused on what density in my own neighborhood had cost me in terms of youth corridors, but also what I had hoped to gain. More kids of the same age for my children to play with, among other things. And I chose to read a letter into the record from the Federal Conservative Housing Critic to the former mayor and counsel expressing his support for blanket rezoning. What I failed to take into account, and what he has hopefully realized as well, is that it should have never been a blanket. It should have always been a patchwork quilt. Because what blanket rezoning actually looks like isn't what most Calgarians, myself included, want for our neighborhoods and communities. During the 2025 municipal election, it was made evident that I believe two things to be true on the issue of blanket rezoning. Here's the first truth. I believe a majority of Calgarians are against blanket rezoning. The second truth, many of these same Calgarians, while opposed to blanket rezoning, I believe are also generally supportive of density, depending on where it's located and what size it is. And I think that's been borne out especially today in the presentations made to council. This is a really important point that deserves emphasis. You can be opposed to blanket rezoning and still be supportive of density. Again, you can be supportive of density, will also be opposed to blanket rezoning. This is not a zero-sum game issue. To label those opposed to blanket rezoning as NIMBY's is inaccurate and unfair. Calgarians opposed to blanket rezoning care about our city, our neighbors, and communities. For someone to care about the investment that they're made in their home is not wrong. It's absolutely okay that investments like homes appreciate in value and generate wealth. And you would be hard pressed to find anyone purchasing a home to say that they don't want their home to grow in value otherwise. And while our reasons for opposition to blanket rezoning are legitimately varied, overwhelmingly for the reasons Calgarians' opposition to the one size fits all approach is that it pits neighbor against neighbor at a time when Calgary and the world needs more connection and community now, maybe than ever before. Because blanket rezoning should have never been a blanket. It should have been a patchwork quilt. A blanket doesn't account for what kind of traffic one specific street experiences. It doesn't leave room to understand what attracts a family or a senior couple to a certain neighborhood. It doesn't allow for street or neighborhood character because it's one size fits all approach. When a patchwork quilt approach would consider what works on a street by street basis. That tree canopy and view corridors are important to some but not others, that tree canopy must be protected in some areas but created in others, that townhouses and single-family homes and infills like the one my family and I love living in are welcomed in the streets and neighborhoods that work best to mix the old with the new. I believe that in order to restore the connection and community between neighbors in Calgary and trust in the administration of the city of Calgary, blanket rezoning must be repealed in its entirety and cleanly without amendments. And a new process started to engage Calgarians in conversations on where density is located, what density looks like, and the many varied reasons why creating thoughtful density matters. Not with a blanket, but with a patchwork quilt that zooms in on a street by street basis. You have the opportunity to hit reset and start fresh, to bring Calgarians along in this very important discussion. I'm going to conclude my very brief time with you by sharing some uncomfortable truths. Many of the issues I've heard raised during the times over the last week I've been able to listen to speakers both for and against will simply and sadly not be solved no matter what decision you make. Income equality, homelessness, minimum wage services to support victims of domestic violence, seniors housing, student housing, low-income housing, the ability to qualify a mortgage, real estate prices, all of them important. And as someone who as a child had to leave a domestic violence situation to a rental home, I don't take any of these lightly. But you will not fix the ability to qualify for a mortgage or the minimum wage or the blight of domestic violence. Your job, as delegated to you in the MGA, is land use planning, nothing else. Repeal, blanket rezoning, and start afresh. Thank you. Thank you. Over to Councillor Kelly, please, for questions for this panel. All right, you surprised me there real quick. Thank you, worship. Um, sorry, just need to pull up my notes here. Um apologies. Uh can we go to Miss McGregor first, if you don't mind? Um I I have a couple of like one question for multiple for multiple uh members of the panel type thing. Um so Miss McGregor, uh Miss McGregor, you had some photos in there from Charles Wood. I'm just curious, do do we know if those were our RCG, MCG, uh HGO? Do we know what the zoning on them is? I think the the Charles one one would probably be RCG. The the big one that I I showed from Varsity, I'm not sure. Um that's an older Yeah, that's an RC2. yeah. Yeah that So that one that one in varsity I'm not 100% sure. I think it has eight units. So it might qualify for I was just wondering about the one in Charleswood. yeah. Oh the one in Charleswood, I I Just because I can't really tell from the photo. yeah, I I don't know if there's four or six in there. Okay. Thanks. Appreciate it. That was my other question. Uh Miss uh McNaughton, if you don't mind. Thank you so much for your presentation. Really, really appreciated it. I've generally been kind of like going when people identify their neighborhood, I've been kind of going to take a look and see like what the population levels in the if in different neighborhoods are. St. Andrew's height is a little bit strange though. I have not seen this pattern in any other neighborhood. So as a local expert in your neighborhood, I wanted to ask you about it. Since 2000, we've seen like an 18% decrease of people prior to blanket rezoning, I'm saying so up to 2019. We've seen an 18% decrease in people. But unusually, we've seen a significant decrease in the number of dwellings in St. Andrews Heights. I'm wondering if you could uh just explain to me as a you know, somebody who lives in the neighborhood, what's going on? Why are there so many less homes in uh in St. Andrews Heights? Normally we see a decrease in people, but we see an increase in the number of available available homes. That's a good question. I'm not sure. I know that the numbers in St. Andrews Heights are a little, I don't want to say skewed, but there's sort of the a couple entrances to the neighborhood where there's all single family homes, and then there's actually a second entrance to the neighborhood that has all town homes. So I think there's around 300 ish single family homes. And then in the other entrance, I don't know what the number is of town homes, but there's sort of like Two different areas of the community. So why the numbers would have gone down, I'm not entirely sure. I know that we are very protective of our single family homes, so there is not a single infill or duplex at all, which if they had started with infills and duplexes, I can't imagine anybody would have cared. It's that the first thing that came up when the blanket rezoning hit was the two ten plexes with five parking stalls each. So Yeah, I think what you're saying there, we've we've heard that from from many folks. Like heard loud and clear, I was just like are are we are we tearing down duplexes in favor of single family homes? Like w yeah, I just was if you had any insight there, I was just looking to to to see what you might be able to to tell me about what's going on in St Andrews Heights. No, the only thing I can imagine is that maybe one of the condo buildings got torn down or something like that, but as far as the rest of the neighborhood, I I haven't seen anything like that, so sorry, I'm not sure. No, I appreciate that. And it has been a pretty steady sort of thing, so unusual. Okay, thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks. Um, and then finally, Miss Elder, uh, Ward 4, represent. Uh thank you very much for your presentation. I uh I generally agree with what with what it is that you're presenting there. Um your I uh we've heard it loud and clear from folks that uh the blanket part of the blanket rezoning appears to be the biggest problem here, and we want to get back to more local area planning. Uh question for you how do we go about that? Do you think that an LAP, the local area plan, is that is the best tool to be able to do that for you and your neighbors? Um I would I would I would encourage council to and administration to to start an entirely new process and reimagine it because it seems like many people have identified flaws in the LAP process as well. It's 2026. A lot of these things have, you know, like we need to keep up with the times. We need to reimagine them for where we are now as a society. Even within the last five years, the world has changed in ways that I don't think any of us could have predicted. So I think we need new systems, we need new processes, new engagement. Literally, it needs to be done on a street by street basis. No, I appreciate that. And certainly I would I would say that uh in a neighborhood like yours, uh we don't currently have any planning tool. And certainly for me as a Councillor that becomes incredibly difficult when we're in a public hearing uh looking at land use. I don't really know what the neighbors actually want in that particular You are welcome to convene a meeting and we can try to rally people together to have that conversation outside of this if if nothing else changes. I expect you'll see an amendment or uh pardon me uh uh either a motion arising or a notice of motion from me to to try to accomplish that uh in a couple of potentially different ways. Thank you very much, Ms. Alder. Appreciate it. That's it from me, Your Roshi. Thank you. Uh Councillor Atkinson, please. Uh Gunther, if I could. Really appreciated the ideas and the thoughts you're bringing into your presentation. You're just about to get into a little piece there. I think that's kind of rounding things out uh before you ran out of time, but I think it was um yeah, if you could just complete your your thought there. Yeah, I just had a a quick simple calculation to to Say, like let's let's assume we have a thousand houses that are worth six hundred thousand each, gives six hundred million, and then we have an house five hundred houses at one point nine million, gives nine hundred and fifty million, which is one point five fillion. So let's say the city says they need ten million dollars in taxes from that property value, which will give uh a rate of point zero zero six four five two. And then I put a tax per house on there. And then let's do now rezoning and we have a hundred lots develop into row houses. And so we are down to nine hundred houses. Let's say they increased in value because Of the price increase because of the build building the more dense houses go up to 750,000. We have a hundred developments in row houses with about 2.4 million, gives 240 million, and 500 of the single-family houses let's stay the same, but they reduce a little bit in value because of the row houses, and 1.85 million gives a tax base, uh gives a total value of 1.84 billion, and let's say the city budgets increase by 10%, A because of more population, B because of inflation, then the rate goes to 0.005978. And that actually then increases. The tax for the houses for the small bungalows. And um but the the so it's not that if things are developed that it is just a one-to-one. So let's say I'm paying $4,000 on tax, now it becomes a raw house and suddenly it's $24,000. So it it always the mill rate adjusts based on what the city says they need. Right. So I think right now with what was communicated the other day was 8.1%, mainly because of the increases in property in province taxes. But it's on the value of the total houses. So it's not that if they're developing it suddenly there is more money in the covers of the city. I just wanted to clarify that for the public record, that that's not the case. Difficulty here in that example is like fixed income people that live in a bungalow, if they wanna stay there, they may get actually priced out of it because of the increased value of the bank bungalow because of the redevelopment of some of the lots. Yeah. Yeah. And and then they are forced. Or like let's say my my example to say we need to limit to a certain number of houses in an area, like I feel for the people in Boness. You know, it's like I don't and it's it's rolling and and and it's kicking out the people that may live there for 40-50 years and would love to stay there, but they just can't do it anymore. Yeah, yeah, fair. No, this is that's great. Thank you for that explanation. Um a lot of your notes and your presentation, uh, and you I think mentioned this are sort of like a focus on the after. So you talked about how the the pieces of changes to RCG that is currently before us. Um is there anything in what you listed that you think needs to be front-ended as a part of this up this current conversation? Or do you think I'm gonna be diving into this these notes and your presentation uh after the fact uh as well? But is there anything in here that needs to be a part of this conversation and cannot come with that continued iteration in terms of like inner city development and RCG? So in general, I like all the proposed ones that were published. Yeah. So as communicated, but let's say in that case, uh I have also the information from the community association. So let's say what was communicated through the community association was the front setback. Right. As a big one, lot coverage. And we do like the three by three three plaques idea as well with less units. Yeah. We do understand if that's a problem for the developers, that we may need to do some work to make that more attractive. Right. And like those things would be much better. And but what from my perspective, in from my suggestions, what one one thing would be, and I don't know how much the city can do though, would be introducing something like hard to go again. And the the I I also not familiar how the technicalities and in uh charging the levies. So the levies make the development more expensive. Maybe we can work on reducing costs somewhere else in the development process to kind of offset for them. But it's not fair to say there are going to be 10 row houses going up in an area. And then suddenly it reaches capacity for the water and sewer. Now the city needs to build a bigger water and sewer line and then say the eleventh development needs to cover the cost for that. And that's my understanding how it was operated so far. Yeah. So do a levy also from my perspective also charge a levy in greenfield development for improvements to improve Glenmore Trail, Pro Child Trail, expand public transit, buy city buses, operate transit. Like one of the things what is also discussed with densifying in transit areas gives one big problem. It's like those areas get more people, so they become more attractive and more cost efficient to have the transit. But other areas that don't have any transit right now don't get developed because they're not attractive. And uh and then they don't get any transit. So remember that there was the example in down in Kensington, West Tillhurst, that the densification brought the grocery store there Right. and other businesses. Yeah. So if we have other areas in the Bunies that don't get densified, then it does not become attractive to get a restaurant, to get a neighborhood grocery store or a convenience store or anything like that. So it's a catch 22. If we do it one way or if we do it the other way, it's all have their drawbacks and benefits. Appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. And one thing maybe the what to say is like two years ago the single use item bylaw was repealed. If you repeal it when does it gonna come back? Like I have no i I don't hear any discussion about a single use by it and bylaw. From my perspective it was not the greatest one, but repealing it was not a good thing either. Yeah, it it's whether whether you then take it on in terms of reform. Appreciate that perspective. Thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Yeah. Thank you, Councillor Shaboba, please. Ms. Elder. He's no longer in the chamber, right? This is a disembodied voice. Okay. Yeah, sorry about that. I will be back down here shortly. Did you look at any of the proposed amendments under recommendation number four about the the the rules around the district specifically? I I consider them to be all I mean, I advocate I'm advocating for a straight up repeal because I think that any considerations around what anything might look like in the future would need to be a part of a new process. Okay. So so you're suggesting we should revisit all of the LAPs as well? Yes. Okay. Um yeah, no, that's pr that's uh very uh concise uh uh presentation you made and very very s to the point. Thank you for that. Um so the the next person I want to ask, I think is uh was Miss McNaughton. So um yeah, kind of a unique perspective considering you're a millennial and uh um insofar as the um the uh the concept around density, yeah, it sounds like you're not overly keen about density specific in your community. Or is there s some places that you think that it could be supported through if there was another process through an LAP that identified areas within your community that could be supported by the community? Um yeah, I'm not against densification. I think that it's it's needed. I think it can be a really good thing. Um what I don't like is that it looks like Houses like mine, 70s homes, are just targets for developers, and I would like to see other families like mine, young families, move into these older houses that are maybe fixer-uppers, and that should be encouraged. As far as densification, I'm not a city planner, but if somebody came in and said, you know, here are the parts of the community where we would recommend a strip of town homes or whatever that looks like, I would be on board. There was a group of female architects that were speaking on Monday, and they were incredibly articulate. They had really interesting ideas for how densification could look and be really appropriate. Yeah, I I was very interested in that. I almost had my mind changed about the full repeal, but um I don't think the sort of the middle of the road plan is quite formulated right yet. But um no, I think with the right plan in place I could definitely um be into some higher density in my neighborhood as long as the sort of planning comes first. Okay, thanks for that. Um, Ms. McGregor. So you're also of the same opinion. Full repeal, no thoughts around the district. I can't r I can't recall. I I was trying to log in. I was having some issues with my technical stuff here, so I'm not sure if I heard your full presentation, but Okay, well what I said was full repeal. I mean I know there's been amendments and I think some of them are are good and worthy and would be worth um implementing but there are others that I think require some conversation and some engagement. So it's hard like if you're voting on all of them, it's it's kind of tricky because I think there's some that still require some engagement. Um and your thoughts around uh revisiting local area plans and looking at something more focused, uh strategic? I think Your thoughts around that? we would need to do that, yes. Okay, thanks. All right, no, thanks uh all of you for being here and for your presentations. No further questions for me. Thanks. Thank you, uh Councillor McClain, please. Thanks. I'll be brief as well for Miss Elder. Just to echo um Councillor Chabot's comments, I thought you it was a very thoughtful presentation, Sarah. I I had asked the previous presenter once who had changed their mind of their last presentation, but you articulated already. So I guess my question is then how are you finding it with other people that are still really stuck in that we have to have blanket rezoning of those conversations? What would you say to them or what have you said to them and are you successful in changing any minds? I I think that examples, real world examples are the best way to and stories are the best way to engage people. It's not necessarily I don't like to think about it starting from a point of changing their minds. It's more about like how can I bring them along? Um And that's, you know, something that I've learned over the last five years in particular. Um, and so people don't want to be told that they're wrong. That's the worst way to start a conversation. So finding common ground, um, talking about what matters. So, say I'm talking to someone else who has family of a family or young children as well, talking about, you know, what kind of street they would like them to be able to live on, right? Um, or if maybe they have aging parents, thinking about um what their plans are. Um those are the ways to start conversations around this. I think it's also very visual. Um, people, you know, I think that the the and you've heard this many times, is that the the the trust between Calgarians and and the city and administration was was really not I mean broken but e frayed. Was really challenged. Um, and so rebuilding that repla relationship is really key, and how that happens is really important. Otherwise, we could end up in the same place in four years. And I don't think that's the best use of your time or everyone who's presented, and we've sat on the phone and and tried to engage such detailed presentations, the equations, um, all the spreadsheets. Um, people really care about this. So I think we when we start it from a perspective of we all care about building the best city possible, what does that look like to you? It was really good. That's all I have. Thanks. Thank you. And that concludes this panel. We're gonna go to our next that was assembled, and it's Michael from 98, Samuel from 53, and then Beverly and Aaron. And I didn't catch your panels, so please approach those four names. Beyond those four names, is there anybody else here in the chamber who is looking to speak? Okay. Come on down. You'll be our fifth panelist, and then I'll go back to calling uh specific panels. Oh. We are tight on tightish on quorum, folks. Got two, four. Oh. All right, we have some books online, so we're I'm guessing Barricorn. No, two, four, six, seven. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Don't leave the chamber. Let's just establish that. All right, uh, Mr. Clerk, I believe we have We got two, four, six, eight, ten online, ten including online. Okay. Yeah, that the the challenge is with the new podiums I can't uh maintain eye contact like I used to be able to. All right, uh with that panel, let's please start with Michael. Yeah, it's a lot of work keeping track of quorum. It's more like hurting cats. Just kidding. And the public aren't the cats, so. Alright, uh go ahead. Sorry, I digress. Thank you. Uh hello, Mayor and Council. My name is Michael Strojikov. It's really great to be here again and see you all. I enjoy working, walking, and playing music at events all across the city, but I am based in Ward 13 in Millrise. I'm here to speak against this motion and in defense of the housing strategy. There's 98 points in the housing strategy, and I'm sure you don't need another reminder of them. And I'm going to talk about how removing one of them impacts all. The RCG district was, of course, like all other policies, a compromise in the first place. It's a great idea to improve how we've used it for the past 20 ish months. It's a great idea to work on the details of it that are holding it back in terms of numbers, in terms of the quality of the developments. I think there is a problem. There absolutely is a problem with how the takeup of new info is concentrated. It's a problem that the numbers haven't been high enough either. Um actually the pickings for new RCG are so slim that a lot of folks who are against it are using other zones to illustrated MCG H GO. I guess we should put in more RCG to give them more options. Well, um yes, it was expected that Greenfield and Brownfield would still be the majority of our housing starts, and that's how it's panned out, of course. But that does not mean that we can't refine what we're doing. We can add modifiers for setbacks and lot coverages and FARs for a lot of different contexts. We can put incentives or kickbacks on projects that protect trees or go further on accessibility. We can publicize the free trees program, the zoning bylaw, even more. We can allow people to plant trees in between the sidewalk and the street. There's so much we can do. If we'd like to highlight and activate transit corridors, we can upzone them in order to show our commitment to that. We can put HGO or we can put a modified MU1 along all transit corridors as long as we actually mean it and include collector streets and all bus routes and that, not just a few frequent routes. Connect and to solve the challenges that we're facing. There are things that we can learn from this experience of the past 20 months as long as we understand the development will still happen under downzoning or replacement. We can't repeal densification or population growth. It will happen anyway. All that we're working on is the gradient of the development. If we hide from the numbers of the units we need to add instead of treating adjustments as a trade-off, pressures on other types of housing are just too high. How do we make up for all the potential sites that non-market providers lose, that people who want to start a co-op lose? You know, Indigenous-led projects, seniors projects. Where do all of those units go? They go towards higher density in places where it's already high. In places where TOD projects are extremely difficult and expensive, both for the city and for the for the developer to pass. They're still tall, they're still controversial, still very difficult. Of course, our repeal would hit our economy and health too. Our city budget and services, the millions of dollars we used to spend in council time to make low density infill more expensive and more scarce, it wasn't just an unwise use of money. It distracted us from the basic responsibilities of council. Maintaining infrastructure, making sure that we are prepared for different risks, making sure that city policies are actually being enacted. The water restrictions right now are a blunt object lesson on the economies of our basic resources because they don't care about our political positions. They don't care if we voted for a tax freeze, we voted to uh cut services and cut maintenance, or if we're one of the 80s, if we're a part of the 80 to 90 percent that didn't vote for that in this past election, no one is fully insulated from the consequences of restrictive zoning, and we cannot go back to that and the risks that go with it. And there's rewards for getting together and making the wise choice, even if it is not seemingly that popular among the people who are very active. There is a reward. For saving water, we can see right now we can get maybe we can get our ducks in a row over there. Uh we can we can have that group shower. We can uh yeah and we can also I know I'm running out of time, but we can build a city that works for everybody if we just work together better. Thank you. All right, thanks, Michael. Alright, thanks. I think there's only room for two in that. We'll go to Samuel, then Beverly after that, please. Oh, in whatever order you guys would like. Uh he asked me to go first. Uh I'm on Penel 103. My name is Beverly Redman. I own in Ward 6th. I am in favor of repealing the blanket rezoning bylaw. I am a senior and am an affected land landowner. I rented a variety of properties for decades prior to my husband and I purchasing our home in Signal Hill 25 years ago. I want a full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw. No amendments. Amendments will not fix this. You need to reinstate the last version of the land use bylaw before the blanket rezoning bylaw. Calgary has already exceeded the HAF Housing Accelerated Funding Supply Growth Target. Reengage with local area plans, improve the local area plan process, let communities decide where it is best to have higher density in their area. You can incorporate some good ideas from past presenters. If you campaigned that you were for repealing Blake and rezoning, then keep your word and start creating some trust in City Hall. For existing homeowners, large bills, shade, any garden. Make their trees and bushes less likely to thrive under privacy disaster. More housing does not increase affordable housing. Perhaps insist a quarter of the bills be below market value. The government-funded CBC is good at publishing information in line with what the federal government wants us to believe, not what is accurate. According to a journalist, they have not been fact-checking for years. They have tried to brainwash us into believing there is a climate emergency. We need to rescind any international contracts that we may be in, such as Partners for Climate Protection, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and other groups aligned with the UN, WHO, and WEF groups. We did not elect them and we don't want the cost of collecting data for them. On the City of Calgary site, there is a climate strategy that speaks to need low carbon climate resilient housing types to support net zero goals. All Canada's trees have already made Canada net zero. Data shows that we are not as warm as the medieval warm period around 1000 AD or the Roman warm period around 200 AD. And yes, we are warmer than it was during the Little Ice Age in the 1600s and any other ice age. Climate moves warmer and cooler, warmer and cooler, warmer and cooler. Many dire warnings about catastrophic global warming did not occur. As an example, all coastal cities are not underwater as predicted. Predictions are based on computer models, not actual data. According to Dr. Will Happer, physicist of Princeton University, from the satellite data, these computer models are clearly wrong. They don't agree with what we observe. They're all running much too hot. They're just nonsense. Man can affect our environment negatively with HARP, high-altitude atmospheric research, but this is nothing to do with the climate. Does the city have a climate emergency plan? Has this city council or past ones embedded net zero targets into long-term strategic plans, infrastructure priority, building codes, and procurement rules? Net zero is nothing less than economic self sabotage dressed up as virtue. Saving the climate by driving electric vehicles is also nonsense. Calgary buying electric buses when Edmonton had so much trouble is ridiculous. They needed two electric buses for one gas powered bus and could not keep the electric buses repaired. We do not have the electric bridge who handle many electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are not very inefficient, are very ineffective and inefficient in many cold and are many cold months, and their excessive weight is very hard on our roads. Government staff ballooned over the past decade. All the departments put together to address climate need to be dismantled and the staff salaries saved for the city and taxpayers. All the DEI staff can also be let go. Supervisors need to be trusted to choose the best candidate for the job. In summary, full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw. No amendments, and reinstate the last version of the land use bylaw before the blanket rezoning bylaw. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. Thank you. Can we go to Samuel next? Nope. Alright. He's not quite ready. He's not quite ready? Perfect. Alright, we'll go to Aaron. Okay. Hi. My name is Aaron Redman, and I'm uh live in the same place as Beverly. Um and number six, wherever that is, of Signal Hill. Okay, um, there have been a lot of cogent arguments brought forward against blanket rezoning debacle, debacle, I mean, none of which carried water with the former mayor and council, despite over 80% of us being against the policy. Another of the quote climate emergency policies pushed by you know who. It may surprise you to notice I'm also against that, and all the climate based policies that our woke pseudo government has passed in the past 20 odd years. A little about the roots of this terrible plank upzoning. In nineteen forty eight, when Al Gore was born, there were a hundred and thirty thousand glaciers on Earth. Today, just seventy five years later, there are only one hundred and thirty thousand glaciers left. Oddly, the same number. In the 1960s, we were we will told we were told all the oil will be gone in ten years. In the 1970s, it's another ice age in ten years. 1980s, acid rain will destroy all the crops in ten years. 1988, the ozone layer will be gone in ten years. 1990, the ice caps will be gone in ten years, and all of our coastal cities will be underwater. None of these fear mongering scenarios happened. However, all of them resulted in more taxes. And lastly, unprecedented climate change has caused the sea level at Sydney Harbor to rise approximately zero point zero centimeters over the last hundred and forty years. Everything from climate change to soji, from overpopulation to COVID to monkeypox, to you name it, it's all been baseless fear-mongering by various groups who keep trying to control all of humanity to the nth degree. For example, the captured UN agencies like ICLE, now called Local Governments for Sustainability, and FCM and Agenda 21, Agenda 2030, the whole control mafia of the WEF and the WHO. That is why we have a war on cars now, an exponential increase in bike lanes and traffic calming measures, aka traffic frustrating measures. Every one of these emergencies have done absolutely nothing but try to install a totalitarian and tyrannical control over every one of us and every aspect of our lives. Blanket up zoning, climate emergency are all a fraud and a farce. A way to herd the citizens into a totally surveilled and controlled C40 or 15-minute city so that we can be controlled like sheep and culled like cattle. Why do you think that N, D, and G have ignored basic maintenance for years in order to spend our money on their far left, read Communazi, pet projects? This has not been done by mistake. They have consciously on purpose allowed our infrastructure to decay because it will cause us to fall into their pockets out of frustration and bow down to their idiocies just to have a crusty dry bread of eat dry piece of bread to eat. The programs of the UN and the WHO and their masters, the Chinese Communist Party and the WEF, are implementing their plans for world domination. At least a large part of the reason that these so-called climate action goals sound good is because actions that could be seen as positive in some ways have been appropriated by negative and authoritarian and bad actors to force people into their dystopian vision of the world. It's all about control. Yes, these programs are free to join, but the resulting costs of up to $87 billion. They are not liable for. You, as mayor and counselors, and ultimately us as citizens will be liable for the building of our own open air prison in Calgary. The WHO, the UN, the WF will not pay a cent for this. This is just like Kearney's underhanded, illegitimate fakery. We will have to pay for it long after he's gone. We need to get out of these idiotic, woke, and destructive policies now. Blanket up zoning is just another one of them. I need to add something about net zero. Hopefully, you have seen the havoc this has caused in Europe, with Germany now forced to return to burning coal due to their so called wind and solar powers collapsing. This plan, pushed aggressively by Carnage, is the next step in the spree the woke government is continuing. Carbon dioxide is necessary to life. Bringing it down will do nothing to mitigate climate change, but will cause much hardship and death among us. Thank you so much. You're you're just at time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts. Okay, well I only had one sentence left. Huh. Put blanket rezoning into the garbage along with all the other so called climate emergency we've been fed. Thank you for listening. Thank you so much, Aaron. We'll ask our next presenter to please approach. Thank you. Hello, Council, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today. My name is Gregory Scott Finney, and I live in Ward 8, Lincoln Park, in particular. I'm here today to say that I oppose the repealing of blanket rezone housing on the grounds that we need to continue to provide a greater supply of housing to the people of Calgary, in particular, affordable housing for economically disadvantaged Calgarians. Secondly, I opposed the repeal of blanket rezone housing on the grounds that when I spoke on the issue at the last public hearing, I had read the literature of other cities that had successfully adopted similar policies, like Auckland in New Zealand. On April 1st, 2024, Ricky Lang wrote a column in the Calgary Sun in which he drew attention to the fact that Auckland had, and I quote, upzoned about 75% of its land in 2016. End of quote. He later stated in the same article that, and I quote, it's still too soon to gauge the long-term impact on lofty home prices, but it seems rents in Auckland rose more slowly than the New Zealand average. Thirdly, I oppose the repeal of blanket rezone housing on the grounds that I think it would be beneficial to minimize urban sprawl and strive to protect our environment. Fourthly, uh, the Calgary.ca webpage titled Housing Trends shows data in which there has been a drop in all forms of median housing prices since 2024 and a drop in apartment rentals since 2024. And while detached and townhouse rent has gone up since 2024, the general trend is more housing has been attributed and correlated with a greater supply. And while it is true that correlation is not causation, I think that that correlation in the data is significant and needs to be noted. I certainly understand that certain situations require protecting some unique landmarks and historic sites in various places in our great city. The province of Alberta and the city of Calgary does have the option of providing a plaque designation over certain historic sites. Like my great great grandparents, uh Granny and Grandpa Shaver, who died in the early 1960s, they lived on Memorial Drive, and the apartment facility that they lived on is designated by the province of Alberta as a historic site and is still intact. Now, with some of these changes uh that come with blanket rezone housing, uh there's obviously uh you know some pain associated with losing some characteristics. My great grandfather was a World War I veteran and lived at 1140 Memorial Drive. And I spent time on that house growing up in the 80s. And there is a spot where there is a new condo that's there now, and and it was tough to see 1140 go. But I do think that we can go forth with blanket rezone housing, we can review things on a case-by-case basis, and we have the opportunity to give uh designations to certain historic sites and landmark characteristics that are unique to each and every neighborhood. On a concluding note, uh I love the fact that I live in one of the nicest countries in the world, a liberal democracy, and I thank all of you, council, very much for granting me the opportunity to speak. Whether or not we agree or disagree with each other, I think that civility and nuance and respect for democracy is fundamentally important. So thank you, Council. This is uh a wonderful opportunity that you've granted for me today to speak. And on that note, uh GoFlames go. Thank you. Yeah. Thanks, Gregory. Right uh right back at you, buddy. Thank you. I believe we have one more presenter. Please approach. All right. Uh thank you, Mayor, Council, City Hall staff. My name is Samuel. Everyone calls me Sam. I was 28. I was born and raised in Calgary. And uh I want to start by briefly expressing my appreciation for this seven day, now 70 something hour hearing. Uh if the goal of doing all this was to make Calgary's housing crisis a more widely discussed issue in the city, I think it may have succeeded in that regard. Now, how much has it succeeded at everything else? Well, um Look, I've written and deleted pages and pages of thoughts about this over the last few weeks. Ultimately my thoughts on this issue can be boiled down to two six word sentences. The first, perfect is the enemy of good. I am concerned that without a big perfect zoning law on your desks, whether it is something to follow up, blanket rezoning, or something to follow up the appeal of it, the repeal of it, this council will accomplish little on this issue past this vote. It's nothing personal. It's previous experience with politics and politicians. I have some trust issues, let's call it. But whether you vote to repeal or amend, and I feel comfortable assuming many of you on council already have an idea right now of how you're voting on this, since a choice between two options is often very clear-cut. But diluting this to a single yes or no binary vote cuts out a lot of nuance that it's reduced to discussions like this, hours and hours of discussions. Just like diluting this to a single blanket motion also cuts out the nuance. Blanket rezoning last year, blanket repealing this year. Ultimately, two blanket, overly simple solutions to a very complex problem. Blanket thinking is cozy, simple, easy to understand. The housing crisis isn't. So regardless of what the vote ends up being, enough blanket binary, overly simple solutions to this. No more big leaps forward or backward. Small incremental steps are gonna get us where we need to go. So let's pick a direction to steer this ship in and sail. Let's not vote in a way that takes us backwards, ideally. Um The best work you will likely get done on this will not be perfect. It will be completed without big headlines or big speeches or big hearings. And I swear if the next action you take on this requires another hearing like this, you will see me back at this podium again in 2028 or whenever, and I will filibuster. This is a promise and a plead for mercy and a threat. Save us all from this. My bus spent 10 minutes getting stuck repeatedly in snowbanks, getting me here this morning. Do not let history repeat itself. Let's actually move forward from this day. And forward. That's what we're trying to figure out here, isn't it? Whatever zoning system we pick, both will need revisions, both will require more time and energy to make those revisions, both can be a starting point for a larger solution. The question is, will it be closer to where we need to go as a city if we repeal or if we don't? My thoughts on this can be summed up by my other six-word sentence. The cost of community is convenience. We agree Calgary is in the midst of a housing crisis, and something I've heard expressed repeatedly during this hearing from many speakers, including many who want this repealed, is an understanding that density is important. For Calgary to become a more affordable place to be housed and therefore to live, if we don't want to cut services or raise taxes even more, we need to densify. It will be inconvenient, change always is to some degree, but that inconvenience is the cost of our continued services, of our taxes hopefully being lower in the future. The cost of our communities. Renters and small income owners are less concerned with their houses increasing in value than they are being able to afford to pay rent or mortgage or property taxes, in addition to everything else they need to pay for today. And I say this: I grew up in a single family house. My parents moved into it when I was two years old. I know how good it is to live there, how comfortable it is. But where did they live before? A condo. And they lived in apartments separately before that. And convert houses and types of housing that are all in short supply in the city today. It seems like it isn't, because it's easy for flashy, well funded, big developer complexes to stand out in Calgary's vast sea of predominantly single family houses, but My par it it doesn't. And my parents did not jump from living with friends or family directly to buying the house I was raised in because they couldn't. When I was born, they lived in a condo. Because yes, they wanted a black backyard to afford to use when they moved, but they also couldn't afford to make that direct jump. Uh I'm I know I'm at time. Re blanket repealing blanket rezoning may take Fortunately, you're at time. I'm gonna conclude the panel, but I'm gonna throw myself in to ask you a question. Okay. Wait, what else did you have to say? Um just to state repealing blanket rezoning may take away power from larger developers with the power and capital to reshape communities to their will, but returning to the old zoning system will also actively hinder smaller local developers chapping smaller projects and will throw those babies out with the bathwater. That's it. Thank you. Uh as a follow on that, uh uh thanks for being here, Samuel. I think your presentation was a real standout for me today. Can I ask your thoughts on you you bore witness to many people in the public who think that the previous decision around the bylaws, as it was approved by the previous council. hasn't struck the right balance. What what elements of compromise would you be willing to see? Uh local area plans are a good idea, especially when there's neighborhoods that have the people and the capital and the time to make good plans and put those into place. Not all do. Um and those communities could certainly use a step up, maybe larger uh help or or assets from the city, um in what exact way, who's to say? Uh but Kind of a combination plan. I think about the flood wall that was put up along Memorial Drive, along Memorial Drive and along the Bow River after 2013. That was done incrementally. That was done a section at a time. And it was not passed in a big uh like build in a gigantic flood wall bylaw or or motion or piece of funding. It was done singular projects at a time and by councils that put the time in to do stuff that would be larger than the scope of uh a four year term. And because of that, today we have uh a big almost almost completed flood wall along downtown, along memorial, that will hopefully stop f that from being done. That's a piece of infrastructure I value and that was something that was done incrementally instead of with a blanket. Then are are you, to be clear though, are you arguing for a repeal and then build up through local area plans? So to be clear, the Again, whichever spot we we end up being after this next vote, we're going to have to amend and adjust and tweak whatever zoning system we end up with. So the question ends up being which one gets us closer to where we want the city to be in the future? My personal argument is the current one is closer. Let's start there. Neither of these are perfect, both have drawbacks, but if we want a starting foundation, let's put the time in on this thing that was already passed and make it better. Thank you for being here. I'll go to my colleague, Councillor Dallowell, please. Thank you, Mayor. I think some of my questions you already asked. I just want to touch on this first, very first statement you made perfect is enemy of good. Yes. Put it in the context of where we are, where we were, where we want to go. What is good, what is perfect. So Imperfect is the is the current housing crisis, imperfect is the current uh the current blanket rezoning system. I'm I'm comfortable saying that. I I will advocate for it and I do not want it repealed, but it is imperfect. Uh it does need it does need fixing. Um But again, perfect perfection has a has a an element of paralysis that comes from it. It's an element of of unneeded stress and time and There's no perfect system that everybody will be happy with. Repealing it will make people who own property have the luxury of owning property that uh appreciates in value. It'll make them happy, I'm sure. Uh and keeping this current law and not repealing it will make people maybe it might make larger developers happy. If you want to rein in that power, I'm sure that's a middle ground solution that can exist. Um missing middle is another term. I think that can apply to houses like condos, like the condo my parents lived in before they had me and moved. Um and it can also apply to a missing middle ground between a city council doing nothing and doing a big thing that gets a lot of headlines and attention and probably uh helps get your names out there for the next election cycle. Um, but the stuff in the middle is not going to have as much of that. But I have a feeling it's going to be where the most meaningful and the work that uh appreciates and and ages the best long term done is going to be done in the middle, done in smaller councils, done on local or neighborhood levels, and done in amending a current imperfect set of laws instead of doing a big sweeping motion like a dramatic like like sweep everything off the desk kind of motion. It'll draw a lot of that that draws less eyes, but it's better. Yeah, it's gonna be hard to get to that perfection, even repeal or not repeal. Yeah. But then you also made a very interesting comment. Pick a direction, steer, and sail in that direction. That means if it f hypothetically, if this is repealed and we revert back to pre-June 2024, you think stick with it and just sail in the right direction? Uh and are you of the opinion that still home is here's strategy, keep supporting 90, whatever action items, especially the non-market housing sector that creates right affordable housing? Okay, so now we're we're getting in that's interesting. We're getting into an issue of like I think what this has kind of turned into like a proxy issue for is like what direction is best for the city to go in. Uh again, there was a uh the the comment about uh density versus taxing versus services was largely uh like there was a a graphic put up by a speaker on an earlier panel today that I think summed it up perfectly. Uh it's pick two uh or or one, which is do we want services to be maintained? Do we want our taxes to be maintained or lowered? Uh, or do we want low density? We can't have all three. It is not. Financially affordable for the city to do that. So picking a direction means picking two of those and then making yes, perfect. There it is. So let's pick two and embrace what is necessary in the middle for those two to exist. If we want stable services, if we want tack like taxes to be lowered, I know they just went up uh literally yesterday, then we need we need more density. It's a better idea for a city long term. And the inconvenience of living in denser neighborhoods will be canceled out by the convenience of continuing to have stable services and hopefully rents and property taxes all going down in the future. This is a a marathon, not a sprint. Yeah. No great. Thank you for answering all the questions. Great presentation. Please don't wait till twenty twenty-eight to come back. Twenty twenty-seven November we're gonna fix our four year budget cycle. We want you there because we don't want our buses to be stuck. Snowfall. I'll put it in. Thank you, Councillor. Thank you for your presentation. Thank you. All right, I believe that concludes our questions for this panel. Thank you so much uh for being here with us. Thank you, everyone. Yeah. Colleagues, it looks like our we are about 30 minutes out. So I'm gonna attempt to squeeze another panel in if you're good with that. All right. Do we have anyone with us in the chamber who is here to speak but hasn't had a chance to? Yeah. Come on down. Both here. And now we will go we'll attempt to get some folks in from uh who might be on the line. I didn't give a chance for those who are calling in from panels hundred and above. So is there anyone who is on the line? Panel 91. And Andrew Weldon on 911 M106. Wait, I'm I'm calling right now just for panels 100. Okay, please stand by folks. I'm going, I'm asking for panels specifically 100 or above. So if you're 100 or above, uh, could you please chime in with your name? Yes. Robert Curry, 106. Robert, is that you? 106? Yes. One oh one Sylvia Kowalevsky. Great, Sylvia. So I've got Sylvia and Robert here. Is there anyone else from 100 or above? 109, Cheryl Rigger. I think I heard 109 Cheryl. Yes. Okay, I'm going with uh Robert, Sylvia, and Cheryl, and the two people who are here uh with us in the chamber as our next panel. All right. I'm on 1092, uh, Rachel Lee. I'm sorry I didn't catch you and Rachel. Unfortunately, we have about 30 minutes, and the the panel that I just selected is gonna run us the 30 minutes until we go on our break. But they'll I'll be calling again uh once we return after that break about 3 45. Okay, I'm 109 as well, so should I just call back in at about 345? Yep. My name's Kelly Hornick. Yes, uh if you if you're not the the two gentlemen with us in the chamber, or Robert, Sylvia, or Cheryl, I definitely will not be calling your n calling for more people before any time before uh 3 45 for at least an hour from now. Probably I'll call back then. Yeah, thank you so much. Thanks everyone for your patience. I know this is a very unwieldy situation for us. So let's hear then from the two people with us in the chamber. Please approach. Hello. Thanks for letting me speak. My name is Christopher Leslie. I'm from panel ninety three, and I'm speaking against the repeal. I'm a renter in Crescent Heights in a single detached home. And I'm coming from sort of a war zone fallout from this RZ RCG rezoning, actually. The lot next to mine has been slated to be redeveloped and was actually approved to put a four plaque with basement suites in. And it's interesting watching like really lovely, kind neighbors become quite aggressive over the situation. Apart from, you know, most everyone does the talking about parking thing, where are we gonna park? Where are we gonna park? It's like there's plenty of parking on the street. There really is. But then it's gone as far as as I had someone say that our neighborhood's gonna turn into a slum if that housing project was approved. Um ironically, that person about two weeks later said they were then thinking about redeveloping their bungalow, uh, which is a little interesting. Uh But yeah, this I'm kind of hoping to paint a picture of something that's pretty frightening for people that might be in favor of rezoning in higher density. Is you know, we see our neighbors that are, again, really kind, lovely neighbors, but they get so ignited on this that we're even afraid to speak up to them. I mean, uh I'm for that hearing on that, I know it was appealed and everything, and my neighbor was collecting signatures and everything, and I didn't want to piss my neighbor off, so I didn't tell her what I thought. Um, but I guess now I can share my opinion. Now that I'm even even more public form, right? Um my opinion is that Crescent Heights is a fantastic neighborhood. It's a fantastic inner city neighborhood, and an inner city neighborhood needs inner city amenities, and the way that we can achieve that is by having density. Greater density leads to more neighbors, more people around, supports the businesses better. Um, we can have a center street that's more lively, an Edmonton Trail that's more lively, and all that. Um yeah, actually just the I said this morning when I was writing it, but that was like four days ago. But on Monday morning I was driving a friend to the airport and we were talking about the zoning and he was like, yeah, I kind of agree with you, but I've been afraid to say anything because I'm I'm afraid of alienating my friends. Um Anyway, this past year has filled me with a lot of hope for living in Calgary, a lot of optimism. Seeing rent prices stabilize and seeing housing prices stabilize as a whole, it's really optimistic. It's like, oh, one day maybe I could buy a house here, that'd be awesome. But then with us looking to repeal this, it kind of calls into question that optimism. It's like, are we gonna see the housing options in my future be limited to single detached? And am I gonna be priced out of eventually buying a home here? I think it's really important that we listen to people that are current renters, younger generations that are current renters, not yet homeowners, that have this looking down, they're looking down this precipice of homeownership and their hopeful future. And RCG is something that takes us closer to that. You know, the ability to purchase a townhome, the ability to purchase a condo in a neighborhood other than just the belt line. Like, right? I want my neighborhood to be cool too, like all those other cool places that have density. Um, yeah, so in conclusion, I mean RCG is not perfect, right? It kind of feels like we took two steps forward, maybe a step sideways. But instead of just taking this step sideways back and recorrecting the course on how to do density more meaningfully, um, I think retracing all of our steps in that process is just setting us back too far, and then we're gonna be right back where we are having a two week hearing or three week hearing to figure out what's next after the repeal. Um so please don't repeal it. Okay, that's all I have. Thanks. Thanks so much, Christopher. We'll ask our next presenter in person to please approach. Hello, Mayor and Council. My name is Ruben Vandermullen from Panel 96. Um, I live in Sunnyside in Ward 7. Sunnyside has a mix of housing types, including many missing middle housing styles. It also has wonderful parks, plenty of trees, excellent transit access, and low crime rates. Its median household income is 30% lower than the city on average. Providing housing across the spectrum creates a strong neighborhood whose character is defined by its people, not its building form. This city has a funding problem. We have an ever-growing long-term infrastructure maintenance deficit, service dilution, and a political environment that makes meaningful property tax increases all but impossible. Many of the people championing this repeal also oppose tax increases and service cuts. Improving density and making it much easier to do so in a low-impact way is the easiest way to begin tackling our ever-growing future funding shortfalls. Adding to our infrastructure base instead of making better use of our existing infrastructure is what is being proposed, and it worsens the problem. The inflexibility of the proposed elimination of blanket rezoning prevents property owners from doing what is best for this city, creating buildings and improving existing ones to meet Calgary's needs. There are a lot of voices in favor of a small scale approach to intensification that allows higher density where it is needed. Giving property owners the ability to decide what housing style is right for them is the smallest scale approach to incremental change possible. The best areas of this city are places that were built through incremental change. There was no LAP or master plan with strict zoning that brought about Kensington or Inglewood. They're a product of a development pattern that would be impossible to replicate under a modern zoning structure. Cities are ecosystems, and allowing change only as part of a master or local area plan makes them unable to change to meet the dynamic needs of the people living in them. Where we can build, what we can build, and how much parking we need are simple decisions that Calgarians can make for themselves without government intervention. Homogeneous housing brings about a homogenous community demographic. We are a diverse city, but demographics are largely isolated. A lack of integration between racial and socioeconomic groups allows societal problems, service inequity, ignorance, and a lack of empathy to fester. This is not an accident. Single use zoning was created for this purpose. Controlling where density occurs creates social division and perpetuates segregation. I hope that as a city we can realize our past mistakes and continue moving forward instead of moving backward. R1 zoning results in a market where the inefficient land use of detached houses does not have to compete with more efficient land uses, artificially limiting their land value and property tax bill. Single family homes are the most expensive form of housing for the city to service, and limiting their property tax liability is only in the best interest of those that can afford single family homes, at the expense of those who can't afford one or choose to live in a more efficient housing form. Parking minimums similarly limit the use of land. The availability of vast swaths of free parking in the city is caused by such an excess of parking supply that its value is almost completely worthless, despite the massive potential that this space represents for the city. I also want to address the issues of consultation, community input, and LAPs. Landowners should not have to appease their neighbors when deciding what housing form is needed to meet their needs. I'm a member of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Planning Committee, and the amount of cost and effort I see developers and landowners expending to gain the approval of members of the community, adhere to every heritage guideline in the LAP, and ensure the accommodation of all neighbors who feel the need to voice their opinions is ridiculously wasteful. Restricting zoning worsens these problems we are facing. The limited amount of control that landowners are allowed to exert in developing their own property is an ongoing disappointment to me. The privileged people who have the time to involve themselves in these processes seem not to care about the tens of thousands of dollars they are costing their neighbors who are just trying to build housing, not to mention the additional administrative burden that taxpayers bear. Another cost burden for entrance to the housing market is housing plus transportation. Most people do not receive an annual car allowance of $9,400. Driving is by far the most expensive transportation option, costing the most personally and the most societally. But many of the costs are externalized or subsidized. Parking minimums mean that thousands of dollars in parking is included in the annual cost of rent, groceries, and property taxes, raising the cost of housing and food even for those who don't drive, while lowering the cost of car ownership. Pollution and road costs are externalized as well. Those who contribute more to these problems often pay less property tax. Calgary has been on a path of suburban sprawl, transportation inequity, and socioeconomic segregation for many decades. Correcting our trajectory will not be easy, fast, or often popular. Base RCG zoning is a tiny step in the right direction. It is incredibly important that this positive change for the future of Calgary and for Calgarians is not rescinded. Please vote against the repeal of blanket rezoning. Thank you. Thank you so much. We will now move to Robert on 106, then Sylvia on 101 after that. Please go ahead, Robert. Dear Mayor and Council and Mayor and Council, thank you for conducting this hearing and wanting to provide good governance. I am representing myself and I've taken it on to represent all concerned senior citizens who lack adequate funds, health, time, or experience in these matters to represent themselves or to obtain representation to protect their rights as owners and renters. I approach you as a senior, born and raised in Canada. I am a parent, a grandfather, a retired civil municipal engineer, project manager, a past visitor to Calgary, and a resident of Calgary for the second time in my life. I support those presenters that have come before you calling for a complete repeal. Of the current blanket rezoning, no amendments. More thoughtful and fair zoning changes and city administration are required to go forward in fairness and equity. At the heart of the technical governance issues before us are tensions regarding Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canadian values. Canadian values embrace multiculturalism, diversity, equality, human rights, fairness, social responsibility, duty, safety, democracy and peace, politeness and stewardship, rule of law, a social fabric supporting public health and education. My wife and I are retired seniors with health and mobility issues. We purchased a single family house located in Northwest Carligary in September of 2020. We feel very vulnerable and singled out by the city of Calgary. We have much less energy that comes with advanced age, especially to engage in conflict with the city and its financial and legal resources. From my perspective, I think that our city governance has not only singled out residential owners with additional property tax burden, but they have also degraded with increased population density. The lifestyles and investments of residential owners and renters, and the enjoyment of their property and neighborhoods. You only need to look at the recent crowding at BAM to see the negative effects of allowing business interests to have priority and special treatment. The enjoyment of Banff past is forever being lost by to the majority of Albertans and Canadians. Additional blanket rezoning adds a lot of financial and environmental uncertainty and loss of independent living, a form of enslavement, as is city governance our masters or our servants? I am concerned with and oppose the obligation to surrender our property and Canadian citizenship rights to business interests when the city of Calgary does not appear to have looked at other alternatives to secure federal funds for increased residential housing. Shopping malls, vacant properties, and light industrial properties provide excellent opportunities and advantages for more and denser housing and more energy efficiencies. All that is needed is the talent and the will. Another consideration at play in this drama is the fact that an approval to the new higher zoning density increases the property's value immediately. All that's needed happened for this quick financial gain is for someone to convince or con an approving authority that a higher density zoning andor red tape reduction is needed. The residential housing availability and funding cost problems are not something of our renters or my or other residential owners making. For instance, does Calgary track to make informed decisions, residential housing that sits empty or converted to short term housing, vacancy or rental and owner housing and being renovated? Market and non-market housing types mix their occupancy, location, and cost levels needed for profit or for occupancy. Development satisfying diversity. Thank you, sir. Unfortunately, you're just at time, but uh perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts. Okay, I support Calgaryans and want fairness, affordability, and thoughtful growth. Thank you so much for being here with us. We'll go to Sylvia now and then Cheryl on 109 after that. Please go ahead, Sylvia. Good afternoon, May Parkas, uh members uh of the council. My name is Sylvia Kowalevsky, uh panel one oh one. I am a longtime resident of San Andrews Heights in Ward 7, and I'm here today in support of repealing blanket rezoning. I'm speaking as a concerned citizen following a recent SDEB decision approving a 10-unit development above my property after three appeals and merit hearing. I believed in the fairness of the process that if 240 residents were opposed and only 11 were in favor, that would matter. Despite this, the applicant was given opportunities to revise their submission, and the final decision was based on box checking new numerical standards and newly implemented bylaws rather than broader community impact. Before I begin, I would like to note that the wording in favor has been confusing for many residents. When we are discussing something as important as the future of our communities, clarity really matters. I would like to share several concerns that reflect broader issues with blanket rezoning. Infrastructure. Our infrastructure dates back to the late 1950s. It was not designed for this level of density. It's unclear whether impacts of water, sewer, and electrical systems have been adequately considered. After building permit is issued, unfortunately, residents have no further insight into the project. Safety. During snow melt and freezing conditions, water already flows downfield 13th Avenue Northwest. Without proper design and drainage, increased density can create hazardous for both desert pedestrians and vehicles. Safety should never be compromised by one size fits all approach. Flooding and drainage. This site is not flat. It is on a hill directly above my home. This creates serious concerns about flooding and water runoff onto my property and not only. These are real site specific risks that affect my home and my sense of security. Loss of enjoyment of property. A larger structure above my home will reduce privacy, sunlight, the use of my backyard. I will be looking at a blank wall instead of trees. This directly impacts quality of life and long-term intrinsic value. There are also parking concerns. We live in Calgary with long winters. Biking is not a realistic commuting solution for much longer time of the year. And adding bicycle storage to the project does not solve the problem of the parking. Taken together, these concerns show that blanket rezoning does not account for site specific realities. It assumes uniform conditions across very different neighborhoods and infrastructure capacities. Our communities are not identical grids. They require thoughtful, context sensitive planning. Development is important, growth is important, but it must be responsible and balanced. For these reasons, I strongly support repealing blanket rezoning and returning to a case by case approach that considers local conditions and community impacts. I also have a real real concern about the trust in the current process. Because good planning is not about sitting as much as possible onto every lot. It is about making sure what we build today does not create the problem of tomorrow. And there's a saying if one fails to plan, one plans to fail. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you so much. We'll go now to Sherylon 109 to wrap up this panel. Thank you, Mayor and Counselors, for giving us an opportunity to speak. I'm Cheryl and I'm from Ward 4 in the community of Brentwood. I support repealing the current blanket zoning of RCG and support switching back to RC1. RCG does not respect current contextual single family home areas. It's not appropriate to put an 11 meter high building in an area which is mostly bungalows. Which are largely three and a half to four meters high. The RCG setback rules of three meters is not sufficient. The neighboring home quite often are seven meters back. Three meters will block the view going around corners and will not allow people to be safe when they're crossing the street, and this will lead to more accidents and put pedestrians in harmway. Under the current RCG permit applications, we list properties as four units when it is actually four units and four suites. That is eight units and should be called eight to be clear. By using the smaller number of four instead of eight on a sandwich board and a permit application, it is deceiving a large part of the population who do not necessarily know the nuances of how things are being recorded. Densification is reasonable as long as it's done respectful of the current housing in the neighborhood and done at a reasonable level. Two to four units per lot is reasonable. Eight to twelve is not. The larger units need to be placed in areas that are designed for that density, near local area plans, transit, that type of thing. The current RCG zoning is benefiting developers. If this zoning and random densification continues, prices will continue to be pushed up and Calgaryans will not be able to afford to purchase a single family home. We will not be able to compete with developers. Calgary will be owned by developers and investors, not Calgarians, unless you want to buy one of their suites in their multi unit building. In summary, be respectful of the current context of the neighborhood and the neighbors. Do not put a three story building next to a bungalow. Do not have it stick out significantly further than the existing homes. Do not allow two multifamily structures on one wall. Three or four suites is reasonable. On a standard lot and respect the fact that other people have single family homes and get to enjoy their property as well. Again, let's make sure those larger units of 8 to 12 or what have you are put in areas that fit that amount of development. There's lots of areas in my community that do that, the Northland Mall, the redevelopment at the co op in Dalhousie, University District, Research Park. Again, let's make it contextual. So it's the neighborhood in Glungulos. We're not putting a three storied building right beside a whole bunch of bungalows. Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. That concludes the panel. Let's go to Councillor Atkinson, please. Uh question for Ruben, please. You in your print presentation, I think you said something about um how current zoning couldn't lead to some of our favorite neighborhoods like Inglewood and Kensington. Can you expand on your thoughts around that? Yeah, I think based on the developments that we're seeing in those areas more recently, uh the styles of development with smaller buildings being added on incrementally and upgraded over time is not something that's really feasible under our current approach to zoning and development. The newer buildings that we're seeing have much larger commercial bays in them. So a lot of the businesses that people love in the Kensington area are in buildings that would be infeasible to build in the current day and age, largely because of the I guess the costs, the per development costs. So you need a much larger development in order to absorb those costs, right? Like that's why we're seeing much higher high-rise apartment buildings and much larger commercial spaces. And for these developers that need financial assurance that they're gonna be able to acquire tenant in the base floor of these buildings, they're gonna build spaces that are uh tailored more towards larger corporations, franchises, those sorts of things, right? Um so I think that the the previous from from decades back approach of uh incremental growth uh is is largely lost in the in the current model that we're seeing, in the current development pattern that we're seeing, um, largely because of of the friction and the red tape. And I think too that there is an aspect of uh community engagement too that pushes back on development as well, right? That adds to those costs and that makes it so that smaller developments are less feasible. Yeah. Great. That's great. Thank you for that explanation. And uh for Christopher, please. You kind of started your presentation talking about this division within community that you experience. And it's it's interesting because it's we've been hearing sort of a broader division within community within this hearing, right? But then this hearing is also putting us potentially into a situation where we're going back into land use changes one-on-one, more of a localized, and it was just, I don't know, it wasn't a perspective that I've heard so far. I was just wondering if you could speak to you you also said that you kind of, my understanding is you sort of stepped back, didn't want to sign a petition that was sort of coming around. Just speaking to that experience of the friction that you experience at the micro level versus what we're experiencing in this sort of macro environment. Yeah, for sure. Um so like I said, the the lot next to me was slated for redevelopment to be infilled. Um and then the house on the other side, the the people living there got pretty feisty in it all, um including like the petitions and stuff. It's interesting, like they went around with one of those forms saying, are you in favor or are you opposed? And I didn't want to give her the phone form back saying that I was opposed or in favor of the development right. So I didn't even act on it. And that voice of mine didn't even get in there. But it's like I, you know, my neighbor's a lovely person. I don't want to, I feel like the the on my block is not the place for that bat battle. You know, we shouldn't be having a battle on every block between neighbors of figuring out what to do with the place. I think that's um something that should be figured out here. Right. So you see the like by keeping zoning in place, you're removing some of that friction that happens at the localized level. Is that how why you're sort of speaking? Yeah, 100%. 100%. By yeah, even even with the RC, I I can't imagine how much friction there would be if if everything was so if we were going back to RC one and every single thing required a land loose land use bylaw changed. I mean, yeah, like I heard from a lot of different neighbors, even my landlord, um And, you know, these people really, you know, they they really feel enlivened to share their opinions, which is great. Um, but I'm not gonna tell my landlord that he's, you know, wrong about there not being a place to park or wrong about calling my neighborhood a slum, you know. Like I'm not gonna um disagree with people on that one to one level. Your presentation also has been I've been thinking about some of the presentations we've been having about the different submissions, the volume of submissions for and against, both with the previous hearing and with this hearing, and then how different that is from the engagements, the wider engagements that were conducted around the rezoning by you know the city leading up to that citywide rezoning and by outside polling groups that sort of showed it was actually more of a 50-50 in terms of for and against, quite different than what we actually see in terms of po like public engagement in these places. And I I wonder if you draw any parallels from your experience and sort of being quieter in that space versus what we're also seeing in that disconnect between the larger volume and the loudness of sort of the Folks who are here to sort of say repeal versus the the volume of folks that we're having show up sort of speaking for keeping RCG zoning. Yeah, I mean honestly Hi, just a moment. Can I have general consent to finish this panel before we take the break? Any opposed? Seeing none. All right. Yeah. Please go ahead. To use myself as an example, I wouldn't be here speaking if I didn't have some friends encouraging me to speak that you know that I talk to about this stuff. And like my friend Catherine was like, you know, you should really go speak if that's what you think. And I was like, oh yeah, maybe I should go speak. But yeah, I could easily fill probably two hands of friends that I know that feel similar to me that we should keep the keep the broader zoning, keep the denser zoning, but they're not gonna come in and speak because you know they're either one, they're out of town or or they are afraid of what it means for what their neighbors will think of them. Even now I'm hoping that my landlord's not watching the live stream, you know. I appreciate it. Well, thank you for yeah, sticking your neck out for what you believe. I think it's actually really important that we're having all the voices come and speak. And I actually really wish in some ways we could hear from every Calgary, because I think we we do better when we actually hear from the widest swath and not just necessarily the loudest voices. So yeah, thanks for showing up today. Yeah, thank you. All right, this uh concludes our panel. We're now heading to break time. Colleagues, can I have uh unanimous consent for a 20 minute break instead of 30 minutes, being mindful that we're finishing at six? No? Any opposed to that? All right, Councillor Jameson is opposed. All right, we will be back at uh 3.45. Needs to be faster. Nope. Well, okay, we're we're hot. All right. Uh Mr. Clerk, let's please call the roll. Thank you, Mayor. On the roll, Councillor Schmidt, Councillor Clark, Councillor Chabot, Present, Councillor Ward, Councillor Jameson, Right here. Councillor McLean, Councillor Johnston, Councillor Tyres, Resin Thank you, Councillor Wyness, here. Thank you, Councillor Ewell, Here. Councillor Kelly, Councillor Dollywell, Councillor Pandazopos, Councillor Atkinson, and Mayor Farkas. I'm here. Thank you. Thank you, colleagues. We're resuming our public hearing. Do we have anyone in the audience in the chamber with us who would like to speak? All right, come on down. We have uh two people there. I'm now going to go to folks who are on the phone line. Is there anyone from 100 plus who we did not catch earlier? Um, I'm here on panel fifty-two. Okay, please stand by. I'm just calling uh certain ranges of panels. Uh is there anyone on the line from panels 90 through 100 that we didn't catch? And Andrew Well 93. Sorry, could you Adam Zinatelli, panel 91. could you just repeat that? The gentleman who was on 93? Andrew Weldon. Andrew? Okay. Was there anyone else from 90 through 100? Yes, panel 91, Adam Zinatelli. All right, Adam on 91. Anyone else from 90 through 100? Was there anyone from not panels 90 or sorry panels 85 through 89? Uh eighty nine. Who is that uh just speaking right now? Uh this is Christine Worsher. Eighty nine. Thank you, Christine. You'll be our final panelist for this panel. So we have the two individuals with us in the chamber, then we're gonna have Andrew, Adam, and Christine, and then we're gonna form a panel after that. So we'll start into this panel. Uh Anthony, why don't you join us first? Um before I begin my submissions, um I had the opportunity to write a piece for the Calgary Herald um that addressed in general terms a need for candor and transparency at City Hall. I see my clock's already started, so should I just surrender now? Because it's gonna take me three minutes to get this out to you. I have materials that I want to submit to you. That's why I said before I begin. Oh, for sure. If uh we could provide it, we could we'll pause the clock for just a moment here, but if you have uh printed versions that you'd like to This is why I said before I begin my submissions, hoping the clock would not start. Yep. Just uh please stand by. We'll have the clerk uh we'll uh we can reset your time. Okay. All right, I think we're ready to rock. Thank you, sir. Um Good afternoon, Council. My name is Anthony Cox. I'm a born and raised Calgarian. I've lived in Calgary virtually all of my life, and had opportunities to travel the world broadly and frequently, and had the opportunity to pursue my educational and professional goals. I appear before you holding a bachelor's degree in political science and a law degree. I have my own business. And what I've circulated to council today is two things. It's an op-ed that I wrote and was published in the Herald on March 25th of this year, as well as some excerpts from the Municipal Governments Act, which are pertinent and referenced in the op-ed and by me today. I have three topics that I would like to address today. The first is the potential for conflicts of interest in this matter. The second is the current infrastructure emergency. And the third is the constitutional and contractual protections for funding from the federal government. And I would ask that you ask me about those things. And if there is an indulgence, I also have some submissions I'd love to address regarding the case against haste. I am here to support the motion to fully repeal blanket rezoning, to fully restore the bylaw that existed prior to the bylaw imposed after the 2024 public hearings, and against the replacement by amendment of the current blanket rezoning bylaw. First one is the potential for conflicts of interests. I'm not here to provide legal advice on this topic, but I offer my observations on the conflict of interest uh principles identified in the Municipal Government Act. I'd like to speak to you a little bit about the law and how it affects, drives, and governs this process of proposed rezoning. The column that you have was published in the Calgary Herald, as I mentioned, on the 25th, so last week, 25th of March, and it addressed the notion of candor and transparency for members of council and the application of the MGA, particularly sections 170 sub-1, sub-B, and sections 172.1, sub 1 and 2. Also of interest are sections 172, sub-1, and 174, sub-1, sub-G. I've excerpted these aspects of the MGA and they are before you now. On February 17th, 2026, uh on the matter of the land redesignation for the Augusta Villas development, the mayor and council set the bear set the bar for candor, transparency, fiduciary diligence, and demonstrable leadership in the scrupulous avoidance of conflicts of interest. The mayor, with consultation with legal in this chamber, took what one can consider to be a noteworthy position with respect to the need for council members to be candid and transparent and to scrupulously avoid conflicts of interest in their roles on city council, be those conflicts material, pecuniary, indirect, or perceived. As fiduciaries of and for the city of Calgary and the people they represent, councillors, in my view, must not only do right in their actions as representatives, but must be seen to do right in those actions. Fiduciaries bear a standard of utmost good faith, placing the interests of their constituents and the integrity of their office above and ahead of all personal interests. This is essential to the good governance of the city of Calgary, to preserving integrity and the legitimacy of the city council, its members, and the policies they make, not to mention preserving the confidence of the people of Calgary. In the context of rezoning, uh there is really only one reason for a person to own uh a single uh RC one or what was an RC2 property and that was to house and shelter and raise their family. Correspondingly, uh I don't know if you can see this, I'm putting some things on the overhead. Oh. Oh, and the very able clerks are helping me. Thank you very much. Anyways, there's there's really only uh reasons, three reasons to own more than one residential or RC1 or RT RC2 property, and those are to rent out properties, to hold properties, or to develop properties, properties, summarized collectively as the pursuit of commercial gain, in short, to realize benefit on a pecuniary interest. As fiduciaries of the city of Calgary, uh council must not be in nor be perceived to be in a conflict of interest where they as individuals stand to benefit more or differently than the ordinary Calgarian there to represent. For clarity, this distinction is between ownerships which have a dominant prevailing use as a personal residence and a prevailing use as an inherently commercial revenue generating pecuniary interest. What I will say is there's there's a sample of what can happen when you own more than one. Make no mistake, there is a consequential big money involved in the development of densified inner city housing. When one can turn a single dwelling on a standard city lot uh into four, six, or even eight dwellings on that single lot, each selling for as much or more than the single dwelling it's supplanted, there is materially a pecuniary financial pursuit. So as Councillor, sorry, if a Councillor were to have an interest in a property beyond those that they live in personally, that is eligible. So much you're just at time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts. Uh sure, thank you. So I'll just restart and conclude that sentence worship. If a Councillor were to have an interest in a property beyond the one that they live in personally that is eligible for densified development under an endorsement or facilitation through blanket rezoning, with very limited exception, there is a pecuniary pecuniary interest that should be disclosed prior to public hearing, and an action of utmost good faith should be taken by that Councillor to recuse or abstain. And if I have other things that I'd love to share with you if anyone wishes to hear more about it. Thank you. Don't go far in case uh there may be follow up questions. Thank you. We'll go to our next presenter in person here, please. If you would mind just letting us know your name and panel number. Sure. Hello, my name is Laura Comden, panel 105. Um, thank you for uh giving me this opportunity to speak. As a citizen of Calgary, I live I'm a resident of Ward 9 in Dover. Um I'm a volunteer at the Community Association running a music series in the neighborhood garden. Um, although I'm here today representing myself. Um My take, which I felt was underrepresented, was the against repealing blanket rezoning. I believe it's short-sighted. I really liked Alice Lamb's sentiment and her suggestion to look to the Toronto City Council, who expressed regret with not changing zoning rules sooner. I want to share a story about something that happened last year. It's a bit unorthodox, especially following that gentleman. So bear with me. I was visiting a large American city last year, and when we go to places like New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, we get a special insight into what our potential future looks like. as we are growing rapidly and we can see how their problems may one day be our problems too. Here in the smaller city of Calgary, we have an opportunity to incorporate preventative measures to avoid some of those larger problems that they face. I feel like it's like stepping into a time machine and going back to warn people, if you don't stop, this might happen here. I was on the plain to San Francisco, a city I'd visited many times before, when my friend asked if I'd heard about the crisis they'd been having. It was a protest pooping crisis on the streets of San Francisco. You may have heard of it. In the middle of the sidewalk, in the middle of the day, there was poop all over the city, forcing tourists and taxpayers on their way to work to walk in constant vigilance with their heads down. Every morning and every night, shopkeepers were hosing down the sidewalks for the majority of the downtown. It was the new normal, and this had been going on since 2018. The social services in San Francisco are quite good given the size of the city, but what it comes down to is a severe lack of housing, and a result of that, the social fabric of the city has been torn and no one seems to know how to repair it. They've added trailers in certain areas, they had an app for reporting. They had people on the streets patrolling, and it's and they threw $65 million at the problem last year, and nothing appears to have worked. It's not because it's not fixing the core issue. So because this level of disruption is the only thing that is working to really showcase the many layers of suffering in a system that can't keep up, in a system that sort of perpetuates poverty, it continues. On the last day, I stepped in it, as it was only a matter of time. Um I slipped my shoe off and left it there, like this sort of piece of found art for passerbys to see, and I thought I mean it ruined my day, but it also just changed my view of urban planning completely because I thought about, you know, the mayors and the counselors sitting in their chambers throughout the 90s and early 2000s having no idea of the future of their city and the problems that were gonna come. And what they were making decisions about were housing, about zoning, and they were unaware of all of these problems. So those were the root cause of the problems. So when I hear people talking about not having enough parking spots for their car in front of their house when I like am watching an encampment being taken down at the green space at the end of my street, I fear our priorities are very skewed. If you won't, I feel like if they won't let them build apartments or row houses, then we have to get ready for tents and a loss of dignity for our neighbors. I fear we're not taking into account the domino effect, the negative changes that may occur if we don't do right by our neighbors living paycheck to paycheck. And when the sprawl that we are known for is to blame for much of our crumbling infrastructure and rising property taxes, I see that this isn't even like. Hard to imagine. People have been treating the housing market like a game, which they can profit off for several decades, and I feel like it's catching up. So I thought that if I could come here and paint a picture of a very dystopian experience that I had, that maybe you would see this issue a little bit differently too, and be a little bit more prepared for the long term consequences of what you decide to do. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to Andrew on 93, then Adam on 91 after that. Please go ahead, Andrew. Yes, thank you. Greetings, Mayor and Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Andrew Weldon, and my wife and I have lived in Univers University Heights, which is in Ward 7, since 1987. My understanding is that there are two parts of the motion before council. Number one is the full repeal of the citywide rezoning for housing that was approved by council in May of 24 and came into effect August of that year, called citywide rezoning, and bringing back the low density residential zones that existed prior to the citywide rezoning. For example, if a property rezoned RC1 prior to August 24, then after August 24, that property was designated as RCG. If the motion currently before council is passed, then this property would revert back to the pre August 24 zoning, which is RC1. I am fully in favor of this part of the motion, which is in support of the majority of this council who were elected on their pledge for a full repeal of the citywide rezoning. The second part of the motion, which deals with amendments to the definition of what can be built on a property zoned as RCG, is somewhat more problematic. The primary reason is that these amendments were not discussed in a wholesome manner with Calgarians prior to this public meeting. Whereas I appreciate the council is trying to address certain issues with the rules governing building size, location, and location on the lot, etc., the summary information provided to Calgarians is very superficial and unclear, and this topic requires a more in depth understanding to ensure Calgarians are fully aware of these proposed amendments. I respectfully suggest that these amendments be the subject of a future public hearing after fully engaging with Calgarians. I am, accordingly, against this part of the motion. There have been tens of thousands of volunteer hours spent on providing input on various processes over the last several years, including area redevelopment plans, the guidebook for great communities, and on the current local area plans or LAPs. I suggest that the excellent feedback and input by Calgarians on the LAPs be used as a starting point for any amendments to the RCG building types to ensure that the RCG bills and the bills contemplated in the LAPS are consistent. It was highly disrespectful to those Calgarians who spent so much time and energy and resources in providing feedback and input on the LAPs when the August 24 citywide rezoning rendered most of this work useless as builders could construct an RCG building anywhere in a community without taking into account the building form set out in the LAP. Specifically, I respectfully suggest that the excellent feedback provided by Calgarians to administration on all of the LAPs be reviewed earnestly and honestly by administration to ensure proposed RCG build forms are consistent with Calgarians' feedback on the LAPs. As a final note, it is disheartening to hear of the number of people in the city who are looking for affordable housing. It is equally disheartening to see the city-owned Midfield Mobile Home Park continue to sit empty nine years after the mobile homes were removed. I propose that the city direct administration to investigate the feasibility of having Attainable Homes Calgary install factory built modular homes on this site. The land is there and the services are in. Let's get going. Attainable Homes is in partnership with ECOS structures and could have people living affordably in a very short period of time. I am not associated with either of these entities. As a final final note, I have been very impressed with this council's admirable handing of the water main break, which is a result of decisions made by previous councils, and I trust you will handle this repeal as I have set out today in the same responsible manner. In summary, part one, keep your promise. Please repeal the citywide rezoning. Part two, please slow down, engage properly, respect and use the work Celgarians have already done. Thank you so much. Yeah. Thank you for being with us. We'll go now to Adam on 91. Then Christine on 89 after that. Please go ahead, Adam. Hello, Marin Council. My name is Adam Zinatelli. I'm a resident of Ward 7. I wouldn't usually speak at a hearing like this, but uh with these proceedings on in my house over the last week or two, I felt compelled to speak up. I own a home in an inner city neighborhood. I like that I can control what happens on my property. I can paint my house whatever color I want. I can build the type of fence I want, and I get to decide what I plant in my garden. But my understanding of property rights is that beyond my property line, it's really none of my business. Case in point, across the alley from me, bungalows were torn down and replaced with an RTG row house. What are my thoughts on this? Frankly, I don't think much about it since it doesn't affect me in any way that matters to me. The residents of this new building might be able to see in my backyard. Well, the single family houses near me can do that too. They might be able to look in my kitchen window. Fortunately, I have blinds. Maybe someone in this row house will have a visitor who arrives by car and parks in front of my house. Thank goodness I'm required to have two on site parking spaces, which really is a bit much as our household has just.5 of a car. And nobody owns the street in front of their house. Am I worried about traffic? No. But if I were, I would decide to drive my car less and advocate for better transit and active transportation infrastructure. I think a lot of people just don't have strong feelings about development in their neighborhood. I'm speaking on behalf of all these people who couldn't be bothered because honestly, if these hearings hadn't been on in my house all week, that would be me. I love where I live. And I think it's great if more people have a chance to live here too. So I oppose the repeal of this policy that makes it possible to build more places for people to live. I have a hard time seeing why it's such a big deal to some people. A couple of closing thoughts. Some of you in the horseshoe today campaigned on repealing this. Some of you campaigned on not repealing it. I would like to address those of you who campaigned on quote repeal and replace. That is not what lies before you to vote on this week. This is just repeal. At the most optimistic, it's repeal, then hopefully replace. Repeal and replace means one vote to replace the current rules with new ones that prepare Calgary for its future. If you campaigned on repeal and replace, a yes vote this week is to break a campaign promise. Finally, There have been presentations in this hearing that claim that the original vote to implement zoning reform was undemocratic because more people spoke in opposition than in support. These public hearings are not exercises in direct democracy. This is not a referendum. Through free and fair elections, we enjoy agency in this representative democracy. Council's election is the will of the people, and you're tasked with serving the interests of all Calgarians, present and future. It's feeling more and more like these hearings are becoming an exercise in head counting, where sheer numbers speaking for or against something are used to justify a vote. In hearings like this, you're hearing from a tiny fraction of Calgarians, and it seems to me, a fraction that is not representative of Calgary's diverse population and diverse needs. I'd like to think that the quality of insight and data, along with varying perspectives, are what would move the needle rather than volume. But as long as members of Council treat these hearings like straw poles or referenda, they will continue to get longer and longer and longer. Is that what you want? Repealing blanket rezoning will significantly increase the number of land use hearings that Council is obliged to hear. The same thing will happen with them as with this. Is the civic machine prepared for week-long hearings on whether someone in Capitol Hill can build the laneway suite? This is the future a refill points us towards, and it does not serve the city. Thank you. Thank you so much. We'll go to Christine to round off this panel, please. Christine from panel 89, are you still with us? Jerry, can you hear me? Yes, we can. Please go ahead. Can you hear me? Okay. I had muted myself, sorry. Thank you for muting yourself. Counselors. Yeah, I made that mistake before. Ah Mayor Fargus and Counselors, thank you for your perseverance and patience and giving us all an opportunity to speak. Who wanted to speak or to send something in? Uh it's amazing. I'm Christine Worsher from Ward 8, and I'm speaking on behalf of my husband and myself. We are in favor of repealing the blanket rezoning bylaw. We are not against higher density developments in our neighborhood per se. But the problem with the blanket rezoning bylaw is that it is in effect saying that one size fits all. One size definitely does not fit all. There are differences within and between communities. Developments need to be contextual. They need to be sensitive to the topography, the location of homes, the presence of old trees and heritage properties, and have some consideration for longtime existing residents. Since 2000, we have lived on an east west lot. Developed received taxation by maximum height, lot cover, bridge, maximum building depth, and minimum front setback, and build a house to our immediate south. That has similar dimensions to the maximum proposed by the new bylaw. Therefore, we believe we have some insights about the impacts that blanket rezoning has or will have on others. We would like to just highlight two aspects in particular the impacts of increased shading due to increased height and shortened flatbacks, and impacts of flooding due to increased non porous lot coverage. A 10 meter plus building. High building creates a lot of shade, especially to its north and in winter. With a new house beside us, no sunlight comes into our house for four months of the year, and our lot is mostly shade covered even in summer. We think that such tall and long developments should not be built on east west lots except at the far north of the block, where there are no immediate northern neighbors. For the same reason for north south lots, all long development should be kept to the south side of the street. At the north end of their block. Hills should also be taken in consideration because they can exacerbate or diminish shading effects to the north. While access to sunlight might seem trivial, we believe it contributes to the people's mental health in our city. We can s experience this every time the sun comes out after a couple of days of forecast of overcast skies, people are happier. And in addition, increased shade negatively impacts most trees and other vegetation, and especially new saplings, as most species do better in full sun or partial shade rather than full shade. Our second point has to do with lot coverage. As a result of blanket rezoning, the permissible lot coverage in our neighborhood has gone up from 45% to 60%. Indeed, on our block, the mean coverage was 32% prior to the new build next door because the ARP area redevelopment plan. had designated it as a garden suburb area where lot coverage was, quote, meant to be significantly less than the maximum permissible by the land use bylaw. Not only does greater lot coverage never negatively affect the whole nature of the neighborhood, which has been enjoyed by residents and non residents alike, but it also increases the risk of flooding. With larger dwellings and garages, more rain is collected and I've seen it gushing out of downspots to the alleys and into storm sewers. Which can then empty into the river and cause flooding down. Dry wells can mitigate this, but um the tendency to install non-porous landscaping as well uh means that there's a lot of surface runoff. That should be considered uh when, especially for neighborhoods that are on hills. Only development guidelines that are sensitive to the context, such as LAPs and different types of zoning, make sense for creating a thriving reverse city. Of course, these can only work if the city planning division actually upholds the zoning standards and LAP considerations and does not grant relaxation zoned on appeal in the past. Unfortunately, this has not been our experience. With blanket zoning, residents have even less recourse for appeal. while developers have more leeway to impose their visions on existing neighborhoods. Increasing density is good, but it's to be done thoughtfully by considering the context. Thank you. Thank you so much for being with us. Let's go to Councillor McLean, please, for Mr. Cox. Yes, Mr. Cox, I'm probably correct in assuming you might have more to say. While you g well and we get up in the f uh I want to uh on behalf of last council apologize. I think there was a viral clip that was went pretty wildly that you I think you were treated poorly by some on council were not supposed to combat and with and or engage like that with speakers. And rest assured this council I think has a much higher standard of how we're dealing with the public. So I gotta accept my apologies for what the last instance when you uh when you spoke. So having said that, please finish what you had to say. Thank you, Councillor McLean. I I appreciate that. That was uh that was September 15th of 2023. And uh when I when I came down when I was unsupervised by my wife for a few hours and spoke to uh council, that was the last thing that I expected to happen. And I certainly didn't get expect to see where it went, but I'm I'm frankly I'm glad that it did because it it uh it spoke to what we can be as a city and what we can be as a council. So Yay, thank you very much for those kind words. A couple things I did want to finish, and if you'll indulge me, Councillor. Just to reset where I left off, if a Councillor, and I'm talking about the potential for conflicts of interest, and uh and now I now that I'm a little bit less constrained by the time, I can say that I was inspired to write the op ed that I did. Because of what I saw in council on February 17th, 2026, when the matter of the Augusta Villas, 35 townhouse uh unit development in Springbank Hill was addressed by uh the mayor and was questioned uh appropriately and and and uh and and uh and and and politely by by Councillor chabot and it yielded what I think is really great uh leadership. So I thank you for that uh mayor. I think that was that was very very smart to do and to verify it with legal uh in real time was was an impressive uh state. Uh anyways, uh talking about about owning one property versus multiple properties that would have been formerly known as RC1 or RC2. Um Uh if a Councillor were to have an interest in a property beyond the one that they live in personally that is eligible for densified development under an endorsement or facilitation through blanket rezoning, With very limited exception, there is inherently a pecuniary interest that, in my view, uh should be disclosed prior to the public hearing and action should be taken to exercise those ethical muscles to demonstrate uh utmost good faith. And and that would be to say, hey, as Mayor Farkas did on the 17th of February say, There's a thing here, I want to tell you about it, and I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to tell you why. Sunlight is the friend of all good governance. I think that was sunlight. If a Councillor did have multiple properties and chose to remain engaged in the public hearing and proceed to vote, in my respectful submission, they should, at the very least, declare and explain their perceived conflict of interest if it is perceived, pecuniary, if it is that, if it is indirect or something else, they should declare that too, so that we as observers can know. What's going on? What's on your mind while you're you're considering this very important stuff? And they should very at the very least declare their their potential or perceived conflict of interest for the information of the public, which who are the voters, and let their constituents decide at election time if the Councillor did the right and ethical thing by a bringing it up and staying in or moving out of that particular hearing. And just to be clear, um as I reference in the op ed, There used to be a Councillor code of conduct and there used to be provisions for member disclosure statements. And you know, I I'm an older person and I'm not great at the internet, but I'm okay. I can find my way around to important things most of the time. I could not find under the accountability section on the City of Calgary website where it used to be located that the Councillor disclosure statements. And I looked at those, I would say it was late December or early January of this year, and I saw disclosures of council members on that accountability accountability section of the website. Two weeks ago, nowhere to be found. Nobody's saying nothing. So maybe you don't have to, maybe you should, maybe you don't have anything to say. It's fine, but at least that section should be there on the City of Calgary website so that we can at least have the opportunity to efficiently be transparent and candid with our with our constituents. And just to be clear. In my submission, the absence of a mandatory Councillor disclosure statement requirement does not absolve the Councillor of their obligations to be candid and transparent about their interests, and further, it doesn't absolve them of their duty to not act in a conflict of interest when participating in city council activities. This seems to be very nicely covered in section 172 sub 1 of the MGA, which has been circulated for all of your attention. And the Councillor disqualification elements for a conflict of interest for breaches of section 172 of the MGA are covered in section 174 sub 1 sub G. I'm sorry, can I I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Cox. Please. Um I think we all want to kind of keep this on the blank and rezoning com but but just FYI. Just today I think we got a letter at the province is coming up with Bill 28. It's gonna look into all the pecuniary interests and disclosures. But I think that's all gonna be re re remedied. important discussion because you know, I'm not saying you're not wrong about uh someone counsel last time, but just in the interest of everybody's time we can kinda knock a little bit on the blanket resort. It'd be good if I can say that. Understand. My my submission to conclude with that point, uh Councillor, is simply this. Um to my earlier point, you don't have to have a mandatory MGA requirement to disclose it in a specific format in order to Be compelled to do that if you have those properties. If you don't have those properties, it's a really good idea to put up your hand, as Mayor Farkas did, to say, I don't know if this is a thing or not, but I'm telling you what it is, and this is what I think I'm gonna do, and I'm allowed to do it under the MGA. But the time the the the the and and interestingly enough, the announcement of the uh the codes of conduct was was announced by the provincial government the day after my op ed landed. So this was written before that. And what I understand the situation would be is if someone is found after the fact to have breached that, they still breached it. Those disclosure and declaration elements. And if they've acted in a conflict of interest, it is. So, out of the interest of efficiency, you know, last time when I did this in May of 2024, I had two counselors put up their hand and say, I'm clean, sir, and they explain what that was. There's no harm in that, it just clears the air. So I just think that's an important thing to do because there's a whole lot of work, there's millions of dollars that have been put into this set of public hearings, and for it to be toppled or tainted or corrupted or or confused, for lack of any more suitable words. That's a waste of time when all somebody has to do is say, I don't have anything. I have seven properties, I have three properties that might trigger the sections under the MGA. I'm here to talk about them and seek advice. That's that's the concluder on that. Yeah. Thank you for that question, Councillor. Excellent. Thank you again so much for uh coming to present. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm gonna go over to Councillor Clark, please. Yes, thank you, Chair. Um Ms. Comden, as the only Ward Niner to show up today, I had to say hello. I thought you gave a very uh uh interesting presentation, very unique. I mean, it's the first time we were talking about it. Uh this dystopian piece, but um so yeah, thank you for that. I suppose um I think I believe you said you work with the Dover Community Association. And so uh when we think about Ward 9 and communities like Dover. When we think about renewal and what happens next in those communities as we try to find space, I just wonder, you see the conversation that we're having here, you see the question before us and where it may go. I wonder if you have any thoughts on the the best and appropriate decision, even if it's a compromise, if something has to, it's an amendment of some kind that would best support your neighborhood. When I was uh volunteering on a campaign in the fall, we door knocked over uh much of Ward 9. And I've heard in in lots of these discussions that people it's a it's a hot topic. It never came up. It never came up at a single door in when when I was there. And I just thought it was interesting that the neighbors that I was talking to had uh lots of concerns about safety, lots of concerns about affordability and transit, but they were less concerned with the um With the rezoning. And I thought that was interesting. So I do feel like I am partially representing my neighbors in coming here because I do think it is less the repealing is less of a priority for them. But that being said, I did see, you know, I do see encampments quite often being dismantled and finding housing for young people and for students and for my children when they're older is also is a priority for me. So yeah, just I think we made some good ground, and I'm of the mindset that we needed more time. To see the differences and that that's a priority and and I do see that I'm probably um uh the minority, but but if if this were to repeal, I do think making changes and being thoughtful and thinking long term is is the most important thing for for me. Yeah, I really appreciate you um taking the time to explain that and uh and for being here today. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Ward, please. Uh Mr. Zenatelli, are you still on the phone? Yes, I am. Quick question. My my perhaps most famous line in council is that I've never seen 0.65 of a car in my life. But I believe you said you have 0.5 of a car. Could you explain that? Yeah, for sure. So um uh I'm married, I uh I live with my wife and our two children. We have an arrangement with uh with two neighbors, an elderly couple. We share a single small car between two households. Uh So that's uh That's uh four adults, two children, one small compact hybrid car. thank you for resolving my curiosity. I very much appreciate that. Um Mr. Cox, if I could ask just a quick question of you. I believe one of the topics you were gonna Sorry, Mr. Anthony Cox. Um I believe you were gonna talk about the case against haste, is that correct? If you could just like quickly cover that. I sure can. 100%. Um they might be enjoying this. I don't know. But it's but it's it's a good Friday eve, so I'm mindful. So, anyways, I first made submissions to uh the city housing on the city housing strategy and house housing policy in September of 2023. Uh on uh on September 16th, the day after the hearings closed, uh there was a special meeting called of council, and some of you were here and you may remember that, at which point the question was called, and everything that had happened over the the hundreds of hours that council administration and and and citizens had put in uh was considered in less than 24 hours the question was called and blanket rezoning was approved as the next the next step. So that that's that's the thing that I worry about here. I urge this council to please avoid fudging, for lack of a more polite word, um, the current blanket rezoning bylaw into some sort of knee jerk compromise. um uh without substantive and meaningful uh consultation in the proper form for which it's designed. I thought of this because I've been watching this public hearing with great interest, as much as humanly possible, and that's a lot. I heard Mr. Mike Borkrystol uh speaking for nearly two hours at this hearing himself, not to mention his colleagues, uh, who uh advocated for the for from the perspective of developers uh on residential dense densification in favor of blanket rezoning generally. Mr. Borkrystal's experience and his expertise were both warmly welcomed by this council. I thought that was great, as it as it should be. And and he was invited uh to continue to engage in the policy development process after the hearings, because this was not the place for that exact con consultation. I also heard that day, I think it was that day, I heard Miss Stephanie Chapur speak about the tenets of visitability, a word I'd never heard before, and I think it's an important word. Um, and and the reform of the building code and her advocacy as a person with disability and for persons with disabilities. Ms. Chapur's experience and expertise was warmly welcomed, as was Mr. Borkris's. And that needs to be included in this process, Councillor. Okay. And if we do this in a week, you aren't gonna do that. So my suggestion, my respectful request and urging is separate the two the two things before council repeal and restore. And ignore the uh the uh uh amendments for the time being because there is a better time and a place to do that where you can consult smart people like Ms. Shapur and Mr. Bohrcrystal and really shape policy well amongst the hundreds of others you may want to talk to. Understood. Thank you for answering that. Thank you. And I just if I if I can, I just wanted to point out some simple math on what happens to the economics. It was a slide that I didn't get to speak to. If I can speak to it in like one minute or less, I'd appreciate it. Go very quickly, please. Well, so that was that was the slide which talks about uh a sample densification redevelopment scenario. You buy the lot for 800 grand, you build eight units on what used to be an RC1 or RC2 lot, the average selling price of that that new unit is about 800 grand, the total redevelopment revenue is 6.4 million, uh, the average profit per unit might be 125 grand, and the total single lot development profits about a million for the people who are involved in that. And that's why I talk about the conflict of interest stuff, because it's not a small amount of money we're talking about here. If you have two lots, The conservative estimate for what they might make if you own multiple properties might be two million dollars. It might be a little less, might be a little more. Five lots, you're up to five million bucks if you're if you're getting to skate through on blanket rezoning without further sunlight on conflicts of interest and the interests of neighbors, which is what blanket rezoning took away. Got it. Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. This uh concludes that panel. All right. We're gonna build our uh next panel here. I saw a gentleman just walked in, so it's your lucky day. Coming up, Jeremy. Uh please stand by. Our first uh panelist will be Jeremy, and we'll try to track down some more folks on the phone here. All right, is there anybody on the phone from panels one through fifty? Yes, Peter Lavastide, panel forty-seven. Thank you, Peter. Please stand by. Is there anyone on the phone from panels 51 through 65? Yes, I'm from Maureen from panel fifty-two. Could you repeat your name, please, miss? It's Maureen O'Brien. Thank you, Maureen. Please uh stand by. Okay. Is there anyone on the phone from panels uh 66 through 75? Julia? Yeah, thank you, Julia. Please stand by. And from panel seventy-two, this is Patrick King. All right, Patrick, you'll be our final panelist for this panel. We have Jeremy, Peter, Maureen, Julia, and then Patrick. Uh why don't we take you first, uh, Mr. Wong? Good evening, Mayor Farkas, members of council. I'm Jeremy Wong. I was originally on panel 65, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today and for the taking the time to listen to the many speakers and read through the many submissions that have been submitted. Real listening and real engagement matters, and hearings like this one are really important to the engagement process. Thank you also to the clerks team for facilitating this hearing. I'm a lifelong Calgarian and speaking as a resident of Ward 4. I'm also speaking as a former Ward 4 Councillor candidate in the last municipal election, and special congratulations to Councillor Kelly. During the last municipal campaign, I had the privilege of speaking with thousands of residents across Ward 4. I made a deliberate effort to listen closely to what mattered to most people that I talked to. One of the most consistent concerns I heard was the desire to repeal blanket rezoning and restore real community engagement. I knocked on thousands of doors with my team across the ward, in Edgemont, down to Dalhousie, across to Brentwood, Charleswood, Collingwood, in Cambrian Heights, in Rosemont, in Highwood, in North Haven, in Thorncliffe, in Huntington Hills, in Beddington, Greenview Highland Parks, Winston Heights, across all these communities, the residents that I talk to, the majority of them, express deep frustration with the current approach. On behalf of more than 10,000 residents in Ward 4 who supported me with their vote, I feel a responsibility to bring their voices forward today. I heard from residents who felt like there was a lack of meaningful engagement and a lack of respect for community input when blanket rezoning was first passed. I heard concerns about livability, infrastructure capacity, community character, and property values. Infrastructure concerns that included parking included plumbing and water and electricity, fire safety and school capacity for their neighborhood. It was difficult to see neighbors divided over zoning and development. It was especially concerning to hear from those longtime residents, including many seniors, who felt pressured out of their homes due to changes happening on their blocks. I also heard from numerous community groups and associations who felt compelled to pursue restrictive covenants because they felt that it was the only way to protect their neighborhoods. That in itself signifies a breakdown in trust. Most of the residents I spoke with are not opposed to growth or increased housing. What they're asking for is thoughtful, well-planned development. They want genuine engagement. They want local area planning that focuses density along major corridors, transit routes, and commercial areas, rather than mid block within established neighborhoods. Most residents weren't opposed to gentle density, like R2 zoning in most areas. I genuinely empathize with the speakers that have shared concerns about affordability and housing supply. Like others have said, affordability cannot be addressed by zoning alone. There are many other macroeconomic factors that affect affordability, which are beyond the scope of a municipal government to solve. Density and supply can still be increased in areas that make sense, rather than mid block and in the middle of neighborhoods. These are the voices I heard through the campaign, and it is because of these voices that I'm here today to support repealing blanket rezoning. My recommendation is to move forward with a full repeal, but also take time to consider and communicate any amendments in the near future. There can be ways to improve the zoning bylaw and introduce density in a more thoughtful way that includes real community engagement and local area planning processes. Thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak today. Thank you so much for being here. We'll go to Peter on 47, then Maureen on 52 after that. Please go ahead, Peter. Uh thank you. Um I'm Peter Lavastide, panel forty seven. Um again, thank you, Mayor Farkas, members of council and administration for the opportunity to present uh my thoughts on this issue. I am asking you to not repeal blanket rezoning, both for process reasons and based on personal experience of living in a Area that's developed a lot over the last 40 years, which I'll talk about more later. If this was an easy issue to resolve, we wouldn't be going through the process we're going through just now. And my perspective comes from living in an area that isn't directly affected by blanket rezoning because it has already gone through an analogous cycle of upzoning for a long time. I'm speaking to you now because I agree with counsel that for numerous numerous reasons, which you are much more familiar with than I am, it is it appears to be critical that our city densifies. Having listened to parts of this hearing, it seems clear to me that there is a general consensus that our city needs to densify in order to remain a successful city. And blanket rezoning is a step in that direction of densifying. As with many first steps, it may not be perfect, but the reasonable approach to me would be to make any required improvements to the current bylaw rather than going back to square one by repealing it entirely. I am concerned that a simple repeal would waste some of the effort that has gone into taking this first step and will cause us to lose momentum towards densification. It seems probable, most probable to me, that a lot of thought already went into the current version of blanket rezoning. It wasn't randomly picked out of a hat. And so I assume that where we need to get to is some version of this current policy rather than a totally brand new policy. As I mentioned, I have my own experience of living in a community experiencing densification. My wife and I have lived in Hillars, Kensington. We were very fortunate to buy a house on 11A Street 40 years ago. We raised our three children there, and along with seeing them grow up, we have seen our community literally grow upwards in terms of the size of buildings. I'm grateful that we had a chance to live in a neighborhood that uh where many of our daily activities like groceries, banking, going to school, etc., uh can be done by walking or biking. That added what was to me a surprising amount of uh value uh to the quality of our life. When we bought into this neighborhood, it was a quiet residential area with no buildings higher than ten meters close by. So similar to a lot of current uh residential areas, single-family homes. Since then our community participated with the city and developers to first create an ARP and then a TOD version of that ARP. Along the way, we have steadily increased density, especially during the last 10 years. Our house is now within 50 meters of an eight-story building, and soon after soon there will be a 12-story one within that 50 meter radius as well. So again, we're living in a single family home, and when we moved here, um there was nothing bigger than 10 meters within uh you know anywhere close to us. Uh so you know there's been change. I wrestle with the impact of some of that change on the ambience of our community, much like I imagine others do in relation to blanket rezoning. What I can say is that there hasn't been um any huge parking Armageddons or um you know similar issues like that. I mean life goes on and it's a it's a it's a great life actually. Um I s I still like living here and I ask myself what right do I have to deny that very quality of life uh that I that I value from other people who want to live in the neighborhood but can't necessarily afford a traditional single family home in this area. I think that logic applies to residential areas in general. Now the trade-off between respecting the expectations of existing homeowners like me with providing opportunities for other people to move into established areas is a complicated one. Like I said, I wrestle with those trade offs and I don't always agree with the city's decisions on where the right trade off is. But in the end, we have an obvious need for more housing choices, so providing more housing to allow people to live where they would like to live is one reason why I support some version of blanket rezoning. Man the second reason is uh is that managing the cost of city services um is requires something like some version of densification, so and blanket rezoning would help with that. Uh like everyone, one way or another, I'm a property taxpayer. I don't think it's fair that neighborhoods that are densifying end up subsidizing the provision of infrastructure to parts of the city that by choice are not densely populated enough to support the costs of their own infrastructure. Our neighborhood is absorbing a great deal of change. So much uh unfortunately you're just at time, but perhaps a final sentence to conclude your thoughts. Okay. Um I'll just conclude that sentence. We're we're facing a great deal of change and facing our city's challenges would feel more equitable to me if all communities chipped in to some degree. Thank you. Thank you so much. We'll now go to Maureen and then Julia after that. Please go ahead, Maureen. My name is Maureen O'Brien. I live in Ward 4 and am 100% in favor of the full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw. I also spoke at the last hearing two years ago, um, but this time I'm taking a more personal approach. My husband and I have been very involved with this issue. We have personally watched the huge negative impact this bylaw has had on our community. In the very short time since it was passed. It's very concerning what our community will look like if it stays. And I am worried that some communities are targeted and will be sacrificed and that our community will be one of those. My husband and I have been volunteering in a community group to help share information so our neighbors can understand how this bylaw could affect them. We have collected signatures for petitions, we have knocked on doors and have also delivered information. to hundreds of our neighbors and through this action we have heard from many, many disheartened and devastated people. Although the word blanket seems to infer all communities will be impacted equally with this bylaw, that couldn't be further from the truth. After listening to many people speak at Monday's hearing, it became even clearer to me how many communities are much more negatively affected by this bylaw than others. I was so impressed with the Bold Workshop Architecture Firm and how they work with the community and specifically with the adjacent neighborhoods of their builds to be sure it fits with the aesthetic of the street and interferes as little as possible with the community. But I can tell you that is exactly the opposite of what is happening in Thorncliffe Greenview. And also, according to that Wellspoken senior lady that spoke at Monday's hearing, it's been a really crushing experience and boness with even the loss of a playground and a park to a massive development. In Thorncliffe our beautiful little mid-century bungalows are being dominated by massive two and three-story rectangular hideous structures plunked in the middle of streets with no rhyme or reasons. Adjacent homes are left in the shadows, and because these new developments are almost always granted relaxations, the people living in those neighbors neighboring homes can no longer look down their street. The view is blocked, the sunshine is gone, and their once private yards now have several windows looking down on them. And to add to all of that, and perhaps part of the worst of it all, the value of their home has now plummeted. There's one up the street from me, in the middle of the street, by the way, and it is proposed to be twelve residences where one home now stands. How is that okay? I wish you could hear from the elderly woman that lives directly next door, how she's beside herself with the build, and how the developer harassed her at her door and handed her over the phone to try to get her to sell her property as well. So much for ethical, honest practices happening everywhere. And the man next to her who worked for years with his partner to buy his dream home and now see his dream slipping through his fingers with not enough power or money to stop it. And interestingly enough, he did express that to us, but he spent more time expressing concern for his elderly neighbor and is worried how an emergency vehicle will ever reach her when she needs them, as they are sure to be carts everywhere with the limited parking provided for the twelve new families that will live be living there. I have to interject here that I'm very tired of hearing that people who oppose blanket rezoning are only thinking of themselves. We were encouraged by the city to meet with developers and architects of proposed developments in our community to share concerns and hopefully come to some middle ground. We were But each development has a file manager that manages those concerns at their own discretion. We have lost every single battle and have not had one of our current concerns addressed or resolved. No wonder so many people have lost faith in the city and its procedures. I wish I could show you all the pictures of this mess. I can't believe anyone can think it is right or that is solving more problems than it is causing. I advise the mayor and all counselors to knock on doors and truly listen to what is happening out there before they cast their vote. It is not a pretty sight. Please vote in favor of a full repeal of the blanket rezoning bylaw before it's too late. Thank you for listening today. Thank you so much, Maureen. We'll go to Julia now, then Patrick after that. Please go ahead, Julia. Hello, yes. Are you able to hear me? Loud and clear. Amazing. Hello and good afternoon, Mayor and members of council. My name is Julia Law and I currently serve as the Vice President External of the University of Calgary Students Union. However, I am here in my role as the chair of the Calgary Student Alliance. Combined, I represent over 90,000 postsecondary students in Calgary, ranging from international students to born and raised Culgarians, students fresh out of high school, and mature students. My constituents are your neighbors. Right now they rent, live at home, and in very rare cases own. However, most are unable to provide input on this issue, both due to their education, work, or just a lack of knowledge regarding this process. I applaud the small handful of students who have spoken, who were able to take time to learn about the issue during one of the busiest times of the academic year. However, the opinions of the general students are lost amongst those with time to speak, despite being equally important contributors to the betterment of this city. I'm here today to provide you with an insight on student needs, and I implore council to think long and hard about these perspectives in the coming days. The postsecondary student population in the city of Calgary continues to grow year after year thanks to new programming but also ambitious goals of student expansion at our institutions. And with this comes a large population of individuals highly vulnerable to the affordability crisis. Students are subject to continuously increasing tuition and a 14.6% provincial youth unemployment rate this past February. Those who are employed are working for one of the country's lowest minimum wages and their paychecks during education are spent on tuition, or Alberta Student Loans, one of the only student loan programs with interest gain in Canada. Concerns such as this drive students out. In fact, Alberta loses more students to other provinces than it gains every year. Why fight for affordability here when other provinces offer more support for students? As one can tell, students are in desperate need of housing that fits their budget. They look for low-cost options close to their campuses or transit hubs. This means apartments, condos, basement suites, or even just rooms for rent. Some might write out a 10 home with friends, while others frantically search for an alternative to sleeping in their car. Increased development citywide helps to increase the number of options more affordable than an entire single family home, bringing more housing stock closer to fitting within unique student budgets. Many of these options also provide stability for postgraduation and in many cases allow our new graduates to put down their roots in the city of Calgary. When this happens, they become more likely to stay, contributing to the development of the local economy and betterment of communities. The University of Calgary has supported over 22,000 jobs and increased startups in Calgary by 75%. And the unique and interesting perspectives of our educational experience mean new perspectives in community associations and on condo boards, as well as in the workplace and social circles. Graduates bring innovation, entrepreneurship, community, and more. Students are accor uh students are, of course, often seeking housing in the areas they are nearest to the most. Development in Ward 7 and 8, where post-secondary campuses are concentrated. This has provided options in otherwise older communities concentrated for single-family homes that are outside of a student's budget. However, it is critical that this development is not solely concentrated in inner city communities. Students are everywhere. In my own circles alone, I have friends and peers who live across the city. I live in the depths of the deep southwest in Silverado, while some of my closest friends live far north in communities like Nolan Hill. Students are everywhere, and the city must recognize that by providing housing relief across Calgary. Rezoning has provided that promise, provided the opportunity for students to still live away from their campuses if they wish. I ask council to think long and hard about students and new graduates when they vote next week or this evening. I ask you to think about all the young people unable to speak at these hearings due to classes and work. Think of the young families whose parents are just trying to finish their graduate studies. Think of the 21-year-old who has no hope of moving out of their parents' basement anytime soon because of housing costs. Council, please think of my constituents and their needs. Remember how much students contribute to the in the long term to this city and how their innovative ideas provide unique opportunities for Calgarians citywide. Thank you. Thank you, Julia. We'll go to Patrick to round off this panel, please. Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. Um I'm Patrick. I'm a Ward for homeowner. I grew up in Edmont, where I lived for about 20 years, and I lived another 10 years in Crescent Heights. And today I am very, very lucky to have a mortgage on a half deplex in Highland Park, which is a little bit of that elusive missing middle housing that we've been hearing a lot about. And I'm here to speak in support of the current zoning in place and to speak against repealing the upzoning. I work full-time, so it's been really tricky to find some time to slip out and to speak before council. And first of all, I would just ask council to bear in mind that the people who benefit most from the zoning change are the ones who are working jobs that don't permit them to be here to speak this week and last week. Honestly, the thing that stands out the most about this whole discussion, I cannot believe that we're talking about zoning again because the the fact that stands out from the last round of hearings most in my mind is that 95% of zoning changes from R1 to R2 to R to RCG were approved by council. So I mean I get it, it's nice to have input on changes in your neighborhood, but 19 times out of 20, virtually every time, City Hall found that zoning changes were reasonable and said yes. What we're talking about here is bringing back this giant ball of red tape and just mummifying City Hall with it, just completely coding it. We're taking it taking our city council and just asking it to waste so much of their time and so much of our money to approve lot by lot zoning changes that are obviously just fine. Another thing that I think about a great deal now is property taxes, now that I am paying them directly, and sustainable city finances. If we reverse the zoning change, we are pushing the city back towards a sprawl based development model with a huge and expanding footprint for city services and provincial services too. Meanwhile, there is this donut of decline, a ring of neighborhoods with built up services and transit, older neighborhoods like the one where I live, Highland Park. And water and sewer lines exist. Our internet, Calgary Transit bus routes are already in place. Schools and medical clinics exist, libraries and fire stations exist, garbage, recycling, compost, and collection trucks already have the routes in place. All of that stuff has to be built fresh when we only expanded the edges of the city. And it's way, way cheaper for the city to support a new build in an existing neighborhood than one on the edge of the city. So if we reverse the zoning change, we are locking in bigger property tax hikes to pay for our services forever. And another point that I think is very important to make, when you buy a home, you're only buying that little parcel of land. You don't acquire the right to take a snapshot of your neighborhood like a Polaroid and just freeze the city at the instant when you moved in. The city is a living thing, it grows and changes. And a big part of why I'm comfortable with the rezoning is that for about 10 years I lived in Crescent Heights and I got to see that change play out up front. That's a neighborhood with every kind of dwelling. On my block, there was a detached house, which was next to the three-story, fourteen-unit condo where I lived, which was across the street from the three-unit row house, which is next to an eight-unit multifamily building, and there were other buildings of other descriptions besides on the same block. And what you realize living there is that it's a very normal neighborhood. The sky has not fallen on Crescent Heights. It's actually a super desirable place to live because almost every humanity you can think of is within walking distance. And that keeps interest in the neighborhood really high. It keeps property values up as well. So I would urge City Council keep the interests of all the people who can't be here today, people at work, people who can't afford the property market yet, people who haven't moved to the city yet, keep their interests in mind. If we only listen to the folks who have already got their homes and who just want to keep the supply down so that their home price only ever skyrockets, we are going to destroy the livability of the city for everyone else in future decades. Let's not do that. Let's keep the reasonable and well considered zoning rules we have now. Maybe with an amendment or two and thank you council for your time and consideration and uh thank you for the chance to speak today. Thank you. We have some questions for this panel. I'm gonna go first to Councillor Atkinson, please. I'll just say thank you, Patrick, for that uh singing some praises to Crescent Heights. It's in my brain. I I'm I'm hoping to speak with uh um Miss Law, please, um, from the Calgary Student Alliance, if you're still on the line. Hello, yes, I am. Hey, um I just wanted to to check. So you're representing an organization that is representing multiple institutions, and I wanted to make sure like, are you in agreement across those institutions in terms of this stance to sort of support RCG uh housing? Yes, all of the organizations came together and we agreed that a campaign regarding the rezoning hearing was necessary to get the student opinion out there. So I am speaking on behalf of all of the organizations. Great, thank you. And you kind of somewhat mentioned it in your speech, but Councillor Schmidt earlier today, when uh we had Naomi in from the UFC mentioned sort of you spoke in you're speaking from specifically students, but this question of sort of graduates, and that's really when homeownership sort of becomes uh more of a possibility. Did you have any thoughts specifically about that point in uh that transition to once you're graduating and you're becoming a you know a professional and maybe home ownership becomes a little more available to you? Yes, of course. I would say it is important, or one thing that rezoning has provided is a variety of different housing options. A fresh graduate is unable to afford just your base single family home. It's just the way it is with a housing market right now, and it also does not help that our graduate students have a lot more debt than your average undergrad. So rezoning has helped a lot to put home ownership back into the picture for these new grads with townhomes, with duplexes, with all of the options that are there, because sure, there's the argument being made that rent hasn't gone significantly down, but these condos and complexes are typically still more affordable than owning a full-on single family home. And they're also adaptive to the need of a graduate. A graduate student who is new or a brand new graduate from the University of Calgary who just moved to Calgary for their degree and is now placing their roots, doesn't have the same amount of things that they have. They don't have that as much ownership. They don't need a full on single family home for all of their belongings. They only need something small to fit their need. That's great. And sorry, so your organization is not only for undergraduate students, it's also for graduates uh associations as well. Yes it is. Our friends at the University of Calgary Graduate Students Association are also members. That's great. Thank you so much. Um Peter, Peter, are you still on the line? Uh yes, Councillor, I am. Hi, Peter. Thank you so much for talking about. I really appreciated your conversation around generosity. The generous nature. I feel that generosity, I've been feeling it all week within Board 7 and sort of sharing this out. You were going down that path. You were not able to wrap up. I'm wondering if that you had any final thoughts that you wanted to share, other than sort of the final line that you had there. Yeah, I was pretty close to the end. Um m my final thoughts were really You know, given where we are with six-story buildings beside, well, within 50 meters of single-family homes, you know, I just have a different perspective that I've gotten used to. Um so with the RGCG blanket rezoning, as far as I can understand it, the maximum h height of uh new buildings will be 11 meters. And I have a hard time imagining that we can't do something that's reasonable that mitigates the impact on the surrounding community when the maximum height is eleven meters. And so just throwing out, repealing, um blanket rezoning totally, um, feels to me like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. And uh I think we just need to take it a step at a time and fix if there is something that needs fixing about this, just incrementally fix it. Yeah. That's it. Thank you. That's great. Thank you so much. All right, you're welcome. Councillor Kelly, please. Thank you, Roshi. Mr. Wong, if you wouldn't mind. It is so good to see you. I hope you're doing well. Um you and I, obviously, um knocked on a lot of the same doors, talked to a lot of the same people. Sounds a lot like from your presentation that we heard a lot of the same things. Um just wondering, uh, as it were you mentioned in your presentation the need for local area planning. Uh definitely something that I was hearing a lot when I was outdoor knocking, and a lot of our neighbors in Ward 4 don't actually have local area plans. Uh wonder if you could share with us uh what you what you heard from folks and if you'd uh you'd join me in advocating for uh local area plans for Ward 4. Thanks for the question, Councillor Kelly. I agree with you. The many neighbors that I heard from, they thought that the local area planning process and being able to give real community engagement and input into the planning process is much more effective than a blanket approach. And so prioritizing that process for Ward 4 residents is a huge priority. Residents that I talked to, they want affordability. They really empathize with some of the voices that we just heard on making sure that people can afford places to live. But affordability can come through planning along major routes, transit, commercial areas, in neighborhoods, in parts of the neighborhood that residents want to see density increase and not just a blank approach everywhere. And so it sounds like we we did hear many of the same things at the doors. Yeah, fully agree with you, absolutely. Um thank you so much for being here today and I'll send you a text. Maybe we can go for lunch or something. Thank you. All right, thank you, colleagues. That uh concludes this panel. We'll start calling for some names uh who may be on the line right now. Are there any individuals on the line from panels 70 through 75? Anyone on the phone from panels 76 through 80? Anyone from 81 through 85? Anyone from 86 through 90? How about 91 through 95? ninety five. Thank you. Who just spoke? My name is My name is Tim. Last name Clotten. Thank you, Tim. Uh please stand by. Anyone on the phone from panels 96 through 100? Anyone from 101 through 105? Anyone from 106 through 110? Um, yeah, my name's Kelly Hornick. Okay. Dudley, thank you. Please stand by. There was another speaker if you could just uh state your name. Uli Wuko. Panel 110. Sorry, who was it that just spoke on 110? Sir, could you repeat that or take yourself off speakerphone? It's uh coming through muffled. Oh, yeah. Jeff Banks, U Panel 110. All right, Jeff on 110. So I have Tim, Kelly, and Jeff so far. Were there names that uh I missed in between those ranges? Oli Walkerow on 110. All right, uh another person on 110. Uh what was your name? Okay, please stand by. And I did we have somebody who walked in uh here in person who is still signed up to speak? Yeah. Come on down. We'll uh accommodate you first, and then the uh remaining four on the line. Thanks. If you don't mind just introducing yourself, uh your name and which panel you're on. Uh hello. Um thank you, councillors and mayor Farkas. I don't envy the difficult decision you have before you. Uh my name is Sterling Carlson. I'm uh born and raised Calgarian. I live in Ward Six, but I grew up in West Hillhurst, where my family has lived in our own property for over 60 years. I believe I bring a perspective from multiple sides of the issue. I followed these hearings closely. I've heard the concerns from residents who don't want change in their communities, and those who those concerns are valid. I've also listened to people who are scared about what happens if the rezoning is repealed. People struggling to find housing they can't afford. I've been a real estate agent for over 20 years, working with first-time buyers, families, builders, and developers. I've seen the cycles of this city, and I understand both the opportunities and the risks involved in building housing. I also have significant experience assembling and working on larger mixed-use developments. I've personally gone through the rezoning process myself and some of my clients with the development process. I built a foreplex in Richmond and experienced firsthand the delays and financial strain caused by the approval process and an appeal from neighbors that were once my friends. Even when you follow the process and do things right, there is still a real risk of major financial loss. I also wanted to address the position presented by the Calgary Real Estate Board. That presentation stated that they were representing over 8,700 members in support of a full repeal, yet there is no clear evidence that this position was formally approved by the vote from the board, and certainly not from our membership. Many of us realtors feel that what was presented does not reflect the full range of informed perspectives from within our industry. That was not advocacy on behalf of our membership, but misrepresentation. A little about me. I did have a father growing up, and my mother worked very hard to provide for my brothers and I. My grandmother owned our home, and we were incredibly lucky to live rent-free. Even with that help, we often struggled to eat and sometimes relied on great organizations like the Calgary Food Bank. That's why it's uh so difficult to hear the stories from Calgarians today who are struggling to find the housing they can afford. If Calgary loses access to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, the costs will be significant, not just financially, but in real opportunities lost. That funding could and should support housing for those who need it the most. But how we keep that funding matters just as much, uh how we use it matters just as much as how we keep it, if we keep it. I believe we should be directing growth into areas where communities have already said that they support it, and we already have a process for that. Local area plans. These plans take years of collaboration between communities, developers, and the city to determine where density belongs and what type of development is appropriate. But right now, even with when a project aligns with an approved local area plan, developers are still sometimes forced to go through rezoning and come to city for approval. This creates unnecessary risk, wastes time and taxpayer money, and often pits neighbors against projects that their own communities have already agreed to be allowed. I've experienced a newly approved local area plan process firsthand with properties we own in West Hillhurst. Uh after years of planning, the vision is clear, yet the process still remains uncertain and delays uh creates delays and conflict. It doesn't make sense. If rezoning is repealed, then I offer a simple Suggestion. When a local area plan is approved, zoning should automatically be updated at no cost to the homeowner to reflect the maximum height, density, and uses outlined in that plan. No additional rezoning, no unnecessary delays, no forcing people to come back and fight for what has already been debated and agreed to. If a developer wants to go beyond that plan, then there should be and absolutely be a process, and the community should have a voice. But if a project aligns with the approved vision, it should be allowed. This process reduces risk, encourages significant development in the right places, and respects the time and input communities have already invested. This may very well give you the amount of property that is needed to be rezoned to keep the federal funding. At the same time, we need to ensure that we're building the right types of housing, housing that supports people with mobility challenges, allows seniors to stay in the communities they help build, and creates attainable options for those who are struggling. If we want builders to deliver these types of housing, we need to create the conditions that make these projects viable. Calgary is a city that continues to grow because of opportunity and the quality of life. We need to make sure that the opportunity remains within reach and that our policies actually help us get there. Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you so much. We're gonna go to Tim on 95 next, please. And then Kelly after that. Please go ahead, Tim. Thank you, uh Mayor Parkins, and uh thank you counsel uh today. Um I like so many other people uh long uh well I've lived in Calgary almost all my life and I've lived in uh every quadrant of the city. And uh I find I find that the listening today I I've got so many iterations of what I could have written, what I did write And and now I come down to random musings and notes and footnotes and bullet points on paper, listening to all the wonderful people that have uh come to give their time and perspective to this whole uh discussion. And what I've concluded is that it looks like uh even those that are opposed or against the uh uh upzoning being repealed. The the commonalities in so much of what I hear today is that it we need to get to a solution. And so for that reason, I was uh when I filled out the the application to come on, I was I was not committed one way or the other. But after listening, I now I now see that it's important that we do a repeal and a whole do over again based on what everybody understands this issue to be, what the amendments might be, what does an RCG look like, what does HGO look like, what does an LAP look like, all of it. It i it is not clear. And I I in in what we do, we need to have clear written policy and definition. Listening to some people that went to DAB uh on an appeal, that's subjective. Coming to council, listening to something is subjective. But I've lived in uh in a lot of areas and I'm I'm back in Englewood. Um I've lived in uh My first home was in uh midfield trailer park in uh 1980. And uh I look at it today and I watch the development go there. It's important uh to get that done. It's gonna be a small city, but we don't have access to what's gonna be there. And uh that's not defined. Um what I'd like to quickly get to is the fact that there's a couple uh situations that arose that uh I you know I really want to go back to uh reference of Stephanie uh Shapoor. And she was on day four, hour number seven, and concluded at seven thirty-five. She had some great perspective that I I too agree with. I had uh the bold people that have been referenced so many times. They've done such a great job uh at what they're doing and and integrating and developing and bringing all of this together, uh taking all the great ideas from all the students, from all the the learned people. What I want to talk to about is something that I know. I'm in I'm involved in the industry, have been since 1991. One of the biggest things that we have right now. That's a problem is the development site servicing. I've heard one person reference it so far. What's happening is that our our accountability on the DSSP drawings in conjunction with all of the um different engineering firms, the City of Calgary inspections, you it right now it is happening that these DSSPs are not being followed, and I know it. And they are still getting occupancy. And I think that there needs to be more oversight in that particular area, especially when you look at the weather today, the outcomes of where all that water's gonna go on this watershed that we've heard everybody talk about so frequently. And I I find it one of the biggest things that's gonna happen. You take away all the trees, you take away all the grass. Where's the water go? Well, it goes in the storage tanks on these sites. And there's there's manholes, there's there's catch basins. And these are things that are are affecting everybody. I want to talk back about the ability to have integration of accessibility as Stephanie so so well put. We can do it. There's a $50,000 grant that can be given for somebody to develop a site servicing plan, yet I don't see that same money that is uh actually federal money given uh and and shown towards something that Stephanie so eloquently spoke about. And uh I work with her on uh Citizens Appeal panel and uh and I agree with what she is saying. And we see the vulnerabilities of people from a day to day basis, and affordability in this city is not one of them. And I imagine I'm just about out of time. Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to Jeff next, please, and then Ole after that. Um sorry, I think that you missed me. My name's Kelly. So apologize, Kelly. It's your turn. That's okay. My bad. Okay. No problem. Hello, my name's Kelly. I am 27 years old, and in September of 2025, my partner and I purchased our first home in Calgary. I'm here today to explain why I strongly oppose blanket rezoning. I want to begin by sharing a bit of my background because it directly shapes my perspective and not in a way that you would imagine. I come from a lower middle class family. I regularly worry about how my parents will retire, and I often find myself supporting my mom financially. Because of this, I learned early on to prioritize financial responsibility and stability over short-term lifestyle choices. There are many things I imagined doing, like having a big fun wedding, but instead my focus shifted to post secondary education and homeownership. My partner and I saved independently and put down a 20% down payment with no family financial assistance. I'm not sharing this for sympathy, but to challenge the idea that young adults can only buy homes with generational wealth. That simply is not true. When we searched for our home we had four non-negotiables, a reasonably sized lot, a home set back from the sidewalk, a private backyard for future children, and most importantly, a fully detached property. Oh and we did want to stay in southwest inner city Calgary. We viewed only three homes. One was in Earlton. While the interior was beautiful and honestly my favorite, we ruled it out immediately due to what was happening around it. One neighboring property was being redeveloped into a 16-unit building, another into an eight-unit building. Across the street, multiple homes were listed for similar redevelopment purposes. That home was effectively boxed in by large scale densification. I felt genuine empathy for the family trying to sell it. A well maintained detached home made significantly less attractive due to rezoning decisions that directly affected its livability and resale value. Whether intentional or not, blanket rezoning can trap homeowners financially and remove their ability to make meaningful choices. I'm also concerned about how multifamily rezoning is consistently framed as affordable housing. Based on real examples in areas around my own neighborhood, that narrative does not align with reality. For reference, we purchased our detached home on a large lot in Meadowlark Park for $755,000. My best friend and her husband purchased a duplex just three blocks from us for approximately $1.2 million. I reviewed townhouses currently for sale in southwest inner city Calgary, many priced between $700,000 to $800,000. These homes are often hundreds of square feet smaller than ours, sit on a fraction of the land and carry monthly condo fees between $250 to $500 a month, which will only increase over time. And fingers crossed that they don't get hit with a special assessment. Property taxes are often comparable. In exchange, buyers give up privacy, accept shared walls, noise transfer, and long term uncertainty. Several friends have shared how poor soundproofing negatively affects their daily lives. And they often play music when their neighboring properties are having showings to showcase just how thin those walls are. No one should feel uncomfortable or anxious in a home that they worked years to afford. Affordability can't be measured by density alone. True affordability includes long-term costs, livability, privacy, and resale value. Blanket rezoning also ignores neighborhood level impacts, increased density without adequate infrastructure planning, strains parking, traffic, schools, green space, and emergency services. Not to mention, crime rates tend to be significantly higher in densified neighborhoods. Look at the stats per capita. They don't lie. These impacts are already being felt in many inner city communities, including my own. Where a recent change in boundaries has now made my future children have to cross a busy expressway to get into an elementary school when there's one just three blocks away from us in Windsor Park. Looking ahead, my partner and I hope one day to live in neighborhoods like Elba Park, Alboya, or Britannia. Aspirational neighborhoods matter. They show what's possible through hard work and long-term planning. Eliminating them through broad rezoning risks people's los risks people losing the ability to have real ambitions and goals of upward mobility. Detached housing in family-oriented neighborhoods are is not an outdated ideal. They are legitimate, meaningful goals and remain critical to community stability. I'd also be curious to know how many people pushing blanket rezoning, particularly landlords and developers making substantial profits from multifamily developments, actually choose to live in those developments themselves, or if they instead live on large lots in detached homes. It's also those corporations that are charging insane amounts of rent to students and young adults. Their selfish profits are ultimately setting our younger generation saving goals back. For reference, my rent prior to my recent home purchase was more than half of my what my half of the mortgage is. I am living proof that young adults can purchase detached inner city homes without generational wealth. Based on the realities I've shared, choosing a multifamily alternative would not have brought me closer to that goal. In fact, I'd probably still be saving. To conclude, I am firmly opposed to blanket rezoning. I support thoughtful, targeted development that respects neighborhood context, infrastructure capacity, homeowner impact, and long term affordability, not sweeping policies that reshape communities without nuance or consent. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you so much, Kelly. Now it's time for Jeff. Thanks very much. Hello, my name is Jeff Banks. I've called Calgary home for over 40 years. I've been married for a decade. I have a little boy who was born here and means the world to me. I'm college educated, have held the same job for 18 years, and earn a six figure salary. I volunteer in the community. In short, I think I'm the kind of person most would be happy with as a neighbor. Yet over the last week I've listened to the public speaking on rezoning, and what I've learned is that none of that matters. Apparently, I've destroyed the character of my community. I'm a burden, constantly weighing on my neighbors that eats away at their quality of life. Why? Because the place I call home happens to be an infill duplex in an established community. And it's not just me that must bear this shame. Our close friends have raised their children in a four unit infill townhouse complex, and again it's been made clear that for many Calgarians, they're not welcome either. As much as it hurts to hear that you're not welcome in the community that you love in the city that you love, it's been utterly heartbreaking to watch members of this council nod along in agreement to these sentiments and compliment the speakers who stand and list the ways that I don't belong. Because if I don't belong, what does that say about the many people who aren't financially secure, who have yet to start a family, or who are new to our city, or perhaps even new to our country? Maybe I'm naive, but I thought Calgary was a city where anyone and everyone would be welcomed, could find a home suited for their lifestyle, in a community that was perfect for them, begin building a life, and contribute to our city's legacy. What I've heard this past week is that a large portion of our city should be open only to those who can afford a detached single family home, or those who can be thankful for the opportunity to have a shoebox apartment next to a bus stop. Anyone who doesn't fit these two categories should be banished to the far flung suburbs. Thankfully, I've also heard from many others this past week who have offered up another vision for Calgary. One where reducing planning red tape ensures every community can offer a variety of housing choices and welcome the broadest cross section of Calgarians. Critically, many of the voices who have stood up and encouraged Council to say no to repeal are not just speaking for themselves. They've been speaking for the hundreds of thousands of Calgarians who do not have the ability to set aside time to come speak at council. The Calgarians who are grinding away, trying to build a life and working towards securing a place they can call home. This silent majority of Calgarians could care less about zoning rules and simply want City Hall to make their lives better and make life in Calgary easier. If Council's been paying attention to the information provided by administration and many of the presenters this past week, it's clear that repealing rezoning will create red tape and roadblocks to housing, drive tax increases, and require more sprawl. How exactly is that helping Calgarians? I'm old enough to remember that when secondary suites were also seen as a policy that were destroying neighborhoods. Ironically, many who spoke out against secondary suites are now offering them up as a better solution to rezoning. That's to say change is hard, but the question before council shouldn't be. Look, I get that council has heard a bunch of competing narratives on what was good or bad about rezoning, but I'm hoping we can all at least agree on a few simple things. One, that old way wasn't working. We have decades of evidence that single family zoning was driving sprawl and making housing in Calgary more expensive. Going back to the old policies we had before, this is just dumb. Two, change is inevitable in a city growing to two million people. We all might love the Hallmark story of the street we grow up on as children, looking the exact same six years on, but the price to protect the majority of our city streets from change is one we just can't afford. Look at the prices in Toronto and Vancouver for how that story ends. We are all going to have to accept some level of change if we want to keep Calgary affordable. And street, whatever people think of the full full portfolio of RCG, four unit townhouses and duplexes with suites just aren't that scary. There should be no issues seeing them built across our city. The stakes are high. Calgary has had a long held goal of creating a 50-50 balance between a growth in new and established communities. The five year average has been 69% in new communities to 31% in established communities. Last year we finally saw a meaningful 12 point swing off the five year average, a 57% to 43% split. What changed last year? Blanket rezoning. Why does it matter? Well, hitting that 50 50 balance is projected to save the city of Calgary billions in infrastructure costs over the next few decades. That's significant fiscal firepower that can be deployed to build a heck of a lot of new pipes, wreck facilities, and LRT tracks. So today I've shared my story. Over the next few days, this council will write its own. Do you represent all Calgarians or only the single family homeowning type? Will you embrace ways to invite people into Calgary's communities or write rules designed to keep a vast majority of them out? Will you have the resolve to place good policy ahead of populist politics? Will you recognize that the old way of doing things was really about creating a pathway for people to say no? No to change, no to density, no to anything that isn't a detached single family home. I hope you'll show that Calgary is still a city willing to say yes to new things, and that living in a townhome or a duplex doesn't make anyone less of a Calgarian. I hope under this council, everyone can still find a corner of Calgary to call home. Thank you. Thank you so much. And I I think it was Ole on 110. Are you with us? Yes, I'm still here. Thank you. Please go ahead. So uh my name is Oli Walker. I uh I live in Ward 11, uh specifically in Palliser. And uh I've lived in Palliser for the last 40 years. I'm here to ask council to repeal bylaw twenty one p two thousand twenty-four and to uh to uh to ask them to find a better way to grow the city. So uh I uh I've been a resident of Palliser since that since nineteen eighty six and uh There's probably no reason why I would ever want to leave this area. It's it uh it actually uh gives me everything and anything I would ever want out of a uh stable, very friendly, very dreamed community. And that is really what I was looking for. It's mostly a single family community, uh I should say a single uh home home community per lot. And uh my wife and I uh raised uh two boys uh in our home, uh one of which I actually has liked it so much that he's decided to put down roots here as well, and he's become our neighbor. And uh and he's uh he's looking for the same thing. He's looking for a wonderful community and neighborhood that he can be a part of. So they say with with these with this uh up zoning change, there are a number of things that uh that are different than the way it was before. The way we had it before is that we uh we have stability in our neighborhood. The uh the uh the area was zoned for specific use. In this case, it was uh it was for uh for single-family homes. Uh, if development was proposed, and it could, then of course it would have to go through uh the rezoning requests, it would have to go through public hearings, councils would have to look at it, vote on it potentially. They would have to look at the impact on things like uh the the street, the character, the uh the greenery, et cetera, and the infrastructure, and then make a decision around whether to uh to permit this. And the uh uh the development would have to be balanced. Uh what's changed is that uh now the uh with the with this uh with this um This new uh uh uh regulation, uh you're looking at potentially up to eight units per uh per lock. And in fact, uh what I could say is that we actually have one development in our area as we speak, and it is an eight-unit development. And I spoke to the neighbors around that, it's gonna be under review. I spoke to the neighbors immediately around that, and they are not happy campers. The impact on them is quite negative. It's uh it's uh basically uh no control to them because it's uh it's it's uh speculation, it's basically a development. Someone that has no uh no interest in the community at all, who will not live there, who just wants to basically uh capitalize on on a quick profit, that sort of thing. So see uh the regulations have changed, they don't take into account things like infrastructure uh And uh and the impact on the on the nature, the makeup and the character of the uh of the community. And those are some of the negative things that uh that uh I I I'd say I would have to say that I'm not happy about. Thank you so much. So what uh what does it mean? Go ahead, sorry. No, sorry, please go ahead. Okay, so so what does it mean? Sorry. Sorry for interrupting you. I thought uh you had concluded. Um I sincerely apologize. Please go ahead, Ole. No worries, okay. So so uh what's changed? Well, first of all, if with with this change, it risks the change in the character of our of our neighborhood entirely. Everything from the building, the setbacks to how nature interacts, the quality, the the neighborliness, the friendliness is affected by this. We've lost our voice. We uh we uh we have we don't have the ability that we used to have in terms of voicing our opinion and our vote and and our let's say there's no accountability. Uh parking infrastructure, of course, will be strained by these large developments. Eight developments per lot is a significant increase. Long-term neighbors are being pushed out. In this particular case, because uh speculators are not invested in the community, it makes it unattractive for people that are looking for a stable single-family home type environment. This uh the the uh the upper zoning is a blunt tool instrument, it is not the right instrument for this specific purpose. Just by uh sharpening a hammer doesn't make it a better hammer. And I think that there are other areas in the city where this could be applied much more effectively. I'll give you an example. Uh McLeod Trail, the North South Corridor, and I've seen this in other European cities, is actually an area with with aged uh single story type commercial developments, just and and also unbuilt lots, just begging for redevelopment. And everywhere that I've seen development along that particular corridor, it's actually been beautified instead of aglifying it like it would in single in in these uh established uh neighborhoods. Uh and of course we're losing trees, we're losing the uh the natural uh ambience that that we so much liked and which actually attracted into our neighborhood as well. So what are we looking at? I'm asking Council to repeal blanket up zoning. I'd like to restore the old zoning with no tinkering. And I would start to uh to uh promote local planning over again as it was before. Thank you very much. That concludes that concludes this panel. Uh we'll go to Councillor Schmidt uh for questions for the panel. Uh Mr. Carlson. Because we heard from Kreb earlier and they did And I don't want to misquote them, but there was a strong representation that their submissions were included all of the membership, so I'm just wondering what your perspective on that engagement was around that and your own perspective. Well we have a board of directors. They are voted on just like council. Uh and we get to decide Who we want to put in those positions? They typically are supposed to vote on something. We can't find anything that says the board of directors voted on it at all. There would be meeting minutes that we can we can see. There was nothing proposed to any Calgary realtor. There was nothing in the Kreb. We typically have the option, if there's something so massive that we would get a voice, we would get to vote on it. Of course, you're not going to get 8,700 realtors to vote, but at least we should have had a choice, and there should have been a percentage of realtors chose that we wanted a full repeal. But the way it was proposed, and it was I was watching that at the time, and Councillor Kelly sort of asked a question. You were trying to get an answer out of them, and they didn't tell you the truth the whole story. There is really two representatives saying Or alluding to the fact that 8,700 realtors think that rezoning is bad. That is ludicrous. And it was not an option that we were given to say anything about it. So I really felt it was important that I got up here and a and explained that there are probably thousands and thousands of realtors who completely agree with the rezoning and and don't want it repealed at all, or at least want amendments. And I really didn't like the fact that they didn't even They didn't even look into the amendments. They had no position on it whatsoever, no knowledge. They just came in with a one one opinion and didn't have anything to offer, no statistics, no nothing to say anything about amendments that are being proposed. So how can they speak on behalf of the professionals who are here to try and help sell your homes, help you buy homes, and they're speaking on behalf of all of us? It was it was disgusting for many of us. So then your perspective as a realtor selling people homes with the changes that have come since 2024, what have you seen? Look, I come from this. Uh it's been terrible for me in many ways. I worked with developers doing townhomes, and they would buy one lot and and they would build a fourplex and they would sell off four units and I would get four listings, so therefore I'm getting five deals out of it, and now people buy one lot and they turn it into a rental. It's not good business for me. I don't come here because it's been good for my business. I come here because I care about Calgary and I understand what it's like to need the growth. I see we travel a lot, my family travels a lot, and we understand that people are coming because it's a great city. And you need to put them somewhere and to say that you can't have any increased density in certain communities, or at least have the thoughtful engagement of the communities with local area plans. Okay, well, if you can't if you're gonna repeal it, well then put it where they said they want it. And don't make a developer go through it and put in the financial risk and then fight with your neighbors, because that's what I went through. I've got I've been through it before. I've done rezonings for multiple properties, I've done a rezoning for for a fourplex, and and you end up just fighting with people. But if that's what the community wants, why are people fighting about it? That's what you asked for. You spend years putting these LAPs together, and then you still have to fight about it. And so then we also have heard that there is a scarcity now of single family homes available to buyers and that the these changes have really only made this type of row house, townhouse type build available in areas where people want to live. Have is this something that you've experienced? Well, I've been through many cycles. Yeah, being a realtor for more than twenty years. There's there's ups and downs of our market. It's it's going to continue to change. Yes, single family happens to be sought after right now, but there was a time when single family was not and you could basically give them away. Uh and now yes there's more There's more choice, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If there is more choice, then that means that the prices for townhomes and for smaller units that people can actually afford, a lot of people who can't afford a big expensive single lot house can now get in the market. That's not a bad thing. If prices of single families homes go up because of it, what how is it what's the problem? You're still creating housing for people who need it. And you can't put everybody in a single family home. What is the the average now? You've got, what is it, something like 30% of people uh of Calgarians live one single person in a single family home? That's not like when we grew up, right? When I grew up, everybody had three kids, four kids. You had homes with six people in them. Now you have homes with one or two. I got lots of friends and and clients who choose not to have kids. They're never gonna have kids, and they live in a single house with one person in it. And that's not how you actually grow a city. You can't just keep growing out. At least that's not my opinion. I I don't I don't want to see that. I'd love to see the neighborhoods, the inner city communities where you get you walk and you get to see your neighbors, you get to know everybody. How many people have got up here and spoken about how great it is? There's a forkplex that was built next to them, and now they're shoveling the sidewalk of the old person next door. It creates community. So then, based on your experience, are single family homes at risk in Calgary? Of all being redeveloped? Well, there's are lots of communities that already have restrictive covenants, and you're gonna have to take them to court, to court a king's bench, to actually have that restrictive covenant removed. You've got lots of communities that are going to oppose everything, and they're the land is so expensive. If you talk with like Civic Works did a fantastic job years ago when the rezoning went through, I understand that it's millions and millions of dollars, and people didn't want it, but what do you do when you're when the government dangles almost a billion dollars at you? Okay, well, we got to do something and you have to do it now. It wasn't thoughtful, it was just a blanket reproach approach, and I get that. But at the end of the day, um uh there is a need for housing, and sometimes, like civic work was saying, there's only about 5% of all the homes that were rezoned to RCG that you can actually build anything that is like an RCG property. You can't do it. I live in a cul-de-sac with a front attached garage and no back lane. You'll never gonna see a fourplex go in mine. You can't provide the parking for it. So it's not gonna happen until the housing choice, uh the options for housing changes. With the RCG zoning, you're never gonna do it. And that is about 95% of the homes in Calgary. So not every single family home is at risk, a very small percentage. Might see the increase in density, but not every home. Thank you. And those are all my questions. Thanks, uh Councillor Shabot, please. Same, same uh presenter. Yeah, I'm not sure if we're getting some of your statistics, but uh not gonna question that. Um you did make reference to something though about um about LEPs and uh Following in line with some of those LEPs, but we did hear a lot of folks here speak to the LEPs and say that it was a flawed process. So based on what you're saying, the communities, what the communities want. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that's what the communities want. You know, blanket rezoning is not what everybody wants. You're never going to find a policy that works for everybody. It's impossible. And the same thing with an LAP. But the the difference with an LAP, at least in my experience, because we own a couple of properties in West Dillhurst. And we just went through it. So I understand the process. I came at it from a developer, so they were they were talking with myself with a couple of different options. As a homeowner and as a developer, how do you how do you Create the density where people want it. And you're not gonna get, of course, the neighbors behind don't want any density. Just like anybody, you know, there's lots of people beside a fourplex, don't want it there. Well, where are you gonna put it? It takes years to engage, and you of course you can't make everybody happy, but at least there was a choice. It wasn't in a week-long hearing. This happened over years. There's so many opportunities for people to engage and give their opinion, and they did. And then they come back and they go, Okay, we can't make you all happy, but this is the best we came up with, and they agreed to that. That is the vision for the community, and most people, I believe, agreed with where that density should go. Not everyone, you'll never in a million years get everyone to agree. So that's that's great. Um if you look at LEPs that were approved uh prior to the blanket rezoning, there were areas that were identified as neighborhood local uh limited scale, which would have allowed single and and semis. Right. Uh post-implementation, the the option was completely taken out of the LAPs. So it therein lies the the dilemma. This is now permitted everywhere in the local LAPs. So you're saying where people support it, but that wasn't actually uh even on the table. I I I understand that that some of the LAPs are older and it doesn't necessarily support it, so maybe some of these need to be revised, maybe they need to go back. I'm just saying in that there are LAPs that called for density. And so I don't know what that time limit is. Like, was it anything done this year is fine? Everything two years and older is not fine. I don't know what that time limit is. I'm not here to speak and say how old an LAP should be to therefore support it. But I'm just saying that if you're not going to, if you're if you're going to repeal rezoning, if you're going to say we don't want it everywhere, then where are you going to put it? And what's the process to get there? You're and LEPs with community involvement that take years is the, I think, the most fair option for increased density that is available. If you had I'm not sure if you've been paying attention to what's been going on over the last little bit, but I I've asked. Councillor Shabot, you don't need to go. I'm getting to a question, Your Worship, respectfully. So I appreciate what you're saying. I guess the challenge from my perspective, and maybe you can tell me what you think, is if we do repeal, there's some LAPs that had no low density No load inc limited scale, i.e. single and and semi. The older ones did. And so I to your point, you're saying don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, you're throwing everything out. But if we go back to a city initiated redesignation in areas where it's supported by the community, do you think it would be wise to revisit some of the ones where that wasn't an option, which would be the newer ones? like you're talking about uh protecting certain areas. By looking at where it makes sense to your own I m I don't think it's fair that that The blanket rezoning went everywhere. I get it. I understand the the dilemma and the fear of everyone. But I understand also what it's like for a developer to now pay a million dollars or more for a single in inner city lot because that's what it costs now. And and what it has what's happened because of it is these developers are now being pushed to go a little bit further out. And it's creating communities and different housing options in different communities that didn't exist before. So I I think that the LAP, you know, well the blanket rezoning has worked in many ways because now you've got increased density in areas that would have probably never seen that without the blanket rezoning. And then if you're not, if you are going to repeal it, and then you have to have, I get it, that people want to, they bought into an RC1 neighborhood, they they have an expensive home, they want to protect it. I get that. And I don't I don't think that that's wrong. I just think that there are air areas in every like a look look at uh um Who was it? Uh uh one of the counselors, I think it was Pentosopoulos. I think you were talking about 17th Avenue as a as a prime place the other day for let's put a lot of increased density along 17th Avenue. Well, there's a restrictive covenant for uh CN Rail or CP rail uh that restricts anything more than a single family home. If you can't put increased density along 17th Avenue because of restrictive covenant, then where can you put it? That is one of the busiest traffic no traffic nodes in the city, yet, and there's also a set a road widening setback. So you can't always put it where it looks like it should work. But you do agree that that uh public engagement through the and and public consultation should form uh at least part of the plan on a go forward basis so that there's good public input and consultation to acknowledge where it makes the most sense. I l I love the LAP process. It's not great. I don't get exactly everything I want on properties that I've looked at purchasing or developers or, you know, some of my clients have bought. It's not it's not perfect. Like look at uh 37th Street. It's a prime example. You had MC1 zoned. And I think everybody here can realize that 37th Street is not great. A lot of people are developing things and they're going back for a rezoning because MC1 wasn't enough. It wasn't good enough. It didn't create what they wanted. It didn't create a mixed use kind of housing type where you've got businesses and it just wasn't great. At least it's it's a step in the right in the right direction, and you're literally trying to help put the density somewhere, and it was a process. That was city initiated. City, yeah, that one was done. And exactly, it was done like an LAP, like I'm proposing, is hey, if you're not going, if you're gonna repeal it or you're gonna put restrictions on the RCG zoning so you can't work, it doesn't work, uh then put it put to the zoning through that is proposed in those approved LAPs, anyways. And then it just takes the risk out of it. And developers will go there and they'll increase the density for you. And hopefully you can keep the federal money. Sounds like a great plan. I hope. Thanks. No further questions for me. Thanks. All right, uh Councillor Shabot, thank you. This uh I believe this concludes this panel. We have about 15 minutes uh remaining here. Uh I do I see somebody had just walked in uh who had been registered to speak. Yeah, let's uh accommodate uh you please. Yeah. Sorry, I don't know your name, but please come on down. Uh I'm gonna seek uh just one more name on the phone, and then I think that's going to uh wrap our public hearing. Is there anyone on the line from panels one through 20? Anyone on from panels 21 through 40? Anyone from 41 through 60? How about 61 through 70? 71 through 80? 81 through 90? Sorry, did somebody just speak now? How about 91 through 100? Yes. Alka Kaplan Thank you. Could you let me know which panel you were on? uh from panel ninety-four. Thank you so much. All right, uh we will hear from these two speakers and let's assess at six o'clock uh council if there's perhaps relatively few amounts of people to to hear from. We may have an option to continue to be able to close the public hearing. Uh please uh approach. If you don't mind just letting us know your name and panel number. Okay. My name is Kira Ostrasser and I was registered on panel 66. All right, thank you for your being with us. Yeah, five minutes. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Kira and I live in the University District, which is in Ward 7. I grew up in Sylvan Lake and would come to Calgary sometimes as a getaway with my mom. And something I always noticed when driving into Calgary from Sylvan were all of the individual houses sprawled on the outskirts of the city. Now, as a resident of Calgary, I would love to see us stop building outwards and focus on building up throughout the city. There is no need for a city of our population to have such a large geographic footprint. Blanket rezoning is one way for us to stop the sprawl going forward. I moved to Calgary from Edmonton four years ago. I graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and moved to Calgary to go to law school and study environmental law. Growing up in Sylvan Lake, I had easy access to natural spaces. The lake was my backyard and my playground. Blanket rezoning is one way for us to protect natural spaces on the outskirts of Calgary from development. If we repeal blanket rezoning, it will make it harder for Calgarians to access natural spaces because they will have to go further and further outside of the city. Access to natural spaces is incredibly important for the mental health of our communities. When I moved here from Edmonton, my rental prices almost doubled. Rent is incredibly expensive in Calgary, and rezoning would help us to increase the availability of affordable housing in the city. I love living in the university district because it is such a walkable community and there is lots of high density housing. Rezoning would allow more neighborhoods in Calgary to be like the university district, and I think that would be a very positive thing. When I moved here from Edmonton, I was expecting transit in Calgary to be much more accessible, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case. More communities in Calgary need access to transit, and that won't happen if we keep expanding the city's footprint. I would also like to buy a home eventually. As a young lawyer, that feels like the natural next step in my life. I would like to stay in central Calgary so that I am close to my office downtown. However, I feel that homes in the communities close to downtown are very expensive. Keeping blanket rezoning would allow us to increase the availability of affordable homes in areas of the city where people want to live. It is for all of these reasons that I would ask you to oppose repealing blanket rezoning. Blanket rezoning allows us to protect our environment, build a more climate resilient city, and support affordable housing. I would urge you not to repeal blanket rezoning without replacing it with something else. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh we'll go to Ostrasser next, please. Oh, that was you? Okay. Uh no, that's sorry, that was uh Kaplan on 94. I apologize. Uh good evening, council. My name is Alka Kaplan. I live in Ward 8, and I am in grade 10 at Western Canada High School. I I'm here today to urge the council to vote no to repealing citywide rezoning. Being a teenager, as you can probably guess, I appreciate my autonomy. Nevertheless, I still often find myself asking my parents for rides around the city due to its underdeveloped transit system. Higher density will lead to better transit, as other panelists have already shown, and I will no longer be wasting my parents' precious time just to schlep me across our city's considerable sprawl. Mayor and counselors, please consider your commute, the ones of your children, and the time lost to it. Please also take into account the environmental impact caused by driving when putting in your vote. Thank you council for your time. Please vote no. Thank you so much for that. I don't see any questions for this panel. Colleagues, uh, I believe that we have four net additional callers on the line. Um Mr. Clerk, uh what would it uh take for us to perhaps reconsider the previous decision uh uh to end at six o'clock and maybe revise that to six thirty? We can prep that motion, yes. Okay. Uh colleagues, what do you think of pushing another half hour? It's possible we may conclude the public hearing. Okay. All right. Uh we will prepare that motion. Actually, just a moment from a process standpoint. We did share with the public that we would be going to six o'clock, and if we did not go beyond, or rather, that we were going to end at six o'clock, and that if we did not conclude by six o'clock, there'd be the opportunity on Tuesday. I actually just regret what I just said because I think from a pre process and procedural fairness standpoint, it uh it would not be that it wouldn't be fair for us to push hard a little bit later tonight in order to end the public hearing. I know there's probably A desire to get to questions of clarification and debate, but from a process standpoint, uh I would advise that we do not uh do that. And I I apologize for opening the can of worms and uh immediately trying to uh to to jam it sh to jam it shut. Uh at this point, I though I believe that uh we we do have another eight minutes. I'm going to attempt to get one more speaker. Uh Councillor Chabot, did you want to speak? Just wanna suggest that we got through these last two in about eight minutes. Maybe we could get through two. Yep. All right, let's try to All right. Uh Anyone uh from 75 to 100 on the line? Anyone from 100 to 110? Anyone from sorry, who just spoke? Kendra Holinski. Oh, I uh 11 actually, sorry. Sorry, Kendra? We're we're gonna sneak you in. Go ahead. Uh you have five minutes starting now. Please go ahead. Sorry, me, go ahead. Yeah, please go ahead, Kendra. Thank you. Okay. Um, hello, Mayor, Councilpersons, and fellow Calgarians. Uh I want to say I really like your rubber ducks, by the way. Uh your worship. Thank you. My name is Kendra Holinski. I'm 20 lifelong Calgarian. I live in I'm here to speak on behalf of myself, but I would also like to speak on behalf of the people who aren't able to be here. And had voice in these proceedings, even though they will be some of the most affected by your decision. Some of these people were actually not able to election either. One of whom should and maybe the people in their early 20s too, who just haven't quite realized that politics affects them yet. Well, I've been there. I used to think this kind of stuff was pretty boring and had no real effect on my life. However, I've been watching these hearings and listening to the Calgarians sharing their opinions with great interest because I know that the decision this council makes after these hearings. It's going to have longstanding consequences for everyone who calls this city home. I understand that a lot of people were upset about citywide rezoning. It wasn't popular. However, good leadership isn't all about popularity. It's about doing what needs to be done, planning for the future, and taking the welfare of everyone into consideration, not just the loudest minority. I am so frustrated hearing all the same circular arguments. I'm angry that this entire clown show that we're calling engagement has been going on, where we're asking a bad question and asking people who aren't qualified to understand city planning to give their opinion on how we can build our city for the future. I can't believe we're having a vote to repeal the bylaw made by our previous council without even trying to come up with a reasonable replacement first. This is the worst kind of politics. The swinging back and forth, undoing all the work of the previous council to please the people who voted for you with no thought of planning for the future or creating actual sustainable policy. Also, can we please talk about how RC1 is the definition of one size fits all zoning? Universal RCG gives us more options, not less. But believe it or not, if you do not repeal this bylaw, every neighborhood full of single family homes is not going to be bulldozed overnight. If this bylaw stands for 30, 40, or 50 years, I can guarantee there will still be many neighborhoods in Calgary full of single family homes because that's what some people want. That's what the market wants. But people want and need other options too. I find it so ironic how many Calgarians advocate for a free market and for the market to regulate itself on everything except housing. No, when it comes to housing we need more government control, regulation and red tape. Come on. I will end this by asking you to please consider young Calgarians in the choice you make because we are the ones who are going to be inheriting the mess if you choose to repeal this bylaw. We're going to inherit the higher tax burden, the municipal services spread thin over endless sprawl, the forced car ownership, and the unaffordable home prices. We're going to be stuck paying over half our monthly income and rent just to survive. And the people who are currently homeowners and who are the strongest opposers of citywide rezoning will have moved into old age homes or they'll have passed away, or they'll still be living in their precious single family home, aging in place, refusing to give up driving because they can't get anywhere otherwise, and they'll be wondering why their kids moved out of Calgary and made it so that they only get to see their grandkids a few times a year. Also on that note, please look into allowing more zoning for walkable neighborhood corner stores and other small amenities within communities. Thank you. That's all I have. Thank you so much for being here with us. I understand there's uh six more people in the line, colleagues, so I think we've arrived pretty much at six o'clock here, and we're gonna be back uh at 9 30 a.m. on Tuesday in order to continue and and likely uh conclude the the public hearing. I think it's the intent of uh most of you that I've spoken with for us to run Tuesday to the public hearing and then recess that day and then come back the day after uh to begin uh questions of clarification and and potential debate. So uh with that I'm gonna bang the gavel three minutes early. We will uh everyone have an amazing Easter. Enjoy uh a very long weekend with your families and see you back fresh on in the chamber at Tuesday at 9 30. Yeah.", "num_speakers": 71, "refined_by": "gemini", "model": "gemini-2.5-pro", "timestamp": "2026-06-17T20:53:43.207932+00:00", "original_file": "/tmp/tmp0i_wwgx4/b1d2e885-2744-42df-b56f-d167f3155aec.mkv", "chunking_strategy": { "total_segments": 2845, "num_chunks": 2, "chunk_size": 1500, "speaker_mappings_found": 61, "refined_speakers": 13, "generic_speakers": 58 } }