Councillors aim to take citywide rezoning proposal to a plebiscite

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Six Calgary metropolis councillors are hoping to take the contentious problem of citywide rezoning to a plebiscite through the subsequent municipal election.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean stated he’ll introduce a discover of movement at subsequent Tuesday’s government committee assembly that calls on administration to “plan for and put together a vote of the electors on citywide blanket rezoning.”

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If McLean’s movement is permitted at a future council assembly, the plebiscite can be held together with the following municipal election on Oct. 20, 2025.

“Not one councillor campaigned on a mandate for upzoning your entire metropolis,” McLean stated Thursday.

“One thing this consequential, I believe, ought to go to the individuals for a vote of the electors.”

5 councillors are co-sponsoring the discover of movement — Sonya Sharp, Terry Wong, Andre Chabot, Sean Chu and Peter Demong.

“That is one thing that’s going to affect each single Calgary home-owner . . . to the tune of a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} of their funding cash,” Demong stated. “I believe it could be prudent of us to say, ‘Are you in favour of this or not?’ ”

What’s blanket rezoning?

The proposal to alter Calgary’s base residential zoning district to Residential Grade-Oriented infill (RC-G) was included within the metropolis’s housing technique that council permitted final September.

A way to spice up density in beforehand developed neighbourhoods that at present solely allow single-family housing, the RC-G district permits for medium-density houses, resembling duplexes, fourplexes and row homes, to be constructed on a person parcel of land.

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RC-G additionally permits for the event of secondary suites and yard suites.

The town has performed session on the proposal since January, together with mail-outs and in-person data classes.

Employees at these classes claimed blanket rezoning wouldn’t solely enhance Calgary’s density, but additionally streamline the method for owners who wish to redevelop their property, because it eliminates the necessity for particular person rezoning functions (although a improvement allow should be required).

The town additionally claims a base RC-G district would assist with Calgary’s housing affordability because it permits for extra items general, thus rising provide.

However McLean says there are higher methods to deal with Calgary’s housing disaster.

“I’ve nothing (towards) density, however it ought to be performed in the precise locations — alongside transit-oriented corridors,” he stated. “Possibly not in the course of a longtime group.”

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Blanket rezoning would change the character and cloth of established communities, he added.

“I’d similar to to listen to what the individuals need to say,” he stated. “What I’ve heard from many residents — and I do know my fellow councillors have as nicely — is that the general public is feeling they’re not being listened to. What higher option to present them we’re listening than by having a plebiscite?”

The town has held plebiscites on hot-button points earlier than, resembling the choice to reinstall fluoride in Calgary’s consuming water and on whether or not to bid on internet hosting the Olympics in 2026.

Rezoning proposal consists of council’s approval at public listening to

Whereas councillors adopted the housing technique in September, they’d need to approve the blanket rezoning element individually at a public listening to, as it could end in adjustments to the town’s land-use bylaw. That listening to is ready for April 22.

If a majority of councillors vote in favour of McLean’s movement, the general public listening to can be cancelled.

In a reply to McLean’s publish on X, the positioning previously often known as Twitter, Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian famous that each one of Calgary’s newer communities constructed prior to now 10 years are already zoned at a base RG, or low-density combined housing. This district accommodates a spread of combined housing types, together with cottage housing clusters, duplexes, row homes, semi-detached and single-detached houses.

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Chatting with reporters Thursday, Mian known as the thought of a plebiscite on the rezoning proposal a delay tactic that will push the dialogue forward, doubtlessly changing into a wedge problem through the subsequent election.

She stated she’d want to listen to what Calgarians need to say on the public listening to.

“The advantage of a public listening to is that everybody can come and communicate to it,” she stated. “Even people who’re towards the rezoning, I’m not satisfied a plebiscite is the precise route to go if you wish to oppose it.”

Federal cash contingent on rezoning

in November, the town acquired $228 million from the federal authorities’s Housing Accelerator Fund to streamline hundreds of recent residence builds within the coming years.

Earlier than approving the town’s utility, federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser advised Mayor Jyoti Gondek that the funding can be contingent on elements of the housing technique being permitted — together with the removing of “exclusionary zoning” insurance policies.

Neither Mian, Demong nor McLean may reply Thursday if the federal funding can be affected if council chooses to pursue a plebiscite, although McLean acknowledged it’s doable.

“The province is speaking about how they’d wish to see the cash coming via the province and never on to the town,” he famous. “I cannot be bribed by the Trudeau authorities to alter my zoning legal guidelines. That’s what I see it as.”

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