In order to create a more robust public engagement process for discretionary uses in the R-CG land use district, direct Administration to:

a. Review and enhance The City of Calgary Applicant Outreach Toolkit in collaboration with interested community associations, residents and industry to improve transparency in community outreach and engagement for development permit applications in R-CG districts, using this process to either create an incentive or requirement for community engagement prior to a formal application submission, with an update to Council by end of 2024 Q3; 

b. Create a Rowhouse How-to Guide with input from interested community associations, residents and industry that identifies contextually appropriate design strategies (including but not limited to building height, placement and treatment of windows, air conditioners, waste & recycling bins and landscaping), with an update to Council by end of 2024 Q4; 

c. Explore incentives for an expedited application timeline for those applications that demonstrate strong collaboration with community and compliance with process (as per the Outreach Tool and Rowhouse How-to Guide), with an update to Council by end of 2024 Q4; and 

d. Determine the necessary resources and any associated funding required to fully implement and sustain a Community Planning Planner Liaison program as previously discussed with some innercity communities and report back to Council no later than the end of 2024 Q3 for any resource and budget requests.

Direct Administration to utilize or leverage an existing community and industry working group to mutually seek efficiencies in the development permit process to expedite development permit timelines, while making townhouse and rowhouse development permits more consistent and standardized in RCG areas to create transparency and predictability for applicants and the public. 

Direct Administration to sequence the completion of Local Area Plans in the developed areas of the city by: 

a. Identifying the areas with the most demand based on the number of applications; and 

b. Prioritizing these areas in the sequencing of future Local Area Plans.

Direct Administration to consider changes to the Land Use Bylaw, including provisions related to the current R-G, R-CG and H-GO districts, to address issues related to privacy for adjacent neighbours identified through this report as part of its reporting to Council on the City Building Program.

Direct Administration to review all plans already completed as part of the current Local Area Planning program, and engage with affected communities, to determine whether any amendments to the Local Area Plans are warranted as a result of the proposed rezoning, and report back to Infrastructure and Planning Committee with an interim update no later than 2025 Q1.

Direct Administration to prepare a quarterly briefing on the implementation of the Rezoning for Housing initiative to Infrastructure and Planning Committee beginning 2025 Q1 including: 

a. The effect of Rezoning for Housing on housing supply, including the number of permits issued for new low-density residential units in R-G/R-CG and H-GO districts; 

b. Timelines for permit approvals; and

c. A summary of public letters received on development permits enabled by Rezoning for Housing including the overall number in support or opposition and recurring themes of concerns raised. 

Direct Administration to report back annually to Community Development Committee starting no later than 2026 Q2 with a report on the Rezoning for Housing Initiative that includes: 

a. Impacts of the Rezoning for Housing program at increasing housing supply; 

b. Impacts of the Rezoning for Housing program at speeding up permit approval timelines;

c.  Community and industry feedback that Administration has received related to Rezoning for Housing; and 

d. Recommendations to address issues in the Land Use Bylaw, Local Area Planning program, and permit approvals that have arisen from Rezoning for Housing.

Direct Administration, in alignment with Home is Here recommendation 4.B.2, speed up approval processes as appropriate, in order to continue to support the construction of more housing, to bring forward amendments to Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 that exempts free hold/fee simple townhouse and rowhouse developments, that meet the requirements of land use bylaw 1P2007, within newly developing greenfield communities from the need to obtain a development permit and report back to Council by end of 2024 Q3. 

Direct Administration to review all City-owned parks and evaluate the appropriate district and include a recommendation to rezone with the implementation of the new Zoning Bylaw.

Direct Administration to research and return to Council before the 2025 Mid-Cycle Budget program with recommendations (including budget and organizational accountability) to resurrect the municipal census program with the intention of conducting

Direct Administration to investigate and report back on options to improve the public notification systems and information provided to users through the City’s planning and development information systems (i.e., DMAP, Calgary.ca, etc.), and report back by 2025 Q4.

a. Include Secondary Suites and Backyard Suites in density calculations in the new Zoning Bylaw, and that minimum density requirements be updated in zones where suites are allowed to reflect this change; and 

b. Report back to Council in Q1, 2025 with a scoping report that includes:

i. the overall unit count/density calculation for each community that includes secondary suites and backyard suites as units. 

ii. a list of all departments that have calculations based off unit count and the implications of unit counting for all other City departments (fee for service, fee calculations).

Delete and replace subsection 153.1(a)(vi) with the following: “Must not be located on the same parcel or bare land unit as either a Rowhouse Building or a Townhouse use. 

That Council delete Section 1 (o) of Bylaw 21P2024 (Attachment 3) and replace it with the following:

1.  Delete subsection 546 and replace with: “546 (1) The minimum number of motor vehicle parking stalls is calculated based on the sum of all units and suites at a rate of 1.0 stalls per unit or suite

2.  Notwithstanding subsection (1), the minimum number of motor vehicle parking stalls is calculated based on the sum of all units and suites at a rate of 0.5 stalls per unit or suite for the area listed in Table 2.1. [Table 2.1 simplified: 0.5 stalls in 1960s and older communities]

That with respect to proposed Bylaw 21P2024, the amendment be further amended as follows:

That a new subsection 3 be inserted to the text for Section 546 of Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, as amended, that is proposed in Section 1(o) of proposed Bylaw 21P2024, as follows:

“3. Notwithstanding subsection (1), and (2) the minimum number of motor vehicle parking stalls is calculated based on the sum of all units and suites at a rate of 0.5 stalls per unit or suite for development within 600.0 metres of an existing LRT platform or BRT bus stop."

That Council direct Administration to augment Home is Here recommendation 1.C.13.l by tracking Development Permit applications on RC-G parcels city-wide to identify areas where increased densification requires infrastructure investment (including but not limited to water, roads, and parks), and bring forward the most appropriate funding tool to ensure growth is supported with proper infrastructure, with a report back to Council through Infrastructure and Planning Committee once each year at the end of the year

That Council direct Administration to bring a summary of the cumulative budget, resource and workplan implications resulting from the final Council amendments made to the original recommendation on CPC2024-0213 to the 2024 June 11 Executive Committee. 

That Council request that the Mayor write a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs on behalf of Council requesting that the development permit appeal period specified in section 686(1)(a) of the Municipal Government Act be shortened from 21 days to 14 days to facilitate the faster release of such permits. 

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

• Housing — Grade Oriented (H-GO) District
• Residential — Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District
• Residential — Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) District
• Rezoning for Housing insert

Cities are always growing and changing, and our communities need to keep pace!

Most mature communities, especially those built prior to 1980, are declining in population. New homes are also more efficient, which means these communities have the infrastructure (e.g. roads, water and waste management) capacity to handle more types of housing.

Enabling more housing supply and options in developed communities will allow more people to benefit from the infrastructure, services, and amenities that already exist in these areas. It will also help us to meet the goals of the Calgary Climate Strategy by:

• Decreasing the distance between trips to work, school, or amenities.
• Creating opportunities to get around the city by walking, biking, or taking transit and reducing the need for trips by automobile.
• Preserving natural grassland and agricultural land on the outskirts of the city.
• Allowing more people to live in new, more efficient homes in already developed areas of the city. New housing can be 35-50% more energy efficient than the older housing it replaces.

No. At the time of development or redevelopment a landowner will decide what type of housing they would like to build. The proposed development would have to comply with all the rules of the Land Use Bylaw. The landowner decides what type of home they want. Further, because the rules of R-CG and R-G have been amended over time, they provide the best rules to develop all forms, including single-detached homes.

Yes. Most established area communities, especially those built prior to 1980, are below their historical peak population. Due to declining population in those areas, and higher efficiency houses being built, there is existing infrastructure capacity (roads, transit stops, water and wastewater management, etc.) to handle more types of housing.

Research shows that adding new homes improves housing affordability for Calgarians. Even when new housing is expensive, adding more homes means fewer people are competing against each other to find a home that fits their needs and budgets.

Allowing a variety of housing types saves Calgarians money because more options mean households only have to pay for what they need for their lifestyle. Adding new homes in an area can reduce rents nearby because older homes need to be priced more competitively to attract households.

New communities play a large role in enabling supply and affordability. Nevertheless, the demand for homes in established communities is very high. Restricting different types of housing, including ground-oriented rowhouses and townhouses in established communities, would result in demand outpacing supply and further increases in rents and prices, reducing affordability. Offering people more choice in the type of housing that suits their needs, including proximity to employment and amenities, can reduce emissions by decreasing travel distance and increasing transportation options. Having more housing options also provides Calgarians the opportunity to live and remain in the same community close to friends, family, and the things we know and enjoy, as our housing needs change over our lifetime.

Consumer choice has strong impacts on city growth. Significant brownfield redevelopment opportunities are limited. TODs and corridors have land value, population and job targets that mean most new homes will be apartments. While apartments are crucial, demand for ground-level housing in Calgary is high.

Sales data analyzed by Assessment & Tax does not show a loss in value of properties adjacent to new rowhouses. Administration will monitor property values in areas of redevelopment to confirm if changes to property values occur. 

To improve the space for waste and recycling bins, Administration has added requirements to Development Permit applications for:

• Site design and screening;
• More room for on-site waste and recycling bins through greater flexibility in site design; and
• Providing educational resources to applicants.

Bylaw changes now also allow bin-sharing, the use of new technologies, and bin enforcement. Further long-term improvements are also being explored.

Success includes the ability for more Calgarians to find a stable, quality home that fits their lifestyles, in a community that meets their needs. Administration will monitor and track the number of new units measured against anticipated units, their location, price and effect on city-wide housing costs.

Calgary currently has 40 new communities under development on its city edges. In 2023, approximately 12,500 new homes were approved for construction in these communities, marking the highest number of housing starts in at least a decade. Despite this surge in construction activity, the supply of homes still failed to keep pace with the strong demand, leading to rising prices and rents. New communities made up for 76% of the total citywide share of new homes, highlighting how fast these communities are already building. Rezoning initiatives have been proposed to help remove barriers and facilitate the development of low to medium density housing in established communities. This move aims to unlock new housing options and increase supply to meet the needs of Calgarians during a period of rapid growth.

All net new increases in units including through infill contribute toward the treatment plant portion of the off-site levy. For linear infrastructure (pipes) the developer/builder historically is directly responsible for local connections. Where development proposals trigger unanticipated local capacity upgrades, traditionally the developer was directly responsible for paying for the upgrade (rather than through a levy). However the City is introducing a process to equitably share that cost through a levy-type mechanism.

The City has developed a strategic approach to guide growth and identify investment needs throughout Calgary. A Citywide Growth Strategy was developed that addresses the three geographic areas of the city: the New Community Growth Strategy, the Industrial Growth Strategy and the Established Area Growth and Change Strategy. This last strategy connects planning, financial, and investment decisions to support our existing communities as they experience growth and change. It supports communities and local businesses so they can be vibrant and successful for decades to come.