by S. Acteson
At the time of writing, both plans are in limbo. The North Hill Communities Local Area Plan was tabled and will return to the Combined Meeting of Council on Monday, April 12, 2021 for further discussion and direction.
The Guidebook for Great Communities and North Hill Communities Local Area Plan were presented and discussed at the public hearing of Council March 22 to 24, 2021. Over 130 citizens provided feedback directly, with 24 people speaking specifically to the North Hill Communities Local Area Plan. Additional input was also received through written submissions and numbered over 450 individual submissions. This was the longest Public Hearing in over ten years.
The Guidebook team was directed by Council to report back to the Standing Policy Committee on Planning and Urban Development on May 5, 2021 with a What We Heard Report (summarizing comments received through the public hearing related to the Guidebook), as well as any proposed amendments to the Guidebook for Council consideration. For details and council minutes, please see https://www.calgary.ca/ca/city-clerks/legislative-services/agenda-minutes.html.
Future decisions may include making the Guidebook non-statutory. In this way, the City would not require a public hearing. If they choose to move it forward as statutory, and include amendments, depending on the scale of amendments, it may require a second public hearing. Council appears to want to adopt this plan before the pre-election “black-out” period and have not supported any efforts to have the document delayed until after the October 2021 election.
Thank you to the residents who chose to write into Council as well as speak in what was at times a rocky and very protracted public hearing.
Much of the future steps on both plans will be decided after the deadline for the View’s submissions. The CHCA will endeavor to provide relevant updates in a timelier fashion through email news and social media. Keep informed by signing up for the CHCA e-news and follow us on social media!
