by D. Jeanne Kimber | [email protected]
The North Hill Communities Local Area Plan (NHC LAP) was given second and third readings at Council on September 13, 2021 and was approved by a nearly unanimous vote of the Councillors. While the community association is pleased at the final result of the years of engagement and work by volunteers to help develop the plan, we are also very disappointed with a new development that was approved by the City for the west side of Centre Street NW between 42nd and 43rd Avenues. Instead of a possible multi-storey commercial / residential building – which would conform to the vision embodied in the NHC LAP – the City approved a 1-storey “strip mall” type of retail / commercial development. Parking will be at the rear, accessed from the lane. This is the type of redevelopment that the association is not happy to see, especially considering that this block is well within the 600-metre radius of the transit hub at 40th Avenue and Centre Street.
Approval has been given for a land use change to R-CG for 4025 2nd St NW. A development permit has not yet been filed for the property, but the intention of the developer is to construct a rowhouse with secondary suites. The other land use change application for R-CG zoning was for the property at 204 33 Ave NE and it was also approved by Council at the September 13 meeting.
There has been no change since last month concerning the proposed Wing Kei Society Phase 1 long-term care facility near the northeast corner of 40th / 41st Avenue and Centre St NE. The Community Association is in general support of the overall project although we raised several concerns about the plans and about traffic management. The Development Permit reference is DP2021-3320. Just across the road on the south side of 40th / 41st Avenue at 4111 1 Street NE is a proposed multi-residential development consisting primarily of one and two-bedroom apartments. This building would be 5 to 6 storeys in height, stepping down from Centre A Street NE down to 1 Street NE. The Development Permit reference is DP2020-8284 and it is still currently under review by the City planning department.
An application has been submitted for a land use change for two properties just uphill on Centre A St NE and 40th / 41st Avenue. The requested change is for M-H1 zoning, which is a multi-residential land use that supports 4 to 8 storey apartment buildings that may include commercial storefronts. The application reference number is LOC2021-0088. This application will be heard by the Calgary Planning Commission on October 21, 2021.
The HPCA has raised our concerns about future traffic flow and management on all of these larger projects, which are within the 600-metre distance from the future Green Line station on Centre Street. The intersection at Centre Street and 40th Avenue can back-up with left-turning traffic. The proposed projects listed above will be needing to access 40th / 41st Avenue NE at either Centre A Street or from 1 Street NE. These intersections are currently governed by stop signs and emerge onto 40th / 41st Avenue on a hill and a curve. We have repeatedly stated in our submissions to the city that a plan for managing and controlling the traffic needs to be created and implemented prior to construction of these projects.
Please note that status information about any Development Permit or Land Use Change application can be found on the City’s Planning and Development map at https://developmentmap.calgary.ca/. Just zoom in and click on the property you wish to examine in greater detail. Details about the application and contact information for the file manager will then be available to view.
Regarding several significant applications:
- We are keeping a close eye on DP2021-0979 for a rowhouse at 3404 3 Street NW. This application is still under review. The HPCA strenuously objected to the plans presented for this parcel for a 5-unit townhouse building. The plans were modified somewhat but still did conform to the rules stipulated for rowhouse structures. The developer has been in communication with the association and has indicated to us they are considering applying for a land use change to M-CG to allow for their proposed design. We have suggested that a 3-unit rowhouse would be more appropriate for the lot.
- The community association opposed a proposed land use change from M-C1 to MU-1 for the property at 4519 Centre St NW. An MU-1 designation would allow for a larger apartment type structure with the potential for ground floor commercial / retail uses. Parking for the parcel is currently served by a dead-end laneway that is accessed from 44 Ave NW. The parcel is also immediately adjacent to the Highland Park golf course lands. The community association believes that larger scale redevelopment at this site is inappropriate for the location and with the limitations imposed by access at the rear to parking. Moreover, the parcel is at the very outer edge of the 600-metre radius from the 40th Avenue and Centre Street transit hub (future Green Line station), and in our view, is not close enough to that hub to justify greatly increased density or commercial uses. The file reference is LOC2019-0065.
- A DP application for a rowhouse at 4024 2nd St NW is still currently under review. We are expecting to be circulated on amended plans.
- A land use change application for 308 32 Avenue NE will be going to the Calgary Planning Commission at an unspecified future date. This is for a change from R-C2 to M-CG to enable the construction of a 4-plex. The file reference is LOC2021-0084.
- The Development Permit was released on October 5 for a multi-residential development at 352 34 Ave NE. This building is intended to provide affordable housing to aboriginal elders. The file reference is DP2020-7797.
Plans for applications can be viewed upon inquiry to either the city or to [email protected]. We regret that we are not allowed to post them on our community website or Facebook page. The city will gradually be making this option available through their development map site.
