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The stage is set for a repeat of the marathon public hearing on blanket rezoning, with hundreds of Calgarians ready to make their voices heard starting Monday.
Two years after the longest public hearing in the city’s history, where more than 700 people shared their thoughts, council will once again hear arguments for and against the controversial policy.
As of Friday, more than 300 people have signed up to speak, and there are more than 2,300 written submissions, making the agenda some 6,800 pages long.
Coun. DJ Kelly said his team’s preliminary estimate found the vast majority of written submissions are in favour of repeal, according to a post on social media.
The majority of councillors would also like to see previous zoning rules brought back. In December, the newly elected council voted 13-2 to start the process of repealing blanket rezoning.
Councillors are preparing for 12-hour days, and the hearing could end up stretching into a second week. The 2024 hearing ended up costing the city about $1.3 million.
How did we get here?
Blanket rezoning allows for multi-unit homes like rowhouses, duplexes and fourplexes to be built more easily in established neighbourhoods previously zoned for only single-family homes or semi-detached homes.
The goal was to expedite building and increase supply to ease the housing crunch facing the city.
Blanket rezoning is back on the agenda at Calgary city hall. Councillors will once again hear from hundreds of Calgarians with thoughts on the policy, a redo of the city’s longest-ever public hearing two years ago. (CBC News)
The previous council greenlit the idea as part of its housing strategy adopted in 2023, though it quickly faced pushback from some councillors and residents alike.
Months later, in April 2024, a days-long public hearing unfolded, attracting hundreds of Calgarians.
Opponents argued the change would crowd streets with more vehicles, put an added strain on infrastructure and change the character of neighbourhoods.
Those in favour argued it would cut red tape and help boost the number of available units, without continuing the city’s outward sprawl.
Council passed the bylaw in May 2024 in a 9-6 vote.
Since then, it has remained a divisive policy, and the idea of repeal was a much-repeated campaign promise during the fall municipal election.
There have been questions though about what repeal could mean. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation warned last month doing so could put at risk millions of dollars in federal housing funds.
Councillors ready for long days
“I for one am definitely looking forward [to it]. This is what direct democracy looks like. You get an opportunity to come down, have your five minutes to tell city council exactly what you think,” said Ward 4’s Kelly.
Kelly said while the issue before council currently is to repeal or not, there could be opportunities down the road to find some middle ground as councillors craft a new zoning bylaw.
Coun. John Pantazopoulos said councillors will remain open to persuasion during the hearing.
“I think the most important conversation that’s happening is, what do we build to? I think what we had before didn’t work, what we have today doesn’t work,” he said.
The sentiment was echoed by Mayor Jeromy Farkas, who campaigned on repealing blanket rezoning.
“Each and every one of us, regardless of whether we voted for the notice of motion to begin the repeal or not, has an open mind,” Farkas said. “We’re going into this engagement in good faith.”
The deadline for written submissions has passed, but members of the public can still sign up to speak at the public hearing. Registration will remain open until the hearing ends.