Calgary city council has voted in favor of the amended citywide rezoning bylaw after four weeks of debate, thousands of public feedback on the controversial proposal and two days of debate.
Council voted 9-6 to approve the bylaw, with councilors Dan Mclean, Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Sean Chu, Terry Wong and Peter Demong voting against.
The vote comes after the council spent 12 days and 100 hours in a public hearing, the longest public hearing in the city’s history.
In total, approximately 736 speakers spoke. About 227 people spoke in favor, while 458 people were against and 51 people remained neutral on the ordinance.
The city also received 6,101 entries and more than 50,000 people watched the livestream.
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This move means that Calgary’s Land Use Bylaw will be amended to make Residential Infill (R-CG) the default residential zoning district in the city.
R-CG enables a variety of home types, including single-family homes, semi-detached homes, duplexes and townhomes.
However, the change won’t be implemented until sometime in August.
The move was a key recommendation and one of more than 80 recommendations in the city’s housing strategy aimed at increasing supply and improving housing affordability.
According to city projections, the transition to R-CG would result in an additional 250 homes annually being redeveloped into townhomes, which could translate into approximately 750 net new additional homes.
The city government also said rezoning will increase transit options, such as active and mass transit systems.
Many organizations that provide resources to vulnerable Calgary residents have urged the council to pass the bylaw, arguing it could potentially speed up the process of developing non-market housing.
However, those opposed to the ordinance argued that by adding duplexes, triplexes and townhomes, the municipality will introduce too much density into the RC-1 zoned neighborhoods, ultimately changing their character.
Others said they are unsure that the rezoning will actually have an impact on housing prices, arguing that developers and landlords will charge high rents for new construction.
Many Calgarians also expressed concern about not feeling heard by the city council and administration, claiming their rights are being taken away.
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