A plan to guide future redevelopment in several southwest Calgary communities has been given the green light from city council, after some pushback from residents during a public hearing at city hall.
The city’s Westbrook Local Area Plan aims to direct 30 years of future development and growth in ten southwest communities, to address a population decline in those areas over the last 50 years.
The ten communities included in the plan are: Glenbrook, Glendale, Killarney/Glengarry, Richmond, Rosscarrock, Shaganappi, Spruce Cliff, Westgate, Wildwood and Upper Scarboro/Sunalta West.
According to city data, the population of those communities peaked at 37,619 in 1968, but saw a 4.1 per cent population decline to 36,058 people by 2019.
A city report said only Killarney and Spruce Cliff have more people living there than they did 40 to 50 years ago.
“By supporting increased density in key locations, such as transit stations, main streets and activity centres, and gradual growth within neighbourhoods, population in the Westbrook Communities can start to recover, reversing trends of school closures and loss of neighbourhood amenities,” a city report said.
Although the plan wouldn’t rezone any properties in the communities, it highlights certain areas where higher density housing options like rowhouses and multi-unit homes would be allowed to be built.
More than 30 residents and representatives from the communities included in the plan were on hand at city hall Tuesday for a public hearing.
Many residents, including Glendale Community Association president Chris Welner, voiced their opposition to the plan.
“We don’t really feel like community concerns have been listened to,” Welner told Global News.
Concerns varied between the city’s consultation process, increased traffic and parking issues due to density, and how the plan could impact communities largely made up of single family homes.
“Developers will be able to come to city council when they want to change the zoning of a property, armed with a policy that says they can do it,” Welner said.
“Erecting rowhouses or four-storey apartment blocks exactly where the policy says; those kind of things are going to break apart our communities in the long run.”
Wildwood Community Association president Matt Stambaugh said the communities aren’t opposed to densification, but do have concerns about the plan’s application across the different communities in its scope.
“The perception will be, ‘established communities fear change’ — nothing could be further from the truth,” Stambaugh told council.
“Established communities care for their communities, have an incredibly engaged group of community members, and have reasonable concerns about the pace and scale of the proposed densification.”
The plan also pushes for more development around Westbrook Mall and CTrain station, as well as “continued incremental evolution and change” within residential areas, and higher density development along main streets and busier roads like 17 Avenue S.W.
The plan did receive some support during the public hearing, including from Capital City Shopping Centres Ltd., which owns Westbrook Mall, and the Shaganappi Community Association.
The city said the plan is a tailored approach to introduce more density and growth in the area.
“While many people west of 37 Street are hoping that development pressures will not grow and emerge in their communities, this is not realistic,” Ward 6 Coun. Richard Pootmans said.
“Fundamental market forces will prevail as access to transportation and proximity to the core will inevitably drive development forward.”
“Policies will be monitored and, when attorned by administration, be updated in a continuous improvement process.”
Councillors voted 12-to-two in favour of the Westbrook Local Area Plan with Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean and Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu voting in opposition.
The plan will return to council for final approval at a later date.
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