Queensland residents are seeing the aftermath of Calgary’s blanket rezoning bylaw first-hand, and they don’t seem to be very happy with it.
The time to speak out against a proposal to turn a single-family home into an eight-plex on Queensland Drive is quickly winding down. Friday is the last day for residents to share their thoughts on the proposed development, filed by Nines Design and Visualization.
This development is only possible due to the city’s controversial new blanket rezoning bylaw, which passed in May.
It came on the heels of the city’s longest-ever public hearing that included around 6,100 written submissions and over 700 speakers.
The bylaw has made it so Calgary’s base zoning allows for townhomes or row homes to be built in most communities alongside single-family homes and duplexes.
Sylvain Berube lives with his family right next door to the development, and has many issues with it, mainly, the sheer number of people it will house, which he says will impact parking availability.
“You’re looking at about 28 people just in that lot alone, without counting the people visiting them on an ongoing basis,” he told 660 NewsRadio.
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Berube says he understands the need for more housing, but points out that the original home sold for around $580,000, and with current market conditions, he claims the project will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit, rather than become an affordable option for first-time homeowners.
“Those new units will probably sell for at least $700,000. So tell me how is the new family or young person having to pay an extra $120,000 on top of that?” he said.
He also says construction will bring immediate and long-term issues to Queensland Drive, and once it’s complete, will block sunlight to his garden.
A very similar proposal with nearly identical blueprints has been filed by Nines Design in Braeside, and it has also sparked major concerns during the consultation period, which has come to a close.
Housing has been a growing concern for seniors in the city, as only two per cent of those who are struggling to find shelter or subsidized housing have found success.
The Unison at Kerby Centre says over 600 seniors have asked for help with housing, a 25-30 per cent increase from 2023.