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OCTOBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

Planning & Development Services

Our mission: To plan and enable building a great Calgary

Calgary is a great place to make a living and a life. Planning & Development Services continues to support our local economy and the aspirations of landowners by processing planning applications and building permits, driving policies that guide long-term planning, integrating strategies and actions to grow a resilient and sustainable city, and ensuring Calgary’s buildings are safe to occupy. We remain focused on providing great service for our customers and building great communities together.
We’re on Twitter! The City of Calgary’s Planning & Development Services department joined Twitter as another channel to showcase the planning work we do in Calgary and give the opportunity for more conversation about how we plan and enable building a great city. It’s a place where we're bringing the “social” back so we can engage with more audiences about what makes our city awesome now and in the future. Come join the conversation @yycplan!

ENABLING

Council passes land use bylaw changes to support more housing choice in Calgary

After a lengthy and robust debate at City Hall, Council has approved the recommendations for changes to the Land Use Bylaw. Effective Jan. 2, 2023, the bylaw will include a new zoning district called Housing – Grade-Oriented (H-GO), functional changes to Residential – Grade-Oriented (R-CG) to enable mid-block development, and aligned parking minimums across several districts.
 
We're pleased Council passed the amendments, which will encourage construction of new housing options for Calgarians within established communities. Here's a summary of the bylaw changes to come.

1. Add the Housing – Grade-Oriented (H-GO) District:
  • The H-GO District is a new housing district for inner city communities that allows a range of grade-oriented housing (missing middle) previously approved in specialized direct control districts.

2. Amend the General Rules of Multi-Residential Districts by:

  • Allowing secondary suites within rowhouse or townhouse forms built as multi-residential developments.
  • Standardizing minimum parking requirements across districts with a base requirement 0.625 stalls per unit with reductions to 0.5 stalls per unit close to transit.
3. Amend the Residential – Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG)(R-CGex) District by:
  • Adding the discretionary use of Townhouse to allow units that do not directly face the street and may be located at the rear of a parcel.
  • Allowing for buildings to be designed in different configurations. Should a second building be designed in the rear, there will be a maximum height of 8.6 metres for the rear building.
  • Requiring a minimum courtyard width of 6.5 metres.
  • Requiring a minimum parking requirement of 0.5 per unit and suite.
These changes address the regulatory gap seen when homes such as rowhouses, townhouses and low-rise apartments get built, often by rezoning to a direct control district. We’ve heard the concerns from citizens, communities and the industry over the inconsistencies direct controls have caused. By standardizing the rules there is increased certainty and clarity for building these housing types. 
 
In the next few months, we'll take further steps to inform Calgarians of the bylaw changes and housing choices, and begin staff training. Visit calgary.ca/housingchoice for more details.

ENABLING

Financing secured for the Clean Energy Improvement Program 

We’re getting closer to launching the Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP), thanks in large part to the federal funding announcement on Oct. 3. Through the program, homeowners will have access to flexible financing to pay for eligible energy improvements, with repayments collected over time through a CEIP charge added to the home’s property taxes.

Eligible improvement categories include HVAC, renewable energy, lighting, water heating, doors, windows and insulation.

Alberta Municipalities is the designated administrator for the program and manages the list of Qualified Contractors approved to do the improvements. Recruiting additional contractors to serve participating homeowners is the next big step in preparing to launch the program.

If you’re interested in being added to the Qualified Contractors list, register here to join us for an information session on Oct. 27, or visit the contractors’ section on the Alberta Municipalities CEIP website. 


COLLABORATION

Every day is a good day to be climate friendly

The first Wednesday of October is Energy Efficiency Day, observed this year on Oct. 5.  As a participating organization through Efficiency Canada, The City observed the occasion by turning off non-essential lighting in multiple facilities during the evening hours, including many fire halls, the Municipal Building, Public Building and Water Centre.
 
Though the day has passed for this year, it’s never too late to adopt new or more climate-friendly practices. Download the Climate Action Checklist on calgary.ca/ClimateAction or dig deeper into the suggestions listed on the page to see what you can do to be more climate friendly.


COLLABORATION

City hosts heat pump training program

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) is delivering a two-part program on heat pumps for industry trades, housing officials and energy advisors. As one of the municipalities that encouraged HRAI to develop the training, we’re hosting the second part, a Calgary-specific live virtual session on Nov. 17.
 

The Heat Pump Advantage: Leverage Net Zero Goals to Drive Your Business
Nov. 17, 3:30 p.m., with renowned expert Gord Cooke (approximately 2 hours)
Register here (pay only $24.50 when you use promo code HPCalgary)

The first part of the program is a self-guided foundational course you’ll complete online. It'll take one to two hours to complete. HRAI says that together, the two parts will prepare registrants to:

  • identify opportunities to improve energy performance in homes
  • talk to employees and customers about adopting new HVAC technologies, such as heat pumps
  • improve their bottom line by successfully positioning heat pumps as a better solution to home comfort

More details are available on the HRAI website.


INSPIRATION

Winter City Design Competition in full swing


The invitation is out to designers, artists and post-secondary students to participate in our second annual Winter City Design Competition. The submission deadline is Oct. 20, after which three designs will be selected for construction and then display throughout February.
 
The competition encourages contestants to dream of public spaces downtown and in the Beltline that will create better social connections and enhance individuals’ sense of well-being.
 
"Calgary is a winter city and we should embrace that when we plan and create public spaces," said Kate Zago, who is overseeing the competition for The City. "We want to see creative designs that will draw people downtown during the winter and get people to stop, socialize and connect with our downtown neighbourhoods."
 
Prospective applicants can visit calgary.ca/wintercity for full application and submission guidelines.
 
The Winter City Design Competition is part of The City’s Future of Stephen Avenue Activate + Experiment project, to re-imagine Stephen Avenue from City Hall to Mewata Armoury.


REMINDERS FROM SEPTEMBER EDITION
COLLABORATION

Connect to affect climate change

The City is hosting its 4th annual Calgary Climate Symposium to continue the conversation about climate change – how it affects Calgarians, what we can do together, and why we need to talk about it. Connect with community leaders, entrepreneurs, prominent climate experts and City staff for a series of unique (and free!) virtual learning and collaboration opportunities, Oct. 24-28. 

Join us as we explore: 

  • how Calgary can position itself for a low carbon future and leverage economic opportunities 
  • how Calgary can strengthen communities to be resilient to climate change impacts and hazards 
  • how we ensure no one is left behind as we look to the future 

Visit Calgary.ca/ClimateSymposium for full program details and registration information.You can also join the conversation on social media using hashtag #yycClimateSymposium. 

Please email our Environmental Outreach Coordinator cody.field@calgary.ca if you have any questions.


CUSTOMER SERVICE

Registration open for new webinars

Sign up for one, two or all three live webinars we’re hosting in October. Attending live webinars allows you to ask the experts questions and get answers in real time.
  • Oct. 18: Hiring a Licensed Contractor
  • Oct. 19: Secondary & Backyard Suites
  • Oct. 25: Making Your Home More Energy Efficient
You can also check out our growing library of recorded webinars on calgary.ca/webinar.

Webinars are hosted through Microsoft Teams. Subtitles for Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Filipino, French, Spanish and Urdu are available.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Planning Services Centre continues operating at Whitehorn

Planning an in-person visit to the Planning Services Centre? Don’t forget we’re still operating in our temporary location while repairs to our Municipal Building space continue.

Visit us at Whitehorn Multi-Services Centre (3705 35 Street N.E.) for application processing, permitting services, business licensing and historical records Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Please use the side entrance to access the Planning & Development Services counter. Or use our online services at apply.calgary.caePermit or VISTA. 
Keep up on development matters going to Committee and Council on calgary.ca/planningmatters.
Visit our online Development Map to find developments of interest, stay up-to-date on the status of applications and submit your comments directly to the file manager.

Join our Business Perspectives Panel to help shape City programs and services directly impacting local businesses. Contact us at business.panel@calgary.ca to learn more.
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