North Hill Area Plan heads to council mired in controversy and 'misinformation'
It's a plan that would shape redevelopment in nine inner-city communities, and it's drawing up support and opposition from across Calgary.
The North Hill Communities Local Area Plan will go to council for consideration on Monday.
The document is part of city administration's attempt to streamline planning and redevelopment.
It would, according to ward 9 councillor Gian-Carlo Carra, be sort of a blueprint to help shape building decisions in the future.
Carra believes Monday's vote is long overdue: just like the document.
"I'm supporting a plan that drives generational reinvestment and balances preservation with change over time," Carra told CTV News.
But there's plenty of opposition.
Some Calgarians are convinced the proposal could put single family detached homes and older neighbourhoods in jeopardy. Renfrew Resident Megan Waldie believes, if passed, the plan could open the door to developers and density in areas that aren't suited to it.
She's also concerned a yes on Monday could lead to a blanket yes when it comes to future plans.
"While it doesn't rezone anything right now, it is taking away some of the power and potential community members have in terms of killing any kind of land re-designation," Waldie said.
Carra disagrees.
He says a lot of the opposition talking points surrounding density are "a result of misinformation."
"When individual propositions come forward, we're still going to have conversations about them," he said. "But now, out conversations will be informed by this larger and more thoughtful process."
The plan won't guarantee development.
The president of the Highland Park Community Association says she thinks it'll only help with order.
"Our community has been without any kind of overarching guidance or vision to guide the redevelopment," Jeanne Kimber said. "I've lived in this community since 1985, and it has been changing regardless. The North Hill Communities Local Area Plan does not mean suddenly everything is going to be bulldozed down, because the change will just keep on happening incrementally. At least the plan will help direct where some of that redevelopment pressure goes and where the higher density goes."
The LAP has been in the planning stages since 2018. There's been a public hearing and public engagement.
Council also made amendments to the plan in April.
But some opponents say the time between the revisions being made public and Monday's vote isn't enough. They want another chance to be heard.
"People who have invested a lot of money in character and community in the space want a say," council candidate Terry Wong said. "And that's all we're asking for."
Councillors believe Monday's decision will be a tight one. Some are even predicting a 7-7 tie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.