Submitted by Melanie Swailes on behalf of the BCA Development and Transportation Committee
Development Permits and Appeals
Brentwood and Charleswood are over 50 years old, so we are seeing a lot of redevelopment taking place in our communities. Often residents will comment that they were unaware of a new building or development and wish that they had known about it sooner, so they could have commented on it at an earlier stage. “Why didn’t I know anything about this?” is a common refrain.
The Brentwood Community Association (BCA) and the BCA Development and Transportation Committee (DTC) post information on their websites (brentwoodcommunity.com and developments.brentwoodcommunity.com) and deliver Neighbour Notifications to the residents who live closest to a proposed development. The City also has various online sites where you can sign up for information, but also keep an eye out for sign boards posted by the City.
What happens after a Development Permit (DP) application is received by the City?
After a DP is submitted to the City, there will be a period of time in which a notice is posted (a sign board in front of the building site) which will have information for further details and deadlines for submitting comments. After this period, the file manager reviews the submissions and the DP will either be approved or denied.
If approved, the DP will be published in the Calgary Herald on Thursdays 2 weeks. The onus is on neighbours or affected parties to read the notice and determine if they have any objections to the approved DP. If so, the recourse available to affected parties is to file an appeal with the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB). The appeal MUST be filed within 21 days of the notice, costs $100.00, and a hearing will be held to determine if there are grounds for the appeal. You can find more information on the SDAB website: www.calgarysdab.ca.
If denied, the applicant who submitted the DP may also appeal the decision made by the Development Authority (City of Calgary Planning Department). The applicant also must file to the SDAB within the 21-day period.
What happens at an SDAB Hearing?
The applicant, the Development Authority and affected parties present their cases and the reasons why they think the DP should or should not be approved. The SDAB will make a ruling on the appeal—to either allow or not allow the DP to proceed or to impose conditions on the application.
SDAB and Cannabis Applications
Numerous cannabis store applications were submitted in the Brentwood area. Some were approved (the Brentwood and Dalhousie Co-ops) with relatively few objections or comments from residents received by the BCA. Other applications (two at Brisebois and Northmount, one at Northland Plaza on the site of the Original Joe’s) have garnered many objections from the community. Most comments were centered around the family-oriented nature of the neighbourhood and the concern about cannabis stores in areas where children walk, bike or otherwise travel nearby during their school day.
The BCA opposed these applications and the two at Brisebois and Northmount were turned down by the City Planning Department. The applicants do have the right to appeal, so they did file with the SDAB. Their cases will be heard on October 18 and November 15. The City Planning Department has yet to rule on the Northland Plaza application.
What does this mean for area residents?
If you have concerns and are deemed to be an affected person, you may write a letter to be included in the SDAB submission or you may speak at the hearing. In the case of the cannabis applications, affected parties are deemed to be those within a 300-metre radius. Letters were sent to those homes.
Even if you reside outside the 300-metre radius, if you wish to submit a letter, guidelines can be found on the SDAB website. If you are interested in speaking at the hearing or would like further information, please contact the BCA at [email protected] or 403-284-3477.
Residents can have an impact on the outcome of a DP, whether a large-scale building or a cannabis store application, but only if you voice your opinion. Let your CA and your Councillor (Sean Chu at [email protected]) know what you think and respond to a DP application when you see it posted.
Thanks for your interest in our great community!
If you are interested in community planning and redevelopment issues, we welcome new members to join us. We meet at 7:00 p.m. on the first Monday of every month in the Sportsplex Boardroom. Our next meeting is on November 5.
