by Lisa Chong
With the municipal election fast approaching this fall, there is a possibility that we might see completely new faces on City Council later this year. The mayor and a few of the current councillors have already announced that they are either not seeking re-election or will be launching their own mayoral campaigns for a confirmed total of seven open seats on Council.
Our question to you: what do you see as the top (maximum of three) opportunities and challenges that you would like to see addressed with the new council? Email your responses to [email protected] or let us know on our Mighty Networks website/app at https://hsca-community-planning.mn.co for a chance to get featured on the next newsletter!
Riley Park Village | 14 St and 8 Ave NW
At 7.28 acres, the Riley Park Village project is the largest phased health campus/intergenerational housing development in Hillhurst Sunnyside. An important policy amendment from the applicant, NorthWest Healthcare Properties frames the vision for this site as a place to live, work, heal, and play. The Land Use and Area Redevelopment Plan amendments have seen unanimous approval at City Council’s May 31, 2021, Hearing.
We are pleased to report that our advocacy to the City and Councillors’ offices has seen positive outcomes. Councillor Farrell filed a Motion to request that City Planning explore an accessible transit link up the hill to the SAIT station (the closer of the two C-Train stations) in partnership with area landowners. This Motion was successfully adopted by Council. These important conversations will happen when development reaches a certain intensity (2.0 FAR).
A formal linkage would help provide safe, equitable, barrier-free access for new (and existing) neighbours, health care workers, and visitors in our community. A safer pedestrian connection up the hill would also help decrease vehicular traffic/parking demands around the school and the greater community. Ideally, we would have preferred to see the new connection constructed while the site is being developed, so that public transportation is available at the start, and before users become accustomed to driving to the site.
Development Map
The City of Calgary website now has the ability to share plan proposals online! Find out more by going to developmentmap.calgary.ca. Zoom in to your street to see what is being proposed in your area.
Flood Mitigation Infrastructure
As you may know, HSCA has a strong EPARC Infrastructure Committee that has been working very hard with the City to advocate for flood protection in Hillhurst Sunnyside. The engagement, planning, engineering, and design work has been underway for over seven years.
The City is expecting construction to happen in August 2021, and they will be upgrading stormwater drainage infrastructure underneath select roads in Sunnyside, Hillhurst, and surrounding areas. We will be working with the City to communicate any road detours on HSCA social media and the e-newsletter, so you can plan your commute accordingly.
As a benefit, the City will explore linking the flood mitigation work to mobility-friendly upgrades such as traffic calming as roadwork gets replaced.
For more information, please check calgary.ca/sunnysidecdi.
