What Is the NHCA’s Role in Reviewing and Commenting on Development Proposals?
The NHCA, through our Director of Civic Affairs (Paul Mackenzie) and a Development Review Committee (DRC), will advocate for concerns of neighbours, identify portions of proposals which we would like to see changed, and ensure we put these forward to the city. This has historically been the role of the DRC. We should consider our position to be planning for and supporting both current and future neighbours.
Where Can I Share My Views?
The City’s DMAP system, https://developmentmap.calgary.ca, shows all development permits in process. Any member of the public may submit comments here, and they will go directly to the city.
Where Can I See What Has Been Requested by the Builder?
After the public commenting deadline passes, the DMAP, https://developmentmap.calgary.ca, should update to show if the builder has requested any ‘relaxations’ of the bylaw – developers can request any number of requirements to be ‘relaxed’ including max lot coverage, setbacks, tree and shrub requirements, etc. If no protests are made, these typically go through. This is an area where we can likely be successful.
Can We Veto Development?
Community associations do not have the ability to veto a development. If builders act within the current bylaws, outright opposing a development will be a losing battle. We should focus on working to improve applications to minimize friction with neighbours. The City of Calgary has been more responsive to feedback with suggestions around how new developments may fit better in the community.
What Is the Development Review Committee (DRC) and What Can It Do?
The Development Review Committee is a committee chaired by our Director of Civic Affairs and made up of local residents with knowledge of city bylaws and design. The committee is currently being rebuilt. The committee may request feedback and discuss proposals with neighbours near to development proposal sites and provide feedback to the city, and commentary based on industry, design, and bylaw knowledge.
This can help shape and improve applications, for example, by examining whether suites are a liveable size; if there is sufficient private space by access doors, that isn’t just a door facing a neighbouring lot; trees or shrubs placement to create more privacy and noise barriers; enough egress surrounding the buildings, etc.
What About the Parking? And Garbage Bins?
We have heard that parking and garbage bin space are common concerns – we can advocate for thoughtful design of parking spaces, however currently the city requires 0.5 spots per unit, so we may not see much success on that front. Bin storage can be requested to be redesigned to minimize space impacts, and/or shared bins may be recommended by the NHCA on behalf of the neighbours.
Can We Just Put a Restrictive Covenant On the Whole Neighbourhood?
Restrictive Covenants have come up in discussions recently. Some communities had a restrictive covenant added to all property titles when the communities were built, purposely by the developers, to retain the neighbourhood in an as-is state. However, at this point in time (and to my understanding), these must be done in concert with other immediate neighbours and without 100% buy-in, it would be ineffective to what they propose, which would be to limit what could be built on a lot, in perpetuity. However, when imposed they are, as the name says, restrictive. Generally, changes can only be made with all related covenant holders being in agreement (although, depending on the situation, a court may, rarely, also overrule them). In future, however, a homeowner’s needs may change; consider how it might impede a family from building a suite for elderly relatives or grown children. Or, how seniors’ townhouses might otherwise be built so that elderly neighbours could remain in a community they love, but without a full-sized home to maintain. There is also a cost associated with this process which, depending on a homeowner’s comfort with filing legal documents independently, may be prohibitive for some.
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