The Woodcreek Community Association will be looking for a new Community Development Liaison in 2023. If you are interested in this volunteer position, please contact the office at 403-238-1611 or [email protected].
Responsibilities Include:
DP Reviews
DP stands for Development Permits. The City of Calgary will forward DPs that they believe would benefit from community input. At the moment, based on my understanding of Board policy of benign non-interference – no need to comment on someone renovating their property to include a secondary suite or make a fuss if someone wants to operate a small business such as a photography studio, pet or people grooming, as long as it doesn’t appear to cause parking/noise issues – the vast majority of the DPs are simply noted without comment. However, on occasion there are DPs that do trigger a response. Examples that come to mind would be the halfway house proposed by the Elizabeth Fry Society or the proposed building layout of the former Husky Gas station site on 24 Street SW. Some home-based business or renovation DPs might elicit a response if the proposed business or building model triggers concerns about parking, provides an attractive nuisance or opportunity for petty crimes, or other such potentially negative issues.
District 32
District 32 is a City of Calgary creation, where various local communities have been grouped together into Districts for planning purposes. District 32 comprises of the communities of Woodcreek (Woodbine/Woodlands), Oakridge, Cedarbrae, and Palliser/Bayview/Pumphill. While it is not officially part of District 32, Canyon Meadows has been invited to participate in D32 meetings as their community concerns align with ours. Meetings are held on average every couple of months unless legislative activity requires a focussed response. Examples of legislative issues that have triggered such responses are the Guidebook for Greater Communities or the changes to the Land Use Bylaw that created new housing categories such as H-GO and R-CG zoned areas.
Why District 32 matters: At this point in time District 32 does not have an LAP (Local Area Plan). At some point, the City of Calgary will enter discussions with the affected communities of District 32 to propose the creation of an LAP. This is where community input about housing forms, general layout of proposed amenities, possible changes/upgrades to current amenities, transportation outlines, etc. will be discussed/decided upon. If a community does not participate in these discussions, whatever the City of Calgary and any of the communities that do participate decide will be how development will proceed in all communities within District 32, regardless of whether those developments are something that Woodcreek residents would want. Note: In no way would any LAP guarantee that development would only be the kind/type residents would want. However, a positive outcome is far more likely to occur if Woodcreek continues to participate in District 32 meetings and keep abreast of development issues that pertain to District 32.
In addition to the above, other communities may reach out from time to time to request support. This may look like a request for the WCA Board to sign a letter of support for the affected community. Such letters are usually sent to the attention of City of Calgary Mayor, our local area Councillor, or to City of Calgary officials. Examples of such requests would be opposition to development in Inglewood exceeding the F.A.R. limits outlined under the City of Calgary guidelines, opposition to the sale of land located in Richmond Green, concerns regarding the changes to the LUB (Land Use Bylaw) that would adversely impact neighborhoods, etc.
While it is not a requirement, anyone choosing to take on the role of development liaison should familiarize themselves with the MGA (Municipal Government Act) and take time to familiarize themselves with the City of Calgary LUB (Land Use Bylaw), as well as the City of Calgary Transportation Plan, Guidebook, and other such planning legislation. A review of Joint Use Site legislation would also be beneficial.
Regards,
Linda Mulligan
Development liaison, Woodcreek
