Calgary city council: 3 things to watch at today's meeting

Land use matters will rulethis week's city council meeting. W

ith 21 land use matters including 11 secondary suite applications some council veterans are already predicting it may take two or three days to complete this massive agenda.

Given the titleof this blog, picking just three things to watch isn't easy!

CFB West lands

Council will be asked to approve amendments to the plan for the redevelopment of the former CFB land that is west of Crowchild Trail. More residences and higher densities are the wish and the fancy drawings in the plan reflect it.

• Revised Currie Barracks plan shown to public
• Currie Barracks updated, denser redevelopment plan unveiled

Indeed, with the number of towers projected and higher ones to boot, it almost looks like another Beltline emerging. Heritage military buildings and sites in the area will be preserved but everything else about this new plan looks like the higher density Calgary envisioned in the Municipal Development Plan is coming to fruition.

No car, no worries?

N3 is a condo development proposed in the East Village. Condos aren't new in this part of town but this block has a twist: no parking. Not digging out a parkade means lower costs per unit but also means condo buyers will rely on transit, taxis, Car2Go, a bike or their own two feet.

• East Village revitalization ramps up with new condo construction
• Owners in new East Village complex to get bikes, not parking spots

Given the location, just east of the St. Louis Hotel building on Eigth Avenue S.E., it's that much easier to go car-less. Council has to discuss the proposal because a land use amendment is required for this building to be parkade-free.

Making secondary suites legal in some wards

The reluctance of some members of council with changing zoning across the board to make secondary suites legal anywhere in Calgary comes down to the look orfeel of single family home communities changing.

• Secondary suite debate ends with council requesting new reports
• Calgary considers campaign about illegal secondary suites

But it's also to do with political risk if it's allowed to go ahead as some residents are adamantly opposed. So the city devised a new plan: allow secondary suites anywhere in four mostly inner-city wards where the area councillors fully support it thosewho are willing to take the political risk.

What could stop this? How about councillors from other wards who don't want secondary suites legalized in Wards 7, 8, 9, and 11.You've heard the arguments before and we'll all certainly hear them again in this meeting.