Thread by @AdamMacVicar

Good morning from the city’s infrastructure and planning committee!

Committee will be debating a 2023-2026 growth strategy today.

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Background:
globalnews.ca/news/8949104/c…
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Committee chair Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra opening up the committee meeting talking about city growth and its impacts. He mentions the business cases for new communities back in 2020. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary globalnews.ca/news/7404221/c…

Coun. Carra said there are 85 people scheduled to speak at this meeting. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

We're going to 9:30pm tonight, Carra says. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

City administration says it's expected Calgary will grow by 88,000 people over the next 4 years and there will need to be investments to facilitate that type of growth. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Here is the balance city administration says they hope to achieve with this growth strategy. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

The growth investments in this map total about $230M, city administration says. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

City administration says they're seeking $60M to support growth in the city's established neighbourhoods. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

City administration says there are 39 new communities accepting much of Calgary's growth. Admin says continued investment of $530M will be required over the next 4 years. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

City administration heard 19 business cases for new communities. They're recommending the addition of 5 new communities. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Here's a linnk to the growth portfolio that city administration wants to use for guidance for growth-related investments in the 2023-2026 budget cycle.
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pub-calgary.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ash…

Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong says the downtown strategy is not included in this growth strategy discussion. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

A closer look at the proposed capital investments for industrial areas in the next budget cycle as part of the growth strategy.

Total: $231M #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Here's a look at the proposed capital investments the 39 previously approved new communities in the next budget cycle. Total: $532M

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The proposed capital investments for established areas in the next 4 year budget cycle. Total: $83M.

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Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian asks if the city stopped growth on the edge of the city.

City administration says it might be the purest outcome for climate impacts, but not all of that development/growth can be done in established areas. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

City administration says a lot of the new growth would also be lost to surrounding communities. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

CORRECTION: Mian asked "what if" the city stopped growth on the edge of the city.
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Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner asks for the definition of complete communities.

City administration says it's the water, sanitary, storm, and fire infrastructure to get the neighbourhood from a field to a community. But it also includes other amenities like libraries/parks. #YYC

Council taking a break until 1pm. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Committee is back in session. If they go over time today, Carra says they'll have to adjourn until Thursday afternoon. Carra says he's confident they can get through the speakers list today. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Qualico Communities up first to talk about their business case for Glacier Ridge.

Numbers in their presentation:

130 hectares of gross area
2500 housing units
$5.5M in property taxes
$6.2M in levies
$1.1B total project value.

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@GlobalCalgary

That presentation was for Glacier Ridge north. Next presentation is Glacier Ridge south.

116 hectares of gross area
1962 units
$6.8M property taxes
$54M in levies
$1.2B total project value.

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Here are the 5 business cases city administration is recommending:

1. Keystone Hills Lewiston (Genesis);
2. Belvedere West (Truman);
3. Ricardo Ranch Seton Ridge (Brookfield);
4. Ricardo Ranch Logan Landing (Genesis)
5. Ricardo Ranch Nostalgia (Jayman Telsec)

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Admin says there is another 3 business cases that can be supported with "acknowledgement or mitigation" of risks like servicing capacity:

Rangeview Trafford (WestCreek);
Glacier Ridge Community C (Qualico) - partial
Glacier Ridge Community D Cabana (Brookfield) – partial
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Committee has heard all the business cases for new communities and are moving on to public comments.
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Calgary Firefighters Association is speaking now saying the fire department is getting stretched thinner and thinner with the city continuing to grow outward. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal just accused Sustainable Calgary co-founder Noel Keough of being a "fear monger." He asks why action needs to happen now. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Keough says greenhouse gas emissions have had impacts on climate, and industrial society has expanded. He says extreme weather events are being caused by those emissions, and the science shows that action needs to happen now. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Dhaliwal asks if how the city builds will make a difference. Keough says Calgary has a responsibility as global citizens to use our resources that others don't have to reduce the impacts. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Keough gets emotional when talking about our responsibility.

His presentation to committee urged councillors to not move forward with the city's growth plan as it goes against the city's goal of net-zero by 2050.

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Carra calls it a "provocative" line of questioning from Dhaliwal. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Also - apologies for the lack of tweets throughout the presentations. A lot going on today. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

"It's what a lot of people want," Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot says of greenfield development. He says people will go to other communities, but they can do greenfield developments more effectively and sustainably. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Carra bringing forward some clarification to Dhaliwal's comments. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

https://twitter.com/gccarra/status/1541567904897937408

Ward 5 Coun. Dhaliwal apologizes to Keough and says he didn't mean to call him a fear monger, and that he agrees that they should be building the city sustainably. He clarifies saying some people would say he is a fear monger. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Keough's presentation and questions from committee goes nearly an hour.

There are 3 speakers left before committee debates the strategy.

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Committee is suspending dinner break to finish the public speakers. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

.@GregGinYYC says the strategy in front of committee is business as usual development. He says they're looking at spending 6 times the money on greenfield by 2026 compared to established areas. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Miller says the growth strategy goes against both the downtown strategy and the city's climate goals. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

One more speaker and then committee will break for an hour.

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Committee is on dinner break until 7:35pm.
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Committee is back from dinner break. Public hearing is over. Councillors will now get a chance to ask questions from city administration before a debate and vote. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner asks when the next time business cases for new communities will come to council if they approve the recommended communities.

City admin says every two years if the process continues in its current form.

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"We're getting in the way of business," Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp says. She says developers are waiting years to get through city processes to get developments through city hall. She says the supply and demand issue will only increase. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Sharp asks if there are concerns with competitiveness if these approvals don't come up until November.

Administration says the current housing supply is not overly constrained and that a delay until November will not impact affordability. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Sharp hints that she is bringing forward a recommendation to move the discussion up to September instead of during budget deliberations. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

There is now discussion of which order councillors can bring forward their recommendations. Coun Sharp has some and so does Coun Walcott. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Mayor Gondek is here virtually - she is moving to suspend procedure bylaw and finish this item tonight by adding another hour to the meeting. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

The motion to continue is carried 9-5 with Dhaliwal, McLean, Wyness, Chu, Chabot opposed.
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Coun. Walcott asks about climate impacts. New communities would add 1% to the city's GHG emissions, report says. Admin says growth in established neighbourhoods has lowest climate impact but can't be done with a quick flip of a switch. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

The main motion is now in front of committee for debate. But Coun. Walcott has adjusted so that each of the funding recommendations are voted on separately. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Mayor Gondek says she is bringing a motion arising to council to abandon the practice of separating community business cases by their use. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Gondek says this would be to promote mixed-use communities. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Motion on the table is to adjourn debate until Thursday afternoon. Mayor Gondek wants debate to continue tonight. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Committee votes 10-3 to recess the debate on the growth strategy and proposed new communities until Thursday afternoon.

Demong, Gondek, and Spencer were opposed.

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