Calgary council moving ahead with blanket rezoning repeal process

Calgary city council has voted to move forward with a process that would begin repealing the municipality's contentious blanket rezoning policy.

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot put forward a motion Monday to reverse the citywide rezoning approved by the last council in 2024 and return to land use districts previously in place. 

“The gist of my motion is to look at starting over and trying to get this right,” Chabot told council. 

The policy was intended to eliminate bureaucratic processes, allowing Calgary to adapt to a growing population by permitting higher-density housing, like townhouses or row houses, in neighbourhoods that previously only allowed single or semi-detached homes.

But detractors have argued that blanket rezoning is putting stress on aging infrastructure, causing issues finding parking, worsening traffic for communities, and damaging the character of neighbourhoods.

“Whilst I think the intent was laudable, insofar as trying to create a more sustainable city," said Chabot, "I think ... it should have been done in a more co-ordinated, strategic, planned and sequenced fashion.”

Council voted 13-2 in favour of rolling back the policy, with Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson and Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt voting against.

“This adds to the cost of housing. This makes it so that we are in a bureaucratic process … I don’t know that there’s going to be the political appetite to actually get to the solving of it once everyone just wishes this away,” Atkinson said.

City administration said the decision will start a process that amends the land use bylaw to bring back districts that were in effect prior to citywide rezoning.

It would exempt any developments already built or in progress. 

The changes will now head to a public hearing next spring before going to council for another vote.

Prior to the vote, there had been questions about what changes to the policy would mean for federal funding meant for the City of Calgary through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he had spoken with various federal officials, including Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne.

“Federal officials confirmed the compliance with the Housing Accelerator Fund is assessed based on housing outcomes, not the use of any single zoning tool. Blanket rezoning was not identified as a legal requirement of the HAF contribution agreement," Farkas said.