|| = || __ EVENT SUMMARY ___
Hi neighbours – we had a couple of hiccups getting to the finish line, but as it turned out, we had a great Town Hall meeting with our Ward 7 Councillor. Although we were hoping to keep the scope limited to just a few topics (in the interest of time), Terry Wong fielded questions and concerns from community members on topics including housing concerns, zoning, parking, taxes, the new Event Centre, affordability, etc. Councillor Wong was also very transparent regarding his voting record and openly explained his rationale.
A couple of topics were particularly “eventful”:
Residential Development - It was stressed that property owners are free to make decisions about what they do in terms of selling or improving their homes. Corner properties may be attractive to developers because they may put 4 or 5 units on a site that may have originally held only one residence. There was some anxious discussion about the effects of this type of development, relating to parking, income levels, property aesthetics, reduction in surrounding property values, lip service to ‘green’ development and the potential for crime. Councillor Wong noted that Calgary is one of the most very diverse cities in Canada, and that we try to be welcoming rather than exclusive.
Residential Parking Fees - the issue generated a lot of strong feedback, some of it not respectful, in my opinion. Councillor Wong noted that the Residential Parking Fee has been brought into effect only for those communities whose residents have requested parking restrictions. As such, he emphasized that it is a ‘User Fee’, to cover the costs of administration, and signage. He noted that Enforcement is a different department, and that it has a separate structure and provision for dealing with revenue beyond the costs of enforcement. It is part of the entire department dealing with Parking, including Park Plus, and other fee generating initiatives. For many years, there has been a policy to transfer extra revenue from Parking and Enforcement into other City budget expenditures, while maintaining a balance to cover for unexpected deficits, such as happened during the COVID 19 epidemic, when people stayed home, and did not pay for parking.
The feedback was about how unfair this new fee would be, given that other people come into our community and park for free. We are a unique community in that we are near Foothills Hospital and the new Cancer Centre, and the equity equation may not make sense within our community. Councillor Wong outlined his action in protesting the original RPP initiative, having had it delayed by 6 months for further discussion, and then having the fee reduced by 40%. His attempt to have the first residential permit provided without cost, as well as the first visitor permit, was not successful.
Another related concern was about the process for citizen action for removing parking restrictions, as happened on Windsor Street. There was agreement that the petition process needs improvement.
A couple more local issues also came up:
Concern was raised about the out-of-date restriction on morning left-turns on Windsor and Hamilton Streets, a solution imposed some years ago to deter drivers who wished to bypass Crowchild Trail during rush hour. The unfortunate consequence is that drivers are racing down the alley near the school, and that children’s safety is at risk. The SAHCA Board will follow up with this item.
A question was raised about Calgary’s plans for celebration of its 150th anniversary in 2025. Given that these events may take several years of planning, it seems that preparations should begin. Councillor Wong will follow up with this item.
Liz (our past president) did an amazing job of keeping things focused, reasonably respectful, and running on time so that we could wind up our Town Hall by 8:30. Terry hung out for an extra 45 minutes or so to speak to some of our community members one on one while the rest of us devoured the cookies and muffins!
Thanks to everyone from both the community and the Councillor’s Office who helped us get this together for our residents! We look forward to seeing everyone again at our next Town Hall!
See you around the neighbourhood!
