Brentwood rezoning proposal for retail, office and condos draws critics
Less traffic than when a gas station sat on the property, councillor says
A proposal to rezone a vacant piece of land in the northwest Calgary community of Brentwood has some residents up in arms over the building-height, traffic and safety concerns, but a city councillor says the redevelopment fits the city's land-use policy to address urban sprawl.
An information meeting at a nearby school Wednesday night brought out some critics of the plan.
Lee Hunt has lived in the area for 32 years.
"It's too high and it's too big on the property…my heart just goes out to the neighbours who live near there. They are never going to see the sun, it's just terrible," Hunt said.
The developer's proposal is for a four-storey mixed use building with retail on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and condos on the third and fourth floors.
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The land, at the corner of Northmount Drive and Brisebois Drive N.W., used to be a gas station about 10 years ago.
The development has received council's support in principle but still has hurdles to jump.
Coun. Druh Farrell says she understands the concerns but this redevelopment is similar to 32 currently under way across the city. It meets the city's land-use policy and efforts to build up inner city communities, rather than building out and contributing to urban sprawl, she says.
"Right now we have an empty lot. This has been vacant for almost 10 years so it's certainly council's will to try and see these sites developed."
If the development goes ahead there could be less traffic than there was when a gas station was at that location, Farrell says.
That hasn't stopped the opposition from growing, according to resident Lee Hunt. An open house last month attracted about 120 people she says.
"We feel that the existing height fits with the character of the community," Hunt said.
"But to go the (additional) two storeys is just too high for the residential neighbourhood that we are."
City council will decide on the final proposal at a future meeting.