Residents of Highland Park:

I would like to thank everyone who attended the City hosted Open House on Monday March 14. It was important for the community to come out and demonstrate our engagement. The continuation of this support will be helpful as we strive for improvements to the current re-development plans of the Golf Course. It was great to be able to speak directly to so many of you. Now we need your help. We urge you to send emails (email addresses below) with the concerns you raised at the open house, as well as anything else you feel needs to be commented on. This is your chance to make a difference to the outcome of decisions made on the development. We have attached a draft letter you can use to submit to Calgary Planning Commission. It outlines some of the concerns we have heard from you and ideas you have shared with us about the proposed development. Please submit your letter to the City of Calgary by Friday April 1, 2016.

Download Draft Letter

In addition to sending your letter, there is as also a survey you can fill out.

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/PlanningDevelopmentAssessment/highland-park-march-14-open-house/

The developer is proposing:

1. 2 towers on Centre Street of nearly 20 stories

2. 2000 +/- units

3. Strip and fill most of the valley

4. Removal of most of the large trees

5. Land-use that would allow buildings from 5 to 15 stories within the site

6. Minimal very little separation between tall buildings and existing residents

7. No step-downs from the tall buildings to the existing residents

8. Park space that will be located largely in what is currently a wet area on the site

Other concerns that have not been addressed. The community would like to see:

1. Parking underground

2. Defined landscaping, green space and buffer of an appropriate scale for the buildings being proposed

3. Storm water, and slope stability concerns addressed

4. Safe connections and crossings for pedestrians and bikes through and out of the site

5. Traffic concerns clarified

6. A contribution, by the developer, to a community enhancement fund that is appropriate for a development of this size in an existing community

The developer is using an illustration for the site that does not reflect what will be allowed, if the land use application is approved as it is currently proposed. A version of this illustration was also used by the city in their open house presentation. They did not include the cross section requested by the community, which would have shown what is allowed, rather than what the developer is illustrating as part of their efforts to get the application approved.

The Community Association will be hosting a community meeting Monday April 11th at 7pm to review the final version of the developer’s application and to prepare residents for their participation in the public hearing at city council, tentatively scheduled for June 13. We will endeavor answer any questions you have and help to prepare residents for next steps. We encourage residents to attend the Calgary Planning Commission April 21 and participate in the public hearing at city council, tentatively scheduled for June 13.‎ We may want you to send your emails to CPC and council, as well as the City. Please keep a copy of your letter.

Cc: Shawn Small Shawn.Small@calgary.ca

Cc: Sean Chu ward04@calgary.ca

Cc: Elise Bieche presidenthighlandpark@gmail.com