Council tentatively approves Inglewood condo project

City council has tentatively approved a 16-storey Inglewood condo project that has provoked the ire of nearby residents.

The project, proposed for a site near Blackfoot Trail and 19 Street S.E., still faces uncertainty thanks to provincial development restrictions on areas that fall within the vicinity of airport noise boundaries.

Proponents of the project, including some members of council, say the multi-residential tower is an ideal project for a blighted site, formerly the location of a gas station, close to a brand new MAX Purple rapid-transit station.

But Monday ’s public hearing saw a number of residents speaking out against The Grid, complaining its height will be a poor fit for the surrounding neighbourhood.

“We need to recognize that significant change will have a negative impact on adjacent low-density residential neighbourhoods,” said Inglewood Community Association president Phil Levson, who advocated for capping the height of any development at 28 meters.

Area councillor Gian-Carlo Carra voted in favour of the project Monday. He acknowledged the neighbourhood has “very valid” concerns about traffic that still need to be worked out, but said he was “disappointed” that the community association opposed the project.

“I don’t want a community that’s divided,” Carra said. “I want a community that is very thoughtfully having big conversations about the inevitable trade-offs associated with change.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he thought some of the concerns community members had were a bit “overstated” since the proposal placed the condo tower at the northwest corner of the lot, furthest from the neighbourhood.

Councillors Jeromy Farkas and Ray Jones voted against the proposed condo project.

Council’s tentative approval does not necessarily mean the project will go forward. The city will first have to seek an exemption under the province’s Airport Vicinity Protection Area (AVPA).