Opponents bash revised Highland Park plan
Community members blasted a revised pitch to transform the former Highland Park Golf Course into a large residential development late into the evening at city hall on Monday.
At a marathon public hearing with no conclusion, most speakers said the controversial proposal, which would nearly double the number of homes in Highland Park, needs improvement despite an additional six months of engagement and subsequent modifications.
The changes, including additional green space and lower residential towers, came after council voted to delay a public hearing on the project in July in order to allow for more consultation and better coordination with the future nearby Green Line LRT.
After hearing from more than 30 people, elected officials voted at 8:57 p.m. Monday to continue conversations about the proposed redevelopment on Tuesday afternoon. Vancouver-based developer Maple Projects Inc. purchased the 21-hectare inner-city site, located south of McKnight Boulevard at Centre Street North, in 2013 after the golf course stopped operating in 2012.
The company’s revised plans include a maximum of 2,070 residential units and some commercial space in a mature neighbourhood home to 4,014 people in 2,280 dwellings, according to the 2016 civic census.
Representatives from Maple Projects Inc.’s Highland Park project team addressed council for several hours Monday and said a “better plan” emerged amid the extra engagement.
“One of the most exciting parts of the planning process has been the opportunity to evolve the plan from a blank piece of paper with the community into a sensitively integrated land use plan,” said Jeanie Gartly, with B&A Planning Group.
The modified plan doubles the size of a central park to 6.7 acres, adds additional publicly accessible open space, reduces two 18-storey towers to eight storeys, and adds a diversity of housing types including options specifically for seniors.
“This is significantly different than what was there in July and it was exactly the right decision of council to defer the conversation until now,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi told reporters.
Ajay Nehru, president of Maple Projects Inc., told council the development offers unique solutions to existing housing needs and has the potential to be a catalyst for the revitalization of Highland Park.
“We see this as a rare opportunity to create a wonderful inner-city project,” Nehru said.
But the two dozen people who signed up to speak against the development, including leaders from both Highland Park and nearby Thorncliffe, disagreed and said the revised plan was “well below par.”
“It does not represent the worldclass standards Calgary aspires to,” said Anne Naumann, vice-president of the Highland Park Community Association.
“The current plan being proposed is disappointing and more important, I feel, a missed opportunity,” Alison Abbott told council.
Several speakers who trekked to council Monday and waited hours to voice their thoughts also expressed environmental concerns with the project slated for a beloved community green space home to natural wetlands.
Citizens wondered when a regional water study would be complete and asked why the project couldn’t be put on hold until that study is finished.
Council heard from city administration the creek that used to run through the golf course land now runs through a pipe classified as a stormwater utility and while there are two wetlands on the site, both are considered Class 2 meaning they don’t qualify for environmental reserve.