Currently the Bylaw requires that all motor vehicle parking stalls be located wholly on their respective parcel. On many residential parcels, the driveway extends from the garage, past the parcel’s property lines, across a sidewalk and then connects to the street. In some cases, the portion of the driveway located within the private parcel’s property lines is not large enough to accommodate the required Bylaw dimensions of a motor vehicle parking stall, even though the driveway, in its entirety, does.

As the rule requires the parking stall be located entirely on the parcel, the driveway space that extends past the property lines to the street are not taken into consideration for locating the parking stall. This rule creates a barrier for the development of secondary suites because a development permit for a relaxation of the parking stall depth rule would be required.

This amendment would change the rule to allow for the parking stall to be located on the driveway within the private parcel’s property lines and the portion of driveway that extends beyond the property lines to the back of the sidewalk or, where this is no sidewalk, the street. 

The Bylaw requires that a secondary suite in the Residential - Low Density Mixed Housing (R-G) (R-Gm) District provide one motor vehicle parking stall. This stall may be in the garage or on the driveway. If the parking stall is in the front driveway, the existing rear building setback rules are inadvertently resulting in an applicant having to apply for a development permit for a relaxation on the setback distance.

The amendment would remove unnecessary language in the rear setback rule describing the location of the required parking stall. Parking for the suite will still be required and can continue to be provided in either the garage or driveway and be subject to all other relevant rules. 

When required motor vehicle parking stalls are not provided in a private garage, the Bylaw reduces the allowable parcel coverage on the parcel to ensure there is sufficient space on the parcel for a garage to be built in the future.

Currently the Housing – Grade Oriented (H-GO) District rules and the Residential – Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District have different rules for this situation.

This amendment would change the H-GO district to align with the R-CG district. This change creates consistency across districts and does not change or reduce the required parking stalls that are provided for the development. 

The Bylaw requires that developments within the Residential – Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District and the Housing – Grade Oriented (H-GO) District provide mobility storage lockers when units or suites are not provided with a parking stall in a private garage. These facilities allow for a secure place to store mobility vehicles like bikes and e-scooters. Administration has learned that required fireproofing has created an unexpected cost that is creating a barrier to deliver housing and is investigating possible solutions. A comprehensive review of bike parking is underway as part of the New Zoning Bylaw to ensure better outcomes for residents and home builders.

The side setback rules for the main residential building and the accessory residential building on a corner parcel in the Residential – Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District are inconsistent, resulting in different side setbacks.

This amendment would change the side setback rules on a corner lot when adjacent to a street for both the main residential building and the accessory residential building. This will ensure consistency in the side setback when adjacent to a street for both main and accessory residential buildings and provide consistent rules in the Bylaw.

Occasionally in multi-residential districts, low-density residential development occurs - such as the construction of a single-detached dwelling. In those instances, the development is guided by the low-density residential rules rather than the multi-residential rules. However, if that single-detached dwelling were to also include a secondary suite, there is currently a Bylaw discrepancy that would require the suite to follow the multi-residential rules rather than the low-density rules.

This amendment would clarify the multi-residential district rules so that a secondary suite, when combined with low-density residential development located in a multi-residential district, uses the low-density residential rules.

The Housing – Grade Oriented (H-GO) District currently has one set of landscaping rules that apply to all types of developments in the district. Developments of two units or less are currently subject to landscaping requirements that are unnecessarily complex relative to the development.

This amendment would change the H-GO district to allow for development of two or less units to follow the typical landscaping rules for single and semi-detached dwellings.

Fencing rules in the Residential – Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) District are inconsistent with the other low-density residential districts in the Bylaw.

This amendment would change the R-CG district so that all development except rowhouses follow the same fence rules.

Direction on when to release a development permit during an active appeal is unclear in the Bylaw.

This amendment would clarify that a development permit cannot be released during an active appeal until a decision has been made or the appeal has been withdrawn.  No changes to the process or method by which the public or the applicant is notified about the decision are proposed.   

Section 1126 (3) incorrectly includes the word “gross” before “floor area ratio.” This amendment would delete the word “gross”.

In response to a cannabis license moratorium from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), a temporary rule allowing for the extension of the commencement date for development permits to be extended was added to the Bylaw. The rule has since expired and is no longer needed. This amendment would delete the rule to remove unnecessary text.

The Bylaw does not allow health care service uses, such as a birthing centre or a facility conducting sleep studies, overnight stays for their patients. To allow this, a land use change for a direct control and a public hearing are required. This uncertain process is time consuming and expensive for these businesses.

This amendment would change the definition of health care service to allow for overnight stays of patients for medical purposes.

The definition of special function - class 1 limits the type of temporary events it allows. This amendment would change the definition of special function – class 1 to include “neighbourhood activation” to allow for more flexibility in the types of events that can occur.  

Currently, if a child-care service wants to locate in a low-density residential district, a land use change for a direct control district and a public hearing is required. This process is required for both the construction of a new building and for a child-care service to locate in an existing approved building. This uncertain process is time consuming and expensive for businesses.

This amendment would allow child-care service as a discretionary use in existing approved buildings in the low-density residential districts. The construction of a new building for a child-care service will still require a land use change and public hearing.

The Child Care Service Policy and Development Guidelines would still be used during the review of the discretionary development permit application. Allowing child-care service as a discretionary use in these districts makes it easier to locate this service within the neighbourhoods they serve.

The proposed bylaw amendments are part of regular updates made to the Land Use Bylaw (1P2007), which has been in effect since June 1, 2008. Regular updates to the Land Use Bylaw are conducted whenever issues or opportunities for streamlining are identified or updates are required based on direction from City Council.

The proposed amendments touch on a range of sections within the Land Use Bylaw and are intended to improve the overall efficiency and consistency of 1P2007. 

The proposed amendments to the Land Use Bylaw will improve the efficiency, consistency and overall Land Use Bylaw experience for Calgarians.

The City of Calgary is committed to streamlining planning application processes for all forms of development and fostering a business-friendly environment, with ongoing improvements to the Land Use Bylaw serving as a great example of this. 

These proposed amendments to the Land Use Bylaw are part of regular updates made to the Bylaw to ensure its overall functionality and efficiency. With these proposed amendments, The City will resolve common issues that are experienced by applicants, create more consistent outcomes and ultimately improve the application process for all types of development in Calgary.

The City of Calgary is developing a new Zoning Bylaw that will replace the current Land Use Bylaw, however the new Zoning Bylaw will not go to Council for decision until 2026 and the transition to the new Zoning Bylaw will not occur until 2027.  Administration is bringing these minor amendments forward now to streamline and improve the overall functionality of 1P2007 until the new Zoning Bylaw is passed. 

These proposed Land Use Bylaw amendments are not part of the Rezoning for Housing or Calgary’s City Building program. These amendments are separate from either of these initiatives, however they align with the overall vision, direction and intended outcomes established in the Municipal Development Plan and Home is Here - The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy 2024 – 2030. 

Due to the relatively minor scope of the proposed amendments, public engagement was not required when drafting these amendments. However, the project team conducted internal feedback sessions from September to December 2024 that saw them review over 100 suggestions based on customer feedback and recurring issues flagged by technical experts at The City to inform the amendments being brought forward and ensure they would be appropriately addressing these recurring issues applicants have been experiencing when engaging with the Bylaw.

In addition, the project team has worked with the Federation of Calgary Communities (FCC) and the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) to inform them of these proposed changes to the Bylaw and their potential impacts.