I came across an interesting article in the Calgary Herald today, “Home builders fret as Calgary considers constraints on new communities“. It’s no secret the city has had a hard time keeping up with the urban sprawl and the residents of these communities are the first to complain about the lack of infastructure. The city struggles with overpassess, roadways, schools, transit, etc… and it’s the tax payer who has to pay for all this.
After all, is it such a bad thing to finish a community before moving onto the next? What are your thoughts?
Article by Jason Markusoff, Calgary Herald
There’s a reason behind the home builders’ renewed cries of a “suburban development freeze” and “social engineering,” their calls to fund industry-friendly candidates, and their wariness about Mayor Naheed Nenshi and the new world order of Calgary urban planning.
Gripes about red tape, approval delays and political personality clashes contribute, but they always linger.
But there’s a new planning system council will discuss Monday that really has the suburb-makers’ anxiety high, especially in a civic election year.
Called the Growth Management strategy, it’s a plan to constrict the number of startup suburban communities, so the city can focus limited dollars for new storm sewers, water pipes, roads and other infrastructure.
“Which pieces of land should go first?” said senior planning official Chris Jacyk, who will outline the complex new regime to council Monday.
“(It’s) recognizing that rather than spreading around the infrastructure spending so everyone can develop a little bit at a time it may be more rational to focus it more so that some developers that are waiting a longer time than they would have anticipated.”
To the mayor, planners and some council members, this is logical and necessary and, at last, a fulfillment of the city’s bid to grow smarter, complete communities before expanding out new ones and to spend wisely.
Full article here: Home builders fret as Calgary considers constraints on new communities
