A new neighbourhood with thousands of homes could be in the works in north central Calgary, with the city pivoting from plans for a business park in the area.
The area structure plan is called Naato’siyinnipi, named after a revered Pikani elder and ceremonial leader who lived from 1830 until 1910.
The plan proposes up to 7,300 new homes and 5,700 jobs on 578 acres of land between Harvest Hills Boulevard N.E. and the CPKC tracks near Deerfoot Trail.
It marks a pivot from the city’s original plan for the site, which was titled the Aurora Business Park Structure Plan, with much of the area slated for commercial use.
“Segmented and completely a business park – I don’t know if that’s really in the books right now,” said Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, who chairs the city’s Infrastructure and Planning committee. “The business park wasn’t something that could move forward.”
The area is bordered by 96 Avenue N.E., Beddington Trail N.W., Harvest Hills Boulevard N., and the railway to the east.
According to Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian, who represents the area, residential development is possible on the site due to changes to the Airport Vicinity Protection Area, which previously only allowed industrial development in that area.
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The plan proposes different groupings of mixed-use buildings, multi-residential and ground-oriented development, with plans for an emergency response centre, community activity centre and a future high school.
City officials envision the future neighbourhood as a transit-oriented development, with a nearby bus rapid transit route, and plans for a future Green Line LRT station, as well as a future airport connector line.
However, plans to extend the Green Line LRT north from the downtown may still be many years away.
“There aren’t that many places within my ward where you can walk to a grocery store, walk to shops and have your house and get on transit,” Mian said. “I’m excited for its potential.”
Not everyone is sharing in that enthusiasm over the future of the site, which is largely a natural green space.
Andrew Yule, formerly the president of the Nose Creek Preservation Society who is now running for city council to replace the outgoing Mian, has reservations about the size of the plans and its potential impacts on the area.
“We are in a housing crisis so having residential does make sense,” Yule told Global News. “My concern with the plan is it’s too large, the area is too large and we should be condensing it closer to where potential transit will be.”
According to Yule, there are concerns about development near the Nose Creek watershed, and impacts on the wildlife, as well as disturbances to historical sites in the area related to the Blackfoot Confederacy.
“It is our only naturalized green space in Ward 3 and so what we’re trying to do is protect as much of it as we can,” Yule said.
In response, Mian pointed to 87 hectares of non-developable environmental reserve land, and green space in the plan.
Although development on the site could be decades away, Mian noted the unique location and how infrastructure requirements in the area are less than other greenfield development on the outskirts of the city.
“We’re not having to bring services in that weren’t there before like we have to do when we’re building on the edge of the city,” she said. “But we’re also not disrupting people like we do in the downtown, so I think it’s a happy compromise and I think there’s a lot of opportunity for some really good development here.”
The city’s Infrastructure and Planning Committee unanimously endorsed the area structure plan, which will now go to city council as a whole in September for a final say.
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