Calgary Minute: Park Beverages, Tax Relief, and a Massive Tower Project

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

This Week In Calgary:

• The Executive Committee will be meeting on Tuesday at 9:30 am. The agenda includes the Residential Heritage Tax Incentive and Calgary Economic Development’s Economic Strategy Update. A notice of motion will be brought forward to create a Housing and Affordability Task Force.
  
  
• The Audit Committee will meet on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. The agenda is pretty thin, with just a City Auditor Appointment update that will be held in camera.
  
  
• On Thursday, at 1:00 pm, the Calgary Planning Commission will meet to discuss several land use amendments.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Toronto-based real estate developer Triovest has submitted a development permit application for a tower project that could change the downtown skyline entirely. The project, called Stephen Avenue Quarter, would span an entire city block and one of the towers - a 66-storey condo/hotel tower - would usurp Brookfield Place as the tallest building in Calgary and - in fact - be the new tallest tower in Western Canada. There’s a small window for public feedback, so if you have thoughts, don’t delay in sharing them with Council.
  
  
• City Council decided to offer some tax relief to the residents of Shepard, a suburb that was annexed by the City in 2007. As part of the annexation agreement, residents were warned that eventually, they would have to pay City of Calgary tax rates rather than the rates set by their previous municipality of Rocky View County. However, Calgary's tax rates are 40% higher than Rocky View's. Worse, water and sewer services still have not been brought to the area, and the City has no plans to do so. 40%!
  
  
• The alcohol in parks program has returned after a successful trial run last year. The program has been expanded to include more parks and some picnic tables in high-density neighbourhood parks. Picnic tables can be reserved in advance but, otherwise, they operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Alcohol consumption is allowed between 11:00 am and 9:00 pm. We’re all for having a beverage in the park, and this is a step in the right direction, but there are still too many restrictions in place.

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