Calgary Minute: Pothole Problem, Confidential Contract, and Eau Claire Emptied

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

This Week In Calgary:

• Tomorrow, at 9:30 am, there will be a Public Hearing to address several land use amendments. Among the applications are a proposal to allow for rowhouses and townhouses at 4535 - 70 Street NW in Bowness and another to allow for higher-density housing at 6086 Country Hills Boulevard.
  
  
• On Thursday, at 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of the Green Line Board. No agenda is available for this meeting yet. Later in the day, at 1:00 pm, there will be a meeting of the Calgary Planning Commission. The agenda includes several land use amendments, like applications to permit multi-residential development at 221 - 101 Street SW in Osprey Hill and 3633 Westwinds Drive NE.
  
  
• The Beltline Neighbourhoods' Association (BNA) is renewing the debate about whether to make some sections of 17th Ave SW vehicle-free. The new public engagement campaign includes separate surveys for business owners and residents to gather feedback. The BNA says that the popularity of 17th Avenue SW in summer leads to traffic congestion and noise, necessitating a rethink of how it could work better for businesses, residents and visitors. You can have your say online.

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Last Week In Calgary:

• Council decided to reallocate $8.9 million from the snow-clearing budget surplus to pavement repairs. The City believes this funding will significantly improve road quality, especially in addressing the growing pothole problem. Several factors, including a challenging freeze-thaw cycle, late spring snowfalls, and general pavement deterioration, have contributed to the increase in potholes throughout Calgary. 
  
  
• The City of Calgary has completed agreements for the new downtown arena with construction set to begin later this year. However, the City has chosen not to disclose the amount paid to Denver-based CAA ICON, the firm hired for negotiations with the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation regarding the arena financing deal. Despite calls for transparency, the City has cited commercial confidentiality for not revealing the negotiator fee.
  
  
• The Eau Claire Market has been emptied out ahead of its demolition to make space for the Green Line LRT project. While some lament the Market's closure, others look forward to the modern reimagining of the space, including a new plaza and event venue set to open next year. Meanwhile, residents from the River Run Condominiums have until Friday to vacate their homes that have been expropriated as a result of the massive Green Line money sucker. Many of those residents do not believe they received fair compensation from the City for the value of their homes.

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