00:00:53.720So one of the questions that I'm hearing a lot of when I talk to Calgary residents is they actually aren't sure how many properties are going to be allowed on a home.
00:01:01.880So for example, let's say you live in a neighborhood, there's a little old bungalow beside you.
00:01:05.940That bungalow could be sold, it could be taken down and four new properties could be built.
00:01:11.660The city's also saying that there would be allowed suites in each one of those four units.
00:01:16.700Which would actually mean that there's eight new properties on a home beside you, which before was just a bungalow with maybe a couple people living in it.
00:01:23.220So what's your understanding of what's actually going to be allowed under these rezoning efforts?
00:01:27.940Yeah, I think the city has done a very poor job communicating this.
00:01:31.480When they say four units, that means they have four doors that come off of a sidewalk or off a street.
00:02:37.620Already, in some of these communities that have started to densify, there's problems in the back alleys with, like you said, trash containers.
00:02:58.320So if you have, say, a single family home, like you said, one trash can and two parking spots, and maybe you can park in front of you if you have a driveway and a garage.
00:03:08.980But now this is going to be a problem with additional parking.
00:03:12.160If you are in center block, mid-block is where we are going to see most of the problems.
00:03:15.960If you have a corner or on a busy thoroughway by close to a transit station, I understand this density is needed in the right places.
00:03:24.300But mid-block and middle of established communities, that's where people are having a problem.
00:03:29.880Because not only with the parking, not only with the crowded trash containers, but like you had mentioned, Rachel, the infrastructure.
00:03:37.680Can we handle that many more toilets flushing?
00:03:42.840So, yeah, there's some big issues here to consider.
00:03:45.760Why doesn't the city use city-owned land to build some new houses instead of having people who have really invested their entire livelihood into their home?
00:03:53.740I mean, you think about it, homes costing half a million dollars.
00:03:56.100People spend lifetimes paying off mortgages, and their investment is being ripped away from them.
00:04:00.180They don't know what's going to happen to the neighborhood they live in.
00:04:02.700Why doesn't the city use their own resources?
00:04:04.440Yeah, it's their biggest investment probably in their life.
00:04:08.020The uncertainty has created chaos in the market as well.
00:05:04.020When we're talking about questioning the motives, I mean, another thing that's been raised is it almost seems like this could be a cash grab for city property taxes.
00:05:10.980If you think about it, if you live somewhere, you're one house, you're paying property taxes on that one property.
00:06:59.820We've had multiple presenters, experts, from the chief economists from Calgary Real Estate Board, saying that this will not make homes less affordable.
00:07:09.020It's been proven in New Zealand and in Vancouver, anywhere where density, the length of density has been done, it has not lowered the prices of homes at all.
00:07:18.260So now we're not hearing that narrative because it doesn't carry any water.
00:07:22.980It's more about building more supplies.
00:07:24.780So, yeah, that's kind of my take on it.
00:07:29.680How likely is it that this policy continues to go through at this point?
00:07:32.600I mean, I feel fairly confident in saying Calgary residents, by and large, don't want this.
00:07:36.200It's a small percentage of people who support these policies.
00:07:38.940But the homeowners who have spent their lives, as we mentioned, investing in their properties, don't want this.
00:07:43.060So what are the chances that we can actually reverse this and get back to some common sense?
00:07:47.500So what we're going to be having is a few more, several more days of debate.
00:07:52.560And then we will debate amongst ourselves or several more days of public hearings.
00:07:58.100And then that's when the councils will debate and put amendments forward.
00:08:01.120The first thing I would like to do is put it back on the floor to bring it to a plebiscite, to refer it back to administration and say this is 70, 80 percent of the population does not want this.
00:08:10.960Let's put it on the ballot and let's come back and at least we're working on something that people is more tenable, that more people will support.
00:08:20.600It failed last time by one vote to take it to a plebiscite.
00:08:24.120So the odds are they might not pass this time.
00:08:30.100But again, Rachel, there's been so many people speaking against this.
00:08:33.320And so there's a few councillors that are really listening and have done polls in their own warts.
00:08:38.060So we need people to possibly vote with the public when it comes time.
00:08:44.460And again, not to go on too long, but there will be some amendments that some councillors will put forward to maybe try to water this down.
00:08:52.500Instead of maybe four, eight, twelve units, they might make some concessions.
00:08:55.920But in my opinion, it's going to be, yeah, I can't tell how people are going to vote, but it's going to come down to one or two councillors to see which way this goes.
00:09:09.140And if this continues to go forward, I mean, obviously there's going to be some damage done in the time since, but we're looking at a municipal election next year.
00:09:15.240Is it possible that a new city council next year could reverse this policy if it is passed?
00:09:28.740There's a whole bunch of things you can do.
00:09:30.120So one way or another, this will be under ballot next election.
00:09:34.780Councilman McLean, I know you have to head out to continue going and listening to these presenters talk about why this isn't a good thing for the city.
00:09:39.800Thank you so much for taking the time to join us today.