Calgary councillors approve Westbrook Local Area Plan after lengthy public hearing
Global News
The Westbrook Local Area Plan aims to guide redevelopment and higher density developments over the next 30 years in 10 neighbourhoods in Calgary's southwest
A plan to guide future redevelopment in several southwest Calgary communities has been given the green light from city council, after some pushback from residents during a public hearing at city hall.
The city’s Westbrook Local Area Plan aims to direct 30 years of future development and growth in ten southwest communities, to address a population decline in those areas over the last 50 years.
The ten communities included in the plan are: Glenbrook, Glendale, Killarney/Glengarry, Richmond, Rosscarrock, Shaganappi, Spruce Cliff, Westgate, Wildwood and Upper Scarboro/Sunalta West.
According to city data, the population of those communities peaked at 37,619 in 1968, but saw a 4.1 per cent population decline to 36,058 people by 2019.
A city report said only Killarney and Spruce Cliff have more people living there than they did 40 to 50 years ago.
“By supporting increased density in key locations, such as transit stations, main streets and activity centres, and gradual growth within neighbourhoods, population in the Westbrook Communities can start to recover, reversing trends of school closures and loss of neighbourhood amenities,” a city report said.
Although the plan wouldn’t rezone any properties in the communities, it highlights certain areas where higher density housing options like rowhouses and multi-unit homes would be allowed to be built.
More than 30 residents and representatives from the communities included in the plan were on hand at city hall Tuesday for a public hearing.
