Summary#

Calgary Council passed third reading of Bylaw 80D2026, changing the land use rules for 4.54 hectares at 6660 Country Hills Boulevard NE in Cornerstone, Ward 5. City staff say the goal is to enable mixed-use development near a planned LRT station. Calgary Planning Commission had separately approved an outline plan for subdivision, with conditions.

• The land changed from Special Purpose – Future Urban Development to Special Purpose – School, Park and Community Reserve and a Direct Control district.
• The Direct Control rules add a large place of worship, private school, and conference and event facility as uses, and set a minimum residential density. The materials do not give that minimum.
• The outline plan provides a subdivision framework for the site. Council’s vote on the bylaw was 14 to 0.

What it means for you#

• Cornerstone residents: The rules now allow the landowner to seek permits for development using the added uses. No development permit had been submitted when City staff wrote their report, so this decision does not approve a specific building or project.
• People who may use the site: The applicant’s concept includes a Sikh temple, community centre and gym, private school, and non-market housing. These are proposed features, not requirements that the project include them.
• Nearby residents and the public: City staff say the outline plan includes future pedestrian and vehicle connections toward the planned transit station. The detailed design and development are not settled by this decision.

Money#

City staff report no anticipated financial impact; the materials give no cost estimate.

• The decision does not authorize a specific spending amount or set a fee.

What is unclear#

• The Direct Control district requires a minimum residential density, but the supplied materials do not state the number.
• The development permit, building design, and which of the enabled uses will actually be built remain unknown.
• The materials do not give the outline plan’s conditions or the full Direct Control rules.

Case for#

• City staff say the site is near a planned LRT station and a Major Activity Centre, and that the plan’s expected intensity—114 people and jobs per hectare—exceeds the applicable minimum of 100.
• City staff say the mix of residential, institutional, and commercial uses could support cultural amenities, employment, and transit-oriented development.
• A written hearing submission marked “in favour” supported allowing the land to be used for purposes other than its former designation.

Case against#

• City staff say this application does not include actions that specifically address Calgary’s climate strategy; they say opportunities to align development with climate strategies will be considered at the development-permit stage.
• One possible trade-off is that the land use rules allow several uses, but the decision does not settle the project’s exact design or which uses will be built.
• The supplied public submissions include no opposition; the Council minutes record one public speaker but do not state that person’s position.