Chinook Communities Local Area Planning

The proposed Chinook Communities LAP is ready!

Review the proposed Plan, learn about the key changes made and opportunities to share your thoughts with Committee.

Post-Committee Update

On Thursday, February 27, 2025 the proposed Chinook Communities Local Area Plan was presented to Infrastructure and Planning Committee (IPC). The Plan was recommended for approval with no amendments in a 4-3 vote.

Answers to many of the questions raised at the Infrastructure and Planning Committee (IPC) meeting can be found in the FAQ below.

Committee Discussion FAQs

No. Multi-residential development is concentrated on key corridors, transit station areas, activity centres, and main streets. Policies for the Neighbourhood Local, Limited Scale areas of the Plan limit residential development forms to single detached, semi-detached, and rowhouses in a grade-oriented form. This aligns with Home is Here – The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy and the recent Rezoning for Housing Council decision from May 2024.

In September 2023, Council approved Home is Here - The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy. One of the actions in the strategy is to remove barriers and enable a greater variety of homes in Calgary.

From Nov. 14 – Dec 11, 2023, we engaged the public on small-scale homes see Phase 2 (Topic 3). The following questions were asked:

As Administration responds to Council’s direction on small-scale homes throughout Calgary, what opportunities and challenges exist when thinking of welcoming a variety of small-scale homes into the Chinook Communities? We want to know what you think and why?

Participants identified opportunities and challenges related to welcoming a variety of small-scale homes into the Plan area and were able to explain their perspective.

On May 14, 2024, Council approved citywide rezoning to a base residential district of R-CG in low density residential areas.

From May 28 – June 24, 2024, through Phase 3 of the Chinook Communities Local Area Planning project, the project team explained Council’s decision to rezoning to R-CG as the base residential district (with the rezoning taking effect Aug 6, 2024) and that local area plans will align with Council’s rezoning decision to support rowhouses across local area plans.

It is important to note that engaging on the development of the Plan does not mean consensus – but the meaningful input and ideas received greatly shaped the Plan from all participants who got involved in all phases of public participation. Although we may wish that at the end of a project all of our participants will be happy with the outcome, that is generally not realistic.

The purpose of engagement and engaging as the Plan is developed is not to make everyone happy; it is to ensure that all voices are heard and considered when making decisions that impact others. If individuals feel their specific feedback wasn’t acted on – it doesn’t mean we weren’t listening or didn’t review with great care the knowledge shared. We are continually striking a balance between all of the public input received and other key considerations to the Plan that include context and trends, city policy, professional expertise and equity.

We heard from various sources of feedback during our process that forming east-west links that connect amenities was an important part of the Plan. The Neighbourhood Connector urban form category allows for a range of housing and localized commercial opportunities and provides additional opportunities to improve the east-west connection between residential areas of Parkhill and the Macleod Trail Urban Main Street and the 39 Avenue LRT station. The connection along 38A Avenue SW is also recommended as an enhanced pedestrian corridor for the future. An enhanced pedestrian corridor may include elements such as wider sidewalks, furniture zones, seating, plantings, and other features that support the envisioned street activity.

As found in Section 4.2. under Policy Interpretation in the Plan, policies that use the words “shall,” “will,” “must” or “require” apply to all situations, without exception. Policies that use active tense or “should” are to be applied in all situations, unless it can be clearly demonstrated to the satisfaction of The City that the policy is not reasonable, practical or feasible in a given situation. “Should” policies are still enforceable from Administration during the review of an application.

Parks, Open Spaces, and Natural Areas is a core value in the Plan which has informed the community improvements and investment opportunities proposed in the Chinook Communities based on what we heard through the engagement process.

Chapter 3: Supporting Growth provides policy direction to explore opportunities for new parks and open spaces in the communities of Windsor Park, Manchester and areas in close proximity to future residential development located east of Macleod Trail S . Policies in the Plan also explore opportunities for new community and recreational facilities, services, and parks and open spaces near the Red Line LRT stations and Main Streets.

Appendix A: Investment Opportunities are linked to policies in the Plan and identifies opportunities to add more parks and open spaces in Manchester between Macleod Trail S and the CPKC freight rail corridor and/or in transit station areas by expanding parks and/or creating new parks.

The City is continuing to explore opportunities for parks within industrial areas as lands in strategic areas redevelop and transition from industrial to non-industrial uses over time. This includes reviewing city-owned lands for possible conversion from their existing use to a park space that would support additional residential or mixed uses in strategic areas of Manchester and Manchester Industrial.

When new developments are applied for, if reserves are outstanding, at the subdivision stage, the Developer shall provide Municipal Reserve (MR) dedication in the amount of 10% of the developable land if the parcel is over 0.8 hectares. As Manchester and Manchester Industrial accommodate additional residential or mixed uses this will be another way for The City to increase the park space in the area.

There are currently no short-term plans to close or relocate the Impound Lot. The Chinook Communities LAP has identified the Impound Lot as a Comprehensive Planning Site and has included policies for transit-oriented redevelopment of the site should the impound lot be relocated in the future.

When adjacent parcels have different scale modifiers, policy in the Plan speaks to development in these areas being designed to respect the surrounding context. This includes considering existing site context, parcel layout, building massing, and landscaping in the design of the development.

At the development permit stage, details such as building design, site constraints, landscaping, parking, utilities and waste and recycling staging areas are discussed and carefully examined. Privacy is also considered as part of the design of new development. All development permits include the opportunity for the public to provide comments during the review of the proposal.

Elbow Drive SW is an important north-south multi-modal corridor located on the primary transit network that links the communities of Britannia, Elboya, Windsor Park, Bel-Aire, Mayfair, and Meadowlark Park together and to key areas outside the Plan area. Chapter 3: Supporting Growth identifies Mobility and Housing Choices as a key goal in the Plan with a focus on improving pedestrian spaces, cycling connectivity, and transit infrastructure.

To address mobility concerns along Elbow Drive SW, the Plan outlines implementation options for traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeding, enhance accessibility to transit stops, and improve safety measures for pedestrians crossing Elbow Drive SW (particularly near Britannia Plaza and 61 Avenue SW). The Plan recommends exploring new dedicated cycling infrastructure along Elbow Drive SW. Appendix Map C3 recommends a future off-street pathway along Elbow Drive SW, however it will be up to the future project (if/when funded) to determine options, and a final recommendation based on community feedback, technical analysis and considerations to protect existing mature trees and their canopy. The ultimate multi-modal cross-section for Elbow Drive SW will need to balance the needs of all mobility users: walking, cycling, transit, automobiles, goods movement and emergency services.

Appendix A: Investment Opportunities are linked to the goals, objectives, and implementation options in the Plan which also identify improvements to the streetscape at Elbow Drive SW and Malibou Road SW to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety.

Safety improvements are reviewed by The City on an ongoing basis as a result of many processes including collision-based network screening, concerns received from Ward offices, Calgarians through 311, Community Associations, and through identification as a part of capital project planning and design.

Existing Caveats/Restrictive Covenants are recognized in Chapter 4: Implementation and Interpretation and found under Section 4.2 Local Area Plan Interpretation.

Restrictive covenants are private civil agreements. The City of Calgary reviews Development Permits and Land Use Amendments in accordance with the legislative framework set out under Part 17 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA). The City’s planning review and considerations are not bound by restrictive covenants. The City does not determine the validity, nor enforce private agreements when determining the appropriateness of Land Use Bylaw or statutory plan amendments.

The Plan applies urban form categories and building scale modifiers that allow for substantial growth and redevelopment opportunities around two existing LRT stations and a potential future infill station. Development located closer to LRT stations has the highest intensities and with the building scale transitioning down further away from the LRT station.

The Chinook LRT station area is envisioned to continue to grow as a regional employment centre with the highest levels of activity and development intensity, while the 39 Avenue LRT station area is envisioned to have mixed-use development surrounding the station with areas to the east to remain predominantly industrial while allowing for flexibility in future uses.

Council Date

The proposed Chinook Communities Local Area Plan will be brought forward to a Public Hearing of Council for review and decision on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

The proposed Chinook Communities Local Area Plan will be brought forward to a Public Hearing of Council on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Anyone who is interested can participate in the public hearing of Committee and/or Council. You can submit your comments in writing, register to speak or watch online.

If you, or people you know, are interested in submitting comments or speaking at Council, it may be helpful to visit calgary.ca/PublicHearing to learn more about the process and go over some tips for presenting or submitting comments. The following videos and tip sheets provide a good summary of some of the key things to know, but other resources are also available at the link above.

The agenda for both meetings will be posted a few days prior to the hearings at the link below:

Council and Committee Agendas, Minutes and Video (calgary.ca)

Those wishing to participate in the public hearings can submit their comments or register to speak. Comments submitted before the agenda has been posted should clearly state that the submission is for the "Chinook Communities Local Area Plan".

Public Submission to City Clerks (calgary.ca)

Members of the public may also watch the Committee and Council hearings via live webcast:

Council and Committee webcasts (calgary.ca)

For more information visit Participate in a Council or Committee meeting (calgary.ca)

Communities change and evolve over time. Conversations about where, why and how revitalization and redevelopment should happen are essential to ensure our communities change in the right ways.

Through the local area planning process, we'll work together to create a future vision for how land could be used and redeveloped in the Chinook Communities area. A local area plan outlines a future vision for the area, provides guidance on what growth and change makes sense where, and includes development direction that residents, landowners, builders and developers, city planners and Councillors can commonly refer to as new development ideas are proposed by property owners and landowners in the area.

Learn more about Local Area Planning in Calgary.

A local area plan sets the vision for growth and change in a group of communities over the next 30+ years. A local area plan provides guidance and direction on development, investment and community improvements that residents, landowners, builders/developers, City Planners and Councillors can commonly refer to when new ideas are proposed for the area.

A local area plan will support your community as it changes by:

Increasing predictability about how the area could change in the future.
Responding to changing trends and demographics such as population decline, family composition, aging in place, housing preferences.
Expanding housing choice to welcome additional people and increase population.
Supporting local amenities and businesses through increased population.
Informing decisions about reinvestment such as improvements to public spaces.
Adding more homes, increasing bikeability, walkability and access to amenities and transit, as well as reducing the need to expand our city’s footprint all play a role in environmental sustainability.

Communities naturally change and evolve. Over time, trees and kids grow up, businesses change ownership and offerings, homes and buildings age. People choose to move, renovate or rebuild their homes or businesses to better suit their changing needs.

There is a stage in each community's life cycle when the choice to rebuild or redevelop homes and buildings becomes more and more frequent (generally as homes and buildings reach 50+ years). A lot of change within a short time can start to feel unpredictable or overwhelming. It's at this stage where it can be helpful to have a plan in place to guide decisions about how and where change, new development and community investment and improvements make sense in communities.

Creating a plan to help guide change within communities ensures that there's flexibility (for people looking to make changes), direction (to help guide new development when ideas are proposed), and certainty (for residents to know how their community may change in the future).

We're working together to create a local area plan to help ensure change happens in the right ways in the Chinook Communities.

Life cycle of a community

New communities tend to draw many young families and typically reach their peak population within the first 20 years.

Population begins to decline as children begin to move away from home.

Homes and buildings age and the population continues to drop or flatline. Schools and businesses often struggle to stay open.

The community is revitalized through private redevelopment and public reinvestment, bringing increased population growth and enabling local businesses and amenities to thrive.

The Chinook Communities Local Area Plan include Bel-Aire, Britannia, Elboya, Manchester, Mayfair, Meadowlark Park, Parkhill, Windsor Park, a south portion of Manchester Industrial, and a small eastern portion of Glenmore Park.

You'll find answers to the most frequently asked questions here. These FAQs will be updated throughout the project.

Planning Together for the Next 30 Years

We’re working together to create a local area plan for Bel-Aire, Britannia, Elboya, Manchester, Mayfair, Meadowlark Park, Parkhill, Windsor Park, a south portion of Manchester Industrial, and a small eastern portion of Glenmore Park.

What is a Local Area Plan?

A local area plan sets the vision for the evolution of the area over the next 30 years. It provides direction on future development and investment that residents, landowners, builders / developers, City Planners and Council can commonly refer to when new development and investment ideas are proposed.

Why Do We Need a Local Area Plan?

The city, communities and streets where we live and work have changed, are changing, and will continue to change. People renovate, rebuild, enlarge and modify spaces around them all the time. We need to make sure there’s room for people looking to make changes and provide direction to help guide decisions. We also need to provide guidelines for investment when change is proposed, and certainty for residents and businesses to know how their community may change in the future.

Chinook Communities - Plan Area Boundary Update

Based on the public feedback received in Phase 1, the Chinook Communities' boundary has been amended to include the 39 Ave. LRT Station and nearby area.

Conversations about where, why and how revitalization and redevelopment should happen are essential to ensure there's a plan in place to help guide future changes. Growth and change happen in a community with or without a local area plan.

Consumer demand, market forces, and other factors will drive change in the community. However, in areas with high demand that do not have a local area plan, developers will often have to undertake site-by-site land use redesignation / rezoning applications in order to build developments to meet demand for new housing and businesses. This site-by-site approach can create uncertainty for local residents, who don’t know where the next application will come from and what it will propose. It also creates uncertainty for developers, who don’t know for certain what types of proposals will be acceptable where.

A local area plan helps create more certainty for everyone by outlining the general expectation for what scale and type of new development is appropriate where and what policies will help shape development that is proposed.

We are currently in Phase 4 – REALIZE, which is focused on sharing the final draft plan and brining it forward to Committee and Council for review and decision.

In this phase of the project you can review the final draft plan, learn about the key ideas, review the key changes made since the last phase and find an overview of the engagement that took place through the project. The Plan is anticipated to be brought forward to Committee and Council in Winter 2025.

A variety of opportunities for involvement were available through the process that aimed to accommodate a range of participation interests and intensities, as well as to remove barriers to participation.

Engagement opportunities and methods included: working group sessions, in-person and virtual engagement sessions (with the public, community associations and development industry representatives), , online engagement, mailed engagement packages, My Idea Stations, and community walking tours (with community association representatives).

Through the project, advertisements were displayed to help raise awareness of the project and opportunities to get involved. Methods used to raise awareness included: mailed information, community newsletter articles and ads, large format road signs, social media ads (Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Nextdoor), digital ads (including video ads on YouTube), digital ads at local destinations including transit stations, Communications Toolkits for area Councillors and Community Association representatives to help spread the word.

Check out the "PAST ENGAGEMENT" tab to review What We Heard & What We Did Reports along with Engagement Summaries from each phase through the project.

Input provided by residents and other participants helped the project team understand perspectives, opinions and concerns throughout all phases of the project. Input collected in each phase of the project helped influence and inform the concepts and policies that were created and refined throughout the process. Throughout the project, the project team shared what was heard, highlighted the key themes raised, and provided responses for how key themes were addressed and considered.

Although it would be a great outcome, the goal of public engagement is not to reach consensus or make everyone happy. Public engagement is about considering the input, ideas and perspectives of those who are interested in or impacted by decisions, before decisions are made. Participant input is an important part of local area planning but is one of many areas of consideration. Other areas include: City policies, professional expertise, current context and trends, and equity which all factor into the ultimate decision-making process and concept development.

Check out the "PAST ENGAGEMENT" tab to review What We Heard & What We Did Reports along with Engagement Summaries from each phase through the project.

Land is not rezoned in connection with the approval or adoption of a local area plan. Landowners determine if and when to propose to rezone their land. If a land use rezoning application were brought forward for a property it would be reviewed for alignment with the local area plan (if approved by Council). If no local area plan or local policy guidance is in place, development proposals are reviewed against other Council-approved City policies including the Municipal Development Plan.

In limited cases, The City (rather than a specific landowner) may propose to rezone land; however, City-initiated land use rezonings are clearly identified as such, prior to being brought forward to Council for decision. City Council is the decision maker on all land use rezoning proposals and a public hearing (which includes opportunities for the public to speak to Council directly) must take place prior to Council decision.

No. While a local area plan identifies and guides where and how future growth and change could happen within a specific area, it is property/landowners who decide if and when redevelopment happens on their property/land. If a property/landowner would like to redevelop their land, they are required to submit a planning application and go through a review process to ensure their application aligns with City policies such as the Municipal Development Plan, Local Area Plan and other applicable City policies

City Council makes the final decision on land use redesignation applications. Administration must review all land use redesignation (rezoning) proposals and makes a recommendation to Council based on planning merits, supporting policy and comments received. Council refers to the local area plan and other City policy and holds a public hearing prior to making a decision. Council can make the final decision on a land use redesignation as outlined in the Municipal Government Act (MGA) based on their own interpretation of policies, site characteristics and the merits of the application.

It is anticipated that the Chinook Communities Local Area Plan will be presented to City Council in winter 2025. In the meantime, while the draft Plan is being developed and until Council makes a decision on the proposed Plan, active land use amendment and development permit applications will be reviewed against existing Council approved policy plans, such as the Municipal Development Plan.

In May 2024, Council approved citywide rezoning to allow for single, semi-detached, townhomes and rowhouses across all communities in Calgary. For more information visit calgary.ca/RezoningforHousing. Approved local area plans, those currently underway, as well as all future local area plans will be updated and drafted to align with Council direction to allow for single, semi-detached, townhomes and rowhouses across all communities in Calgary. These changes were effective as of August 6, 2024.

Most mature communities, especially those built prior to 1980, are below their historical peak population, so most communities are already designed to handle more people than live here today. Due to the decline in population and higher efficiency houses being built, there is now infrastructure capacity. This includes roads, transit stops, water and wastewater management, etc. to handle more types of housing.

That being said, through the local area planning process, we plan for reinvestment along with redevelopment. Chapter 3 of the local area plan (Supporting Growth) highlights key community improvements desired within the Chinook Communities. We are looking for feedback on community improvements now to ensure we are capturing all the ways we need to support growth and change in the area.

Those details are not in the scope of a local area plan; however, at the development permit stage details such as building design, site constraints, landscaping, parking, utilities and waste and recycling staging areas are discussed and carefully looked at. Privacy is also discussed as part of the design of the new development. For example, glass blocks or frosted glass can be placed when side windows are proposed. All development permits include the opportunity for the public to provide comments during the review of the proposal as well as to appeal the decision about the proposed development.

Local area plans are meant to be living documents that may be amended and updated over time as the community changes and evolves and as conditions and circumstances in the area change. City Council is the decision maker for all local area plan amendments.

When a local area plan is created, existing area redevelopment plans (ARPs) are reviewed and analyzed. Ideas from ARPs that may still be relevant are considered as the local area plan is drafted. In some cases, policies in older ARPs no longer align with more modern higher-order policies (such as the Municipal Development Plan, etc.) so they cannot be carried over into the local area plan as policy direction must align.

If a local area plan (also adopted by as an ARP) is approved by Council, existing ARPs within the area are repealed as multiple ARPs cannot be in place for the same area at the same time.

Engagement pages, summaries and detailed reports

PHASE 1: ENVISION

PHASE 2: EXPLORE

Phase 3: REFINE

Feedback provided by participants helps shape the local area plan as it is created.

Input provided by the participants helps the project team understand perspectives, opinions and concerns throughout the all phases of the project. Input collected in each phase of the project helps influence and inform the concepts and policies that are created and refined throughout the process. Throughout the project, the project team will share what was heard, highlighted the key themes raised, and provided responses for how key themes were addressed and considered.

Although it would be a great outcome, the goal of public engagement is not to reach consensus or make everyone happy. Public engagement is about considering the input, ideas and perspectives of those who are interested in or impacted by decisions, before decisions are made. Participant input is an important part of local area planning, but is one of many areas of consideration. Other areas include: City policies, professional expertise, current context and trends, and equity which all factor into the ultimate decision-making process and concept development.

Public input provided in each phase of the engagement process is compiled, reviewed and considered as each chapter of the local area plan is created.

Review the What We Heard & What We Did reports from each phase of the project for details.

GET INVOLVED

Your voice matters. Your feedback and the feedback of your neighbours is needed to help shape how your community and the surrounding area evolves over the next 30 years.

Get involved in each phase as the Chinook Communities Local Area Plan is created and refined.

Phase 1: ENVISION

Looking back at the past, understanding the present and envisioning the future of the area.

April 18 - May 23, 2023

LEARN MORE
Phase 2: EXPLORE

Exploring where and how growth and change could happen in the area.

Nov. 14 - Dec. 11, 2023

LEARN MORE
Phase 3: REFINE

Refining the plan and confirming the investment priorities.

May 28 - June 24, 2024

LEARN MORE
Phase 4: REALIZE

Committee and Council review and decision.

Oct. 15 - Nov. 7, 2024

LEARN MORE

Phone	311 or 403-268-CITY (2489)
Website	www.calgary.ca

Engage

Chinook Communities Local Area Planning

The proposed Chinook Communities LAP is ready!

Post-Committee Update

Council Date

Communities change and evolve over time. Conversations about where, why and how revitalization and redevelopment should happen are essential to ensure our communities change in the right ways.

Engagement pages, summaries and detailed reports

GET INVOLVED

Phase 1: ENVISION

Phase 2: EXPLORE

Phase 3: REFINE

Phase 4: REALIZE

STAY CONNECTED

Working Group

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Chinook Communities Local Area Planning

The proposed Chinook Communities LAP is ready!

Post-Committee Update

​Is multi-residential development supported in all areas in my community?

​Did The City engage on policy for Neighbourhood Local, Limited areas to help inform direction on small-scale homes (such as single detached, semi-detached, and rowhouses) when the Plan was developed?

​Is the goal of engagement to come to consensus on the local area plan?

​Why does the Plan show Neighbourhood Connector in Parkhill along 38A Avenue SW?

​What is the difference between should and shall policy language in the LAP?

​How are park and open spaces being addressed in Manchester and Manchester Industrial? How could The City increase park and open spaces in these areas?

​Are there plans to close the use of the Municipal Impound Lot in order to redevelop it as transit-oriented development?

​How does the Plan address concerns of impacts to development?

​How does the Plan address traffic concerns along Elbow Drive SW?

​Are restrictive covenants recognized in the Plan?

​How is the Plan addressing density near Transit-Oriented Development?

Council Date

Share your thoughts with Committee and/or Council

Communities change and evolve over time. Conversations about where, why and how revitalization and redevelopment should happen are essential to ensure our communities change in the right ways.

What is a local area plan?

​Why is a local area plan needed?

What communities are included in the Chinook Communities Local Area Plan?

What's this project all about?

​Why do we need a local area plan? Why should we be discussing growth and change at all?

Where are we in the project? What's being discussed?

How did you engage the community in developing the Plan?

How was public input considered in the creation of the local area plan?

If a local area plan is approved by Council, does the land use zoning change to what is shown on the maps?

Does a local area plan mean I will have to redevelop my home?

​Who makes the decision on proposed land use redesignation (rezoning) proposals?

How are active land use amendment and development permit applications being reviewed while the Chinook Communities Local Area Plan is being developed?

What does the citywide rezoning mean for local area plans?

Can the existing infrastructure and amenities (roads, sewer systems, parks, transit, etc.) handle more homes and people?

We have concerns on parking, design, waste and privacy connected to new small-scale homes, is that something a local area plan can address?

​Can local area plans be updated or amended?

What happens to existing Council-approved area redevelopment plans when a new local area plan is created?

Engagement pages, summaries and detailed reports

How is public input considered as the local area plan is created?

GET INVOLVED

Phase 1: ENVISION

Phase 2: EXPLORE

Phase 3: REFINE

Phase 4: REALIZE

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