Brentwood rezoning proposal for retail, office and condos draws critics

A proposal to rezone a vacant piece of land in the northwest Calgary community of Brentwood has some residents up in arms over thebuilding-height, traffic and safety concerns, but a city councillor says the redevelopment fits the city's land-use policy toaddressurban sprawl.

An information meeting at a nearby school Wednesday night brought out some critics of the plan.

Lee Hunt has lived in the areafor 32 years.

"It's too high and it's too big on the propertymy heart just goes out to the neighbours who live near there. They are never going to see the sun, it's just terrible," Hunt said.

The developer's proposal is for a four-storey mixed use building with retail on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and condos on the third and fourth floors.

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The land, at the corner of Northmount Drive and Brisebois Drive N.W., used to be a gas station about 10 years ago.

The development has received council's support in principle but still has hurdlesto jump.

Coun. Druh Farrell says she understands the concerns but this redevelopment is similar to 32 currently under way across the city. It meets the city's land-use policy and efforts to buildup inner city communities, rather than building out and contributing to urban sprawl, she says.

"Right now we have an empty lot.This has been vacant for almost 10 years so it's certainly council's will to try and see these sites developed."

If the development goes ahead there could be less traffic than there was when agas station wasat that location, Farrell says.

That hasn't stopped theopposition from growing, according to resident Lee Hunt.An open house last month attracted about 120 people she says.

"We feel that the existing height fits with the character of the community," Hunt said.

"But to go the (additional) two storeysis just too high for the residential neighbourhood that we are."

City council will decide onthe final proposal at a future meeting.