Changes to Calgary's Land Use Bylaw

Effective June 1st, Calgary's 28 year old land use bylaw 2P80 will be replaced with bylaw 1P2007. Here is a summary of the changes.

In single detached dwelling districts, will require a redesignation to add the ‘s’ modifier and add secondary suite as a discretionary use.

• Modifier districts include R-1s, RC1s and R-C1Ls districts.
• A listed discretionary use in the R-2 and R-C2 districts.
• Will not legalize existing illegal suites. A secondary suite requires an off-street parking stall, separate direct access from grade and an outdoor private amenity space of at least 7.5 square metres.
• A secondary suite is limited to a maximum of 70 square metres in area (must be small).
• A parcel width of 15.0 metres is required for a secondary suite in the R-2, R-C2 and R-C1s districts.
• A parcel width between 11.0 and 13.0 metres, depending on the form, is required for a secondary suite in the R-1s district.

Developed Area Districts

• R-C1L (R-C1Ls) (RR-1)
– 24 metre wide parcels.
– Secondary Suites accommodated through redesignation to R-C1Ls.
• R-C1 (R-C1s) (R-1)
– 12 metre wide parcels.
– Secondary Suites accommodated through redesignation to R-C1s.

• R-C1N (RS-1 & R-1A)
– Min 7.5 metre wide parcels.
– Max 11.0 metre wide parcels; 14.0 metres for corner parcels.
• R-C2 (R-2 & RS-2)
– Allows semi-detached dwellings to be developed on a 13 metre wide parcel.
– Min 7.5 metre wide parcels for single detached dwellings.
– Secondary suites are a discretionary use on a 15 metre wide parcel.

Developing Area Districts

• R-1(R-1s) district (R-1)
– 11 metre maximum building height can be increased to 12 metres when the parcel is 15 metres or wider.
– Secondary Suites accommodated through redesignation to R-1s.
• R-1N district (RS-1 & R-1A)
– Narrow parcel single detached district (7.5 metres minimum).
– Min 7.5 metre wide parcels.
– Max 11.6 metre wide parcels; 14.0 metre for corner parcels.
– 11 metre maximum building height when parcel width is 10 metres or greater.

• R-2 district (R-2 & R-2A)
– Allows semi-detached dwellings on a 13 metre wide parcel.
– Secondary suites are a discretionary use on an 11 or 13 metre wide parcel, depending on form.
– Min 7.5 metre wide parcels for single detached dwellings.
• R-2M district (R-2A)
– Semi-detached dwellings, duplexes and rowhouses are permitted uses.
– Rowhouses can occur on 5 metre wide parcels as a permitted use.

Citywide Districts

• R-MH (R-MH)
– Manufactured Homes on individual parcels or in a
Manufactured Home park.

• R-CH
– Small single detached dwellings, semi-detached or triplexes, called ‘cottage buildings’, developed in a ‘cluster’ on a minimum 22 metre wide laned parcel.
– Opportunity for more affordable housing.
– Opportunity for higher density ground oriented detached development.
– Provides market alternatives to multi-residential development.

Developed Area Multi-Residential Districts

• M-CG (R-2A, RM-1, RM-2 & RM-3)

– 12 metre max. building height, density modifier up to a maximum of 111 uph.
– Contextual, grade-oriented district.

• M-C1 (RM-4)

– 14 metre max. building height, density modifier up to a maximum of 148 uph.
– Contextual, low profile district.

• M-C2 (RM-5)
– 16 metre max. building height, maximum FAR of 2.5.
– Contextual medium profile district.
– Maximum uph set by modifier.

Developing Area
Multi-Residential districts

• M-G (RM-1)

– 12 metre building height; minimum 35 uph to a maximum of 80 uph, set by modifier.
– At grade housing district.

• M-1 (RM-4)
– 14 metre building height; minimum 50 uph to a maximum of 148 uph, set by modifier.
– Low profile district.

• M-2 (RM-5)
– 16 metre building height; maximum FAR of 3.0.
– Minimum 60 uph.
– Medium profile district.

Citywide Multi-Residential Districts

• M-H1 / M-H2 / M-H3 (RM-6 & RM-7)
– High density, low/medium/high rise districts.
– Maximum building height ranges from 26 metres to a limit set by modifier.
– FAR ranges from 4.0 to 11.0.
– Allows commercial uses, with limits.

• M-X1 / M-X2 (all new districts)
– Low and medium profile with support commercial.
– Allow commercial uses at grade; maximum 10% of building.
– M-X1, 50 – 148 uph, M-X2, minimum 60 uph and maximum 3.0 FAR

Neighbourhood Commercial Districts

• Require small scale development on small parcels
• Generally located in a low density residential context
• C-N1 (C-1 & C-1A) requires a storefront building
• C-N2 (C-1 & C-1A) provides for limited automotive uses
• Both provide for opportunities for residential development on upper floors
• Use areas limited to 300 square metres, except for convenience food stores - allowed 465 square metres
• 1.2 hectare site maximum

Community Commercial Districts

• C-C1 (C-1A, C-2 & C-3)

– Mid-scale commercial developments
– Located within a community or along a commercial street, maximum 3.2 hectares.
– 1,400 m2 use area maximum for retail

• C-C2 (C-1A, C-2 & C-3)

– Mid sized to large commercial developments on the boundary of several communities
– Comprehensively designed a buildings located on mid sized parcels, maximum 12 hectares
– 6,000 m2 use area maximum for retail

Regional Commercial Districts

• C-R1 Stand alone ‘big box’ development (C-3, I-2)
• C-R2 Regional enclosed malls on large parcels (C-5)
• C-R3 Comprehensively planned ‘power centres’ (C-5)
• C-O Office development (C-3)

Commercial districts

C-COR 1 Storefronts with buildings required to be close to the pedestrian sidewalk and containing small commercial uses (C-1, C-2, C-1A & C-3)
C-COR 2 Limited automotive uses, mid-scale uses (C-1,C-1A, C-2 & C-3)
C-COR 3 On major roads with automobile access, large retail uses (C-3, C-6 & I-2)

Transition to new districts

• All parcels in the City of Calgary have been transitioned to a new land use district.
• Some direct control bylaws have been retained.
• Principle of transition: Every parcel has been transitioned to the closest matching district, with some limited exceptions.

Web Site for Alberta Landlords

A new website developed with funding from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation provides Alberta landlords with online access to legal information about the province’s recently revised
Residential Tenancy Act. Written in every day English and an easy-to-use format, the website was developed by the University of Alberta Legal Studies Program.

Thirty per cent of all Alberta properties are rentals, creating considerable interest in landlord and tenant issues. Alberta Real Estate Foundation Board Chair, Lorne Clark says, “Managing
rental properties is a big responsibility and if landlords and tenants are aware of their rights and responsibilities, it makes the work of REALTORS that much easier.” The site, Laws for Landlords: http://www.landlordandtenant.org/, offers Alberta-specific legal information for landlords, real estate professionals and agencies that support them.