The long-running debate over a townhouse project in Springbank Hill will not be resolved this year. City council has decided to postpone the rezoning decision until January 2026, following calls from both the community and the applicant for more time to review and discuss the proposal.
At a public hearing, Coun. Sonya Sharp introduced a motion to push the debate to next year. “We need more time,” she told council. “The community needs more time, and the applicant needs more time.” The majority of council agreed, effectively pausing one of the most heated local planning issues in recent months.
For many residents of Springbank Hill, the delay is a small victory. Local resident Sara Austin, who has been speaking on behalf of the community, described the development process as “difficult and frustrating.” She and her neighbors feel they have had to fight too hard just to be heard.
“We have a democratic right to be represented by an elected councillor,” Austin said. She pointed out that Ward 6 has been without a dedicated councillor since November 2024, when Richard Pootmans stepped down for health reasons.
In the absence of an elected representative, councillors Sharp, Courtney Walcott, and Kourtney Penner have been filling in as area representatives. Still, residents argue this arrangement doesn’t give them the strong voice they need during such an important decision.
Earlier this week, the group even went to court, asking a judge to block council from voting on rezoning until after October’s municipal election. The request was denied.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek responded by saying that all members of council share responsibility for representing every Calgarian, not just those in their own wards. “Every member of council has a fiduciary responsibility to all Calgarians,” she explained.
The project, called Augusta Villas, would bring 42 townhouses to a parcel of land along Elveden Drive S.W. The developer needs a zoning change before moving ahead. Right now, the property is zoned for low-density mixed housing (R-G). The application asks for it to be changed to multi-residential at grade oriented (M-G), which is outside the city’s new blanket rezoning bylaw.
Residents say they aren’t against growth or densification, but they argue this proposal doesn’t fit with the Area Structure Plan for their neighborhood. They worry that adding dozens of homes will bring traffic and safety challenges, especially with children walking to school on roads that lack sidewalks.
“We’re talking about adding an extra 42 to 84 cars to our road,” said Austin. “And particularly safety concerns of local school children who walk down this road every single day with no sidewalks to protect them.”
Despite their objections, community members say they are willing to sit down with the developer to look for common ground. They hope the extra time before the January vote will allow for a better conversation about what kind of development could work for both sides.
The rezoning debate is now set for January 2026, giving the developer and residents a chance to meet, share ideas, and try to find a solution that addresses concerns about density, traffic, and safety.
Until then, the future of the Augusta Villas project remains uncertain.
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