New Development Rules for Townhomes in Rideau Roxboro

The City of Calgary is proposing to change, via a Bylaw, 6 existing Local Area Plans (LAPs), by inserting development “policies” regarding townhomes and rowhouses, in order to harmonize them with 2 LAPs that predated Blanket Rezoning in 2024. The West Elbow LAP (WELAP), which includes Rideau Roxboro, is a 30-year policy document approved in May 2025 to guide future growth, land use and development, and is included in this proposed Bylaw (the text of which we have not found).

This note is to advise you of this pending change, how you can learn more, and its possible implications for Rideau Roxboro.

In the WELAP, Rideau Roxboro (excluding the Rideau Towers lands on the hill) was designated in “Urban Form” (Map 3) as “Neighbourhood Local” with “Building Scale” (Map 4) as “Limited”, allowing for single detached, semi-detached, row houses, townhomes, stacked townhomes, mixed-use building, commercial and some industrial building, all no more than 3 stories in height. On the east and west sides of 4th Street, the designation is “Neighbourhood Connector – Low-Modified”, allowing such building forms to no more than 4 stories in height. 

Since the repeal of Blanket Rezoning earlier this year when base zoning reverted to R-C1 Contextual One Dwelling for most Rideau Roxboro lots, the old system that allowed a landowner to apply to change the zoning designation of a lot was reinstated. City Administration reviews an application and, based in part on planning policy guidance in tools such as the LAP, either recommends the approval of the application, or not, when it advances to a Public Hearing before City Council.

The proposed Bylaw purports to limit the policy guidance applicable to “Neighbourhood Local – Limited” to location considerations within the neighbourhood. Specifically, City Administration would recommend approval of a rezoning application if a lot meets the following criteria:
(a) the lot backs on to a rear lane, AND
(b) either:
– is within a “transit station area”, OR
– is along or adjacent to an identified main street, OR
– is on a corner parcel, OR
– is adjacent to a school, park or open space.

Given the complexity of what this Bylaw proposes, please refer directly to the City’s webpage: “Proposed Limitations on Rowhousing”: https://www.calgary.ca/planning/local-area/lap-limited-scale-policy.html.  

The following statement from the FAQ section of the webpage best explains what is proposed:

While Blanket Rezoning was repealed, landowners still have the right to apply to change the zoning of their property at any time. When an application to change the zoning is made (called a land use amendment application), Administration reviews the application against all applicable policies, including local area plans, and makes a recommendation to Council based on the policy guidance. Currently, the majority of the local area plans support three-or-more unit housing in all residential areas, so if an individual land use amendment was proposed in the middle of a single-detached area, the existing policy would support it. These proposed updates to the LAPs would change that; if a land use amendment was proposed in the middle of a single-detached area identified as Neighbourhood Local – Limited and it didn’t meet the criteria in the Limited Scale Policies, Administration would recommend refusal on the grounds that the application does not align with the policy. The application would go before Council for a Public Hearing, and Council would make the final decision.

We expect that there are numerous lots in Rideau Roxboro that meet these location criteria and the proposed Bylaw may, in practice, prompt City Council to approve a rezoning application that meets such criteria where, before the Blanket Rezoning push of the past few years, it may not have. While the requirement of a Public Hearing has been restored, we can not predict the weight City Council may afford an express policy and City Administration recommendation for approval, going forward.

The Value of Restrictive Covenants. All of this yet again supports the idea that Rideau Roxboro residents are better able to guide the future development evolution of this great community through their own hands rather that relying on City Administration and Council applying its changing and capricious land use bylaws. Through historic and modern RC registrations, over 75% of Rideau Roxboro is protected through the only legal means available to manage development. But too many gaps remain, particularly in Rideau, and this is a reminder of why residents can only safely rely on each other to preserve the neighbourhood character we all bought in to and hope to retain.

And in order to help defend RCs if ever challenged in Rideau Roxboro, please consider becoming a Member of, or making a donation to, the Rideau Roxboro Community Defence Fund Society. 

If you’d like to discuss obtaining an RC or becoming an RRCFDSociety Member, please contact Tony Morris at 403-831-2490 or tony.morris.emails@gmail.com, on behalf of Rideau Roxboro Community Association.