News Blog

Your child’s artwork could be chosen as the cover of Recreation Program Guide this winter!

We are asking children aged 5-12 to create a poster that visually describes, and represents their favorite experience(s) while participating in a recreational activity, program or event. For more information go to the Rec 100 website.

http://www.cocnmp.com/recreation/gallery-posters.php

On Wednesday, May 2, 2012, from 4-8 p.m., at Westbrook Mall, The City’s Transportation Planning is hosting a public information session on the West LRT Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project – Phase 1. The information session will be an “open house” format with display boards showing new cycling route, connections to LRT stations and a number of road improvements as part of the West LRT Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project.

The scope of Phase 1 includes improvements to key cycling and pedestrian routes leading into three LRT station areas: Shaganappi Point Station, Westbrook Station, and 45 Street Station. The boundaries of Phase 1 are (from east to west) Crowchild Trail, Sarcee Trail, (from north to south) Spruce Drive/Sovereign Crescent and 26 Avenue S.W. Through 2011, The City of Calgary called together a stakeholder group of people from the area communities and people from the cycling community to provide input about the routes in phase 1. The stakeholder group met twice in 2011: once to provide comments and concerns about cycling in the area and a second time to provide feedback on bicycle route concept plans. Planning for Phase 2 will begin in late 2012 and includes the 69 Street, Sirocco, and Sunalta LRT Stations. The City will again bring together a stakeholder group of people from the area communities and people from the cycling community.

CALGARY- After struggling for months over whether to allow Canada Olympic Park land to be turned into a large retail development, the city is now considering a dramatic and costly Plan C- buy the land. Council voted Monday to study a potential purchase of 19 hectares at the base of Paskapoo Slopes.It’s unclear how much the property would cost a valuation will be part of the study but city hall already has up to $60 million in loan guarantees tied up in other parts of the COP expansion venture. WinSport Canada had expected to repay those loan guarantees through selling land along the Trans Canada Highway to a retail developer after getting rezoning. That plan was up in the air, however, as city planners disagreed with WinSport on how to ensure some office developments would be part of that retail project, and when a future highway interchange would expand to meet that traffic demand. Buying the land would let the city sidestep that complex disagreement, but the city is unsure how to come up with the funds to do so. “The city had some of our top people on this file over the last couple of months, and this is what they came up with a way to move forward,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said in council Monday. Council will likely vote on a potential purchase when the city presents its study in June. For several months, council has delayed a decision on a new master plan for the lands surrounding the site of the 1988 Winter Games’ ski jump, bobsled track and freestyle skiing hill. The less-controversial parts of the project include hotels, a film studio, and a large park with cross-country ski trails on the Paskapoo Slopes, south of the proposed retail land. Nenshi suggested that instead of big box retail on the site, it could become part of that park and ski-trail area. Conservation groups had also called on the city to block a move to flatten the lower slopes for large stores and their parking lots. Jim Younker, chief operating officer for WinSport and head of its rezoning application, could not be reached for comment. Ald. Dale Hodges said a letter from WinSport stated the group agrees that council should hold off any decisions until June. Although the market value of those 19 hectares of COP land is still to be determined, Younker had said previously that there was a gap of up to $20 million between the potential sale price of those parcels if WinSport’s plans were approved and the price if city planners’ alterations were approved. Under then-mayor Dave Bronconnier, council agreed in 2010 to give WinSport up to $60 million in loan guarantees to ensure the sports agency could build new ice arenas. The organization has only drawn down about two-thirds of that amount.

jmarkusoff@calgaryherald.com. © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald 

At the annual AGM for the CHPH Community Association, the new 2012 board of directors was elected. To view, go to About Us

• Research best practices from other cities to get a better understanding of regulations for these types of signs and adapt them to create a "made in Calgary" solution; 
• Update the Billboard Development Policy to look at the current development context in the City;
• Update the regulations in the land use bylaw to deal with digital technology and some of the issues related to digital sign operation (such as brightness, message timing, ambient light emissions); 
• Review various safety studies and ensure that the sign regulations focus on the safety of Calgarians; and
• Ensure that the regulations and policies achieve the goals set out in the Calgary Municipal Development Plan.

• North West Communities (Banff Trail Community Centre - 2115 20 Ave NW) Monday, January 9, 2012 from 7 to 9:30pm
• South East Communities (Inglewood CA Hall - 1740 24 St SE) Tuesday, January 10, 2012 from 7 to 9:30pm 
• North East Communities (Pineridge CA Hall - 6024 Rundlehorn Dr NE) Wednesday, January 11, 2012 from 7 to 9:30pm; and 
• South West communities (Glamorgan CA Hall – 4207 41 Av SW) Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 7 to 9:30pm.

• Based on the market value of property as of July 01, 2011.
• Total number of accounts on the 2012 Property Assessment Roll is 456,000.
• Total value of the 2012 Property Assessment Roll is 232 billion.
• As a result of the 2012 Assessment, the typical market value residential property assessment change is -3% between 2011 and 2012.
• This year, approximately 93% of residential properties’ revenue neutral taxes will be within ± 10% of last year’s taxes.
• • 62% of residential properties will see a revenue neutral tax decrease due to the 2012 assessment.
  • 38% of residential properties will see a revenue neutral tax increase due to the 2012 assessment.
• 2012 median single residential assessment (excluding condominiums) is 400,000 compared to 410,000 in 2011.
• 2012 median residential condominium assessment is 240,000 compared to 250,000 in 2011.
• As a result of the 2012 assessment, the typical market value non-residential property assessment change is 2% between 2011 and 2012.
• This year, approximately 60% of non-residential properties’ revenue neutral taxes will be within ±10% of last year’s taxes.
• • 63% of non-residential properties will see a revenue neutral tax decrease.
  • 37% of non-residential properties will see a revenue neutral tax increase.
• Changes to the real estate market after July 01, 2011 will be reflected in values prepared for the 2013 Property Assessment Roll.
• 2012 Business Assessment Roll:
• Based on the typical net annual rental value of business premises as of July 01, 2011.
• Total number of accounts on the 2012 Business Assessment Roll is 26,100.
• Total value of the 2012 Business Assessment Roll is 2.7 billion.
• As a result of the 2012 assessment, the typical net annual rental value business assessment change is -3% between 2011 and 2012.
• This year, approximately 49% of businesses’ revenue neutral taxes will be within ± 10% of last year’s taxes.
• • 35% of businesses will see a revenue neutral tax decrease.
  • 65% of businesses will see a revenue neutral tax increase
• Changes to the typical net annual rental market after July 01, 2011 will be reflected in values prepared for the 2013 Business Assessment Roll.