Springbank Hill residents claim City of Calgary is hitting them with legal costs in rezoning feud

There’s a new twist in the ongoing feud between the City of Calgary and a group of residents from Springbank Hill over the proposed housing development at 30 Elveden Drive. 

Springbank Hill residents took the city to court in an attempt to delay a vote to approve the development last month. Now, they say the city is now looking to hit them with legal costs to the tune of almost $17,000.

“I don’t understand how we’ve ended up in this situation, that we had to pursue costly legal proceedings to ensure that we were represented, and that now they’re seeking punitive legal costs,” resident Sara Austin.

The residents of Springbank Hill say the proposed development would bring in traffic congestion, cause parking issues in the community, and also cover the view of homes to the east.

They initiated the court proceedings with the hope of delaying the vote for the development until after the election, because Ward 6 is currently without an elected representative.

Their bid was unsuccessful in court, however, city council later voted unanimously to postpone the vote until January 2026.

“These are individual citizens, who took upon themselves the legal risk, the financial risk, and put their reputations on the line to defend our community, and here we have the city coming against us seeking legal costs,” Austin said. “It’s a ridiculous situation, and we urge them to stop immediately.”

Austin adds that if the city succeeds in getting these residents to pay its fees, it could discourage others from defending themselves in the future.

The City of Calgary declined CityNews’ request for comment, citing the issue being before the courts.