Rezoning public hearing set to return to Calgary council chambers

The topic of blanket rezoning is returning to Calgary council chambers with a public hearing into the matter scheduled to begin next week.

It’s drawing anticipation from some Calgarians as the city prepares for what could be a long process.

“I think what a lot of Calgarians are expecting is we need to build back better,” said Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopoulos. “So what we had didn’t work and what we have today didn’t work.”

The 2024 blanket rezoning public hearing was the largest in the city’s history. The controversial bylaw prompted legal challenges from some against the change, while the city became a national leader in housing starts.

Now, advocates who plan to speak in front of council yet again worry the decision to repeal blanket rezoning will cut into the city’s property tax revenue.

“This is 26 units over three lots, and this generates about three to four times the revenue as the bungalows in this neighbourhood,” explained More Neighbours Calgary co-founder Kathryn Davies. “If you’re able to scale that up that’s a huge financial benefit to the city.”

The city’s data shows the nearly 1,150 town and row house development permits submitted in 2025 were enable by citywide rezoning.

But critics of rezoning say it hasn’t helped Calgarians.

“All of a sudden the price of that lot goes up,” said Scott Rusty Miller with Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth. “Now it doesn’t mean you have to build an affordable house, in fact many of the houses that’re built that replace existing, modest homes, these are very expensive homes.”

Rezoning was a hot-button issue during last fall’s civic election.

Eleven new faces in council chambers mean that all ideas are on the table, according to Pantazopoulos, who spoke during the 2024 hearings.

“And now finally as their elected official for Ward 6, I get to come in and listen to Calgarians again and implement exactly what Calgarians want. Pretty exciting time,” he said.

Anyone interested in taking part in the hearing can register online or in-person starting March 23, the same day the hearing begins.