Calgary city council to mull new development rules near arts and music venues

City councillors will soon consider whether Calgary should introduce new rules for developers looking to build near arts, culture or music venues.

It comes after a city committee unanimously endorsed a motion from Ward 9 Coun. Harrison Clark, which proposes Calgary enact an “agent of change” policy framework.

According to the motion, increased growth and densification in Calgary can lead to conflicts when new development is introduced near existing venues, with noise used as an example.

“If you were to build residential near an existing music venue then you are charged and responsible, as far as the city is concerned, with delivering the mitigation measures that are required for that to go smoothly,” Clark told reporters.

Those mitigation measures, according to Clark’s motion, could include “building design, construction standards, and disclosure measures” applied during the development permit approval process.

The motion was partly motivated by a rezoning request approved by council in January to make way for a redevelopment next door and above the Ship & Anchor Pub, a beloved bar and music venue on 17 Avenue.

The proposal from Strategic Group is to build a six-storey building next door to the bar, by demolishing an older apartment building that caught fire last year.

The project would also see two more floors added to the building that houses the bar, with a plan for more than 120 residential units.

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Since then, the owners of the pub have been pushing for changes to the proposal with concerns that noise from the venue will eventually become an issue for future residents, and impact the bar’s viability in the future.

“The support has been amazing; we are very lucky to have a large and vocal customer base,” said Nicola Trolez, the Ship & Anchor’s director of operations.

“The Ship has been around for 35 years so there is a large history of good will in the community and a lot of people see us as an institution.”

The development permit for the project is under review with the City of Calgary, and although Clark’s motion likely won’t impact the proposal, Trolez said its being welcomed by staff.

“What’s really great about this initiative is that it allows the city to be proactive as opposed to reactive, and set a precedent and a plan going forward where everybody wins,” she told Global News.

Clark’s motion asks city administration to explore how a policy framework could be applied through the planning and development process and how it could interact with existing bylaws, policies, and enforcement tools.

Riaz Mamdani, CEO of Strategic Group, told Global News an agent of change policy is “a great idea” due to the importance of arts and culture to the local economy.

Mamdani said the principles included in Clark’s proposal are being implemented in the design of the Ship & Anchor building redevelopment.

“We’re putting in sound mitigation between the first and second floors,” he said. “We’ve designed our building so that the interface between the music areas and the residential units is limited to only two units.”

According to Mamdani, the proposed redevelopment is geared towards people who want to live along 17 Avenue and who “want the hustle and bustle,” with the Ship & Anchor on the ground floor as a main feature of living in the building.

“The target demographic for the Ship & Anchor is the exact same demographic for the building we’re building around it,” he said.

The pub is expected to continue to operate during construction, if the development permit is approved.

When asked if enacting new rules around arts, culture and music venues could deter future development, Clark said he believes “it will do the opposite.”

“I think it creates clarity for developers whether you’re developing a new music venue or you’re developing residential,” Clark said. “You know what to expect, you know what your investment strategy has to be in order to make it happen, and I think that could incentivize.”

Clark’s motion will now go to city council as a whole for a final debate and decision.