General Construction Updates

[Surrealplaces]

Another question related to levies, since we are on the topic. Is the levy a flat rate per dwelling, or is scaled depending on the size or type of dwelling? I have only ever heard a dollar figure (around 15K), but don't know if it's an average or flat rate figure.

 

[Calgcouver]

Pretty much all municipalities have flat rates for off-sites by dwelling, but the fee decreases by unit type. Also have to account for density incentives, and watershed levies for greenfield. Here is the fee schedule. http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/fees/off-site-levy-calculation.pdf

At some point I would imagine they will to add wastewater improvement fees to established areas to pay for upgrades and maintenance, if a greater share of units are developed in the inner-city, I could be wrong.

 

[darwink]

Pretty much all municipalities have flat rates for off-sites by dwelling, but the fee decreases by unit type. Also have to account for density incentives, and watershed levies for greenfield. Here is the fee schedule. http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/fees/off-site-levy-calculation.pdf

At some point I would imagine they will to add wastewater improvement fees to established areas to pay for upgrades and maintenance, if a greater share of units are developed in the inner-city, I could be wrong.

A report is coming to council this fall to advance ideas on how to do this. Maintenance is spread equally iirc.

 

[Calgcouver]

I love this proposal. Six townhouse units, all purpose-built rental. I want to see this absolutely everywhere.
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...12509486751/20171205_Sunnyside+Panels_WEB.pdf

 

[Surrealplaces]

Pretty much all municipalities have flat rates for off-sites by dwelling, but the fee decreases by unit type. Also have to account for density incentives, and watershed levies for greenfield. Here is the fee schedule. http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/fees/off-site-levy-calculation.pdf

At some point I would imagine they will to add wastewater improvement fees to established areas to pay for upgrades and maintenance, if a greater share of units are developed in the inner-city, I could be wrong.

Thanks !

So this is more or less the cost. 6.688K for a single family dwelling.

 

[MichaelS]

That is just for the established area. The greenfield levy is charged on a per acre basis, and varied depending on what stormwater catchment area you are in. How it breaks down to a per door cost depends on how many "doors" you are putting on your acre.

 

[Alex_YYC]

I was just about to post that 7k for a new greenfield home seemed low, so that makes more sense. What do greenfield levies typically run?

That is just for the established area. The greenfield levy is charged on a per acre basis, and varied depending on what stormwater catchment area you are in. How it breaks down to a per door cost depends on how many "doors" you are putting on your acre.

 

[Calgcouver]

Calgary needs thousands of those.

Agreed. I think the City needs to think seriously about getting rid of RC2 zoning in most inner-city hoods and replacing it with this modified MCG (d111) zoning like this. RCG zoning respects existing home setbacks too much, this form is much more urban and much better. Neighbourhoods like Banff Trail and Capitol Hill should be basically exclusively this form. RC2 and RCG have unnecessary suburban setbacks, if Calgary wants genuine urbanity in established neighbourhoods it is time to reduce setbacks and allow Wall-to-Wall rowhomes with almost no setback from the sidewalk. This is why i think MCG (d111) zoning with reduced front and side setbacks should be the de-facto inner-city zoning for anything that is RC2 today. Calgary is in a really good position to start allowing ground-oriented multi-family forms, and to kick Vancouver and Toronto's ass at actually building for the 'missing middle' in the inner-city at reasonable price points.

When is the last time that a North American city has successfully built blocks of street-oriented rowhomes/brownstones? If they could sell units like this, in places like Killarney, Capitol Hill, Mt Pleasant, etc. in the 475k-550k range, you would start actively pulling buyers away from single and semi-detached homes in the new suburbs. RC2 homes don't have the density to hit decent price points. RCG has side and front setbacks that make doing mid-block development unfeasible. That seems to be why there are almost no examples on RCG anywhere but on corner lots, developers can't make sense of the assembling mid-block parcels and making that form work. we need to make it easy to build to zero lot-line on the side setbacks, and to push front setbacks much closer to the curb to bring efficiency to an urban rowhome form to the inner-city in Calgary.

If the City of Calgary can figure this out, we can start to see a form of housing in the inner-city and established neighbourhoods that isn't so suburban, and i think that would lead Calgary to have more affordable forms of inner-city housing like Montreal does. Best way i can think of to stop having people buying in the new suburbs is to allow a housing form in the inner city that can be relatively competitive in terms of size and price. If this was the norm, voila less outward suburban expansion and more real urbanity. And it is a market-based solution, if the city could make land-use bylaw work for developers to build this rowhouse form.

TLDR?

No more of this shit:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.0172...4!1sPAUn4UYU14MdV45F0oqsUA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

We should be be building a Calgary version of this to replace older ranch style bungalows:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@39.9817...4!1sFTrPVdEWgox6vc5dNTp7FQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Surrealplaces]

That is just for the established area. The greenfield levy is charged on a per acre basis, and varied depending on what stormwater catchment area you are in. How it breaks down to a per door cost depends on how many "doors" you are putting on your acre.

Lol...I totally missed it, even though it says right on it in bold letters. So the 15K I remember hearing was an typical average?

 

[MichaelS]

Lol...I totally missed it, even though it says right on it in bold letters. So the 15K I remember hearing was an typical average?

I was just about to post that 7k for a new greenfield home seemed low, so that makes more sense. What do greenfield levies typically run?

Levy rates here:
http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Documents/fees/2016-Off-site-levy-rates-with-map.pdf

More info in general here:
http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Pages/Commercial-development/Off-Site-Levy-bylaw.aspx

 

[Calgcouver]

Rndsqr is doing lots of great work, i'm liking everything they are doing right now. Problem is assemblies for RCG often don't make a lot of sense mid-block, that is why you tend to see them specifically on corner lots, i think it is a bit too restrictive of a zone to allow for good mid-block development.

 

[O-tac]

A view of DT with the crazy weather.

 

[Just build it]

The old Travelodge conversion.

 

[gsunnyg]

IDK if this project was brought up before but they're launching their sales for this 5-storey condo this week. Its located in Mission(320 19th Ave SW)
and called "Matrix."

https://matrixliving.ca/

 

[Surrealplaces]

IDK if this project was brought up before but they're launching their sales for this 5-storey condo this week. Its located in Mission(320 19th Ave SW)
and called "Matrix."
https://matrixliving.ca/

There was a black and white render circulating a while ago, but no name or anything. I like this one, nice to see the developer stick with two main materials. Also, the wood slats under the balcony are a nice touch.