Calgary city council has unanimously approved a land-use change that is expected to pave the way for a large residential development in the city’s northwest on a site thought by some to be contaminated by a toxic chemical.
At a council meeting Tuesday, officials discussed the six-storey residential building planned in the northwest community of Hillhurst at 1706 Westmount Blvd NW, the site of the old CBC building.
Council came to their decision to approve land-use changes for the development site after resuming the meeting and debate on Wednesday afternoon, and hearing from some concerned residents.
Years ago, the area was across the Bow River from a wood treatment plant that closed down in 1962 which left the land contaminated by creosote, a chemical that is commonly used as a wood preservative.
The toxic chemical seeped under the river over time, migrating into communities on the north side of the Bow.
Long time exposure to creosote is believed to result in serious health impacts, including causing cancer.
The province completed a study on the area, finding that the contamination is mostly confined to the south portion of the lot and the risk at the site at Westmount is very low.
But, many people who live nearby are not convinced, expressed their concerns at the meeting.
“We feel the city’s development management is in the opposite to our common sense approach,” one attendee said. “Let’s get this cleaned up, let’s slow it down, let’s do it properly.”
The senior vice-president with Anthem Properties, who wants to develop the site, says it’s time the project got the green light.
“This site has been vacant for too long,” said Craig Dickie. “We’ve remained committed to invest in this community and we’ve worked hard with some of the best people we can find to finally find a viable economic path forward.”
Area residents say they are worried about more than just creosote, raising issues about infrastructure, density, and the height of the building. They are asking Anthem to go back to the drawing board.
“To put this site with that many homes I think is very irresponsible, please — I urge mayor and council to reject Anthem’s proposal the way it is, and engage in a more thoughtful engagement,” one resident said.
“I’m not asking you to leave the lot empty, I’m not asking the developer not to build,” added another. “The data doesn’t support digging into this site, the warning signs are there, let’s return to the original plan.”
Construction on the development could begin as early as next summer with a completion date expected in 2028.