I, alongside my community, am a resident of 83 St. NW. We consider our neighbourhood more than just a collection of buildings. It is a vibrant space, with diverse housing options from single-family and duplex dwellings built in the 1950s-60s to newer infill duplex dwellings with an enduring spirit of unity. However, the proposed 8-unit development under development permit DP2024-05807 on the site of an existing single-family dwelling at 4652 83 St. NW jeopardizes the street parking and related infrastructure and the general liveability of our street.

This development permit, allowing a high-density mid-block development, fails to account for the substantial parking strain, that’s already scarce would unleash. An 8-unit townhouse development inconsistent with the current built form of 83 St. NW will only exacerbate the parking problem, potentially escalating into a critical issue requiring the adoption of parking restrictions, permits and other mitigating solutions to maintain our community's functionality with the unintended consequence of hampering future nearby housing redevelopment prospects. 

Our concerns aren't baseless but stem from our lived experience. Distance from downtown, the city's employment districts, and grocery and retail locations are important realities that require vehicle access for residents in our neighbourhood. An 8-unit midblock townhouse development with only a 4-vehicle parking garage and street frontage only capable of providing parking for 2 vehicles is insufficient to accommodate the 8-12+ cars (with many residents expected to be two-income households) plus visitor parking that could be expected with a townhouse development of this density at this location. Furthermore, this could set a worrying precedent for the future development of adjacent properties, which will curtail the capacity of our community to accommodate new infills with an even modest increase in density. 

This is not just about rejecting new development. It's about upholding the integrity of a community and preserving our quality of life. We are recommending that the applicant for DP2024-05807 proceed with a more modest-density duplex or a maximum of four-unit development (two units and two secondary suites), consistent with the intended R-CG zoning approved for this site and in keeping with existing infill redevelopments on 83 St. NW.

So, we kindly ask for your support. Please stand with us by signing this petition to reject Permit DP2024-05807, not in opposition to development, but in favour of more sensible and modest community-friendly infill development.