Protect the Integrity, Safety, and Livability of Scenic Acres
To: City of Calgary through Councillor Sonya Sharp

Preserve Our Family-Friendly Community — Say No to the Expansion of Commercial Activity at 125 Scanlon Hill NW

We, the residents of Scenic Acres, call on Councillor Sonya Sharp and the City of Calgary to protect our community's integrity, safety, and property values by:

• Enforcing compliance with the current Class 1 Home Occupation License at 125 Scanlon Hill NW, which limits operations to 3 clients per week and prohibits employees.
• Rejecting the expansion application to a Class 2 Home Occupation License, which would allow higher traffic, employees, and intensified business activity in our residential community.

While we respect the right of individuals to operate businesses from home, these activities must not come at the expense of an entire community’s quality of life. Scenic Acres is a family-friendly, residential neighborhood — not a commercial district. Our community is a place where children play safely outside, pets enjoy peace from stranger-danger stressors, and neighbours feel secure, and share respect for one another. This must be preserved.

 
Our Key Concerns

1. Ongoing Violation of Licensing Rules

• The existing Class 1 license allows only 3 clients per week and prohibits employees.
• Despite this, the business has been observed operating with multiple daily clients and an additional therapist working on-site — clear violations of city rules.
• Enforcement has been ineffective, with bylaw officers requiring "direct testimony" from clients, an unreasonable burden on residents.

2. Increased Traffic, Congestion, and Safety Risks

• A quiet residential cul-de-sac is not equipped to handle the volume of cars associated with an active commercial operation.
• Increased vehicle traffic, parked cars, and blocked driveways have disrupted daily life, raised safety risks for children playing outside, and strained the sense of community.

 

3. Unfair Burden on Residents

• Residents are expected to monitor, collect evidence, and report on business activities — a task far beyond what should be required of homeowners.
• This burden shifts accountability from the city (which issues but does NOT enforces business licenses) to residents, many of whom feel powerless to protect their community.

 

4. Risk to Property Values

• Residential property values suffer when commercial traffic increases.
• Prospective homebuyers are deterred by the presence of commercial activity in what is supposed to be a peaceful, family-oriented community.
• If this expansion is approved, it sets a dangerous precedent that could allow similar businesses to operate unchecked in Scenic Acres and beyond.

 

5. Precedent for Other Neighborhoods

• This is not just about one street or one neighborhood.
  Allowing commercial activity to intensify in Scenic Acres could set a precedent for all Calgary residential communities.

When homeowners invest in quiet, family-oriented communities, they trust that the City will uphold zoning and licensing rules to maintain those conditions.

 
What We’re Asking For

1. Enforce Compliance

• Hold the business at 125 Scanlon Hill NW accountable for its ongoing violations.
• Ensure that it operates strictly within the terms of the existing Class 1 Home Occupation License: a maximum of 3 clients per week and no additional therapists.

 

2. Deny the Expansion Application

• Reject the request for a Class 2 Home Occupation License that would allow more clients, employees, and intensified commercial operations in this residential neighborhood.

3. Protect Residential Communities Across Calgary

• Enforce licensing rules in all Calgary neighborhoods, so residents don't have to become "bylaw enforcers" themselves.
• Recognize that while one business may benefit, the entire Scenic Acres community (which collectively pays significantly more in property taxes) faces reduced safety, higher traffic, and lower property values.

 
Why It Matters
This isn’t just about one street or one neighborhood. It's about preserving the very nature of residential communities across Calgary. If commercial operations like this are allowed to expand, all family-friendly neighborhoods will be at risk of increased traffic, safety issues, and reduced property values.

Scenic Acres is a place where families raise children, where safety and serenity are cherished. The city must prioritize its duty to protect this community, not just one business operating outside its license. We appeal to Counsellor Sharp to lobby on our behalf to protect Scenic Acres and ensure that residential zoning is respected.

Do not approve the expansion request at 125 Scanlon Hill NW. Enforce licensing rules and uphold the integrity of residential communities.

Sign this petition to support our urgent call for action.