Global reveals developer’s plan to control CGY city council

[Bigtime]

I hope you love the sound of ultra-light airplanes buzzing around all summer if you are in Langdon.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by chemgear

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...al-wenzel.html

A covert recording of a meeting shows the head of one of Calgary’s biggest home building companies implicating himself in criminal wrongdoing, says Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Wenzel addressed media Wednesday morning, saying he’s not sorry for the remarks. He called the allegations he tried to buy council “ridiculous.”

Recording the private meeting and releasing the footage to media is "cowardly," says Wenzel.

He says he's close to finding out who did it.

When asked what he intends to do once he finds that person, Wenzel answered, "I can't say."

Wenzel's a puss. It wasn't cowardly - it was pretty brave, IMO. Wenzel's just mad because the 'Emporer' got shown for the naked Joe he is and that he got caught being a dink. I am looking forward to seeing what happens with this guy and any investigation that happens.

Go Nenshi, lol.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Makarov

That's funny. I always had you pegged as more of the gritty, inner city neighbourhood type.

Nah... can't take the country out of the girl.

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Uh funny you mention this since I'm currently on my way back from working in Langdon. Where are these minimums you speak of? new House I just did looked like your typical Cranston house. Definitely not 60 x 180.

Hanson Park.



Boulder Creek lots are about 20' shorter and they allow larger homes, but they are similar. Still bigger than city.

Originally Posted by Minnie

Be careful about Langdon. Our neighbors looked there and ruled it out because of flooding and basement issues. I can see if I can find out exact details, if you'd like.

No worries. We bought elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I hope you love the sound of ultra-light airplanes buzzing around all summer if you are in Langdon.

Used to live in Castleridge, so airplanes don't bother me in the least. Odd quirk about me; I love airports.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Used to live in Castleridge, so airplanes don't bother me in the least. Odd quirk about me; I love airports.

Airliners coming and going every few minutes is very different than small aircraft continuously buzzing around (just ask the residents under the circuit out in Springbank).

But I hope you enjoy it. As a self professed Avgeek it would even drive me crazy.

[Ozy_Flame]

Ugh. Too much backyard to maintain

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

You're either more partisan than you admit or really poorly informed.

No one is trying to make the single family home a thing of the past, no matter how much home builders try to make it sound that way. ...

I'm informed quite well on the issues of municipal politics in metro-Calgary. But I also dislike the politics immensely, because of how bad it smells too often. All kinds of it: right, left and centre. So, no, I am not partisan at all.

People tend to forget that municipal politics and policies are defined by ordinary people that got themselves elected to govern. They've got personal views that shape their preferences. Strong views tend to translate into policies that can have devastating effects on economics, often unintended. Urban planners, just like politicians, have their own views on how this city should grow and, again, depending on their personalities and style they can get their views adopted and implemented. This is a normal democratic process of municipal administration and governance. Where I see it becoming a real problem is when the administration and governments start prescribing their views into policies that are not based on what the people want (can afford) and what the market suggests. Portland is a good example of that approach and bad consequences of it.

Urban housing and suburban housing can both be developed very well and very poorly and this has nothing to do with policies and/or politics. There is always a way to do it good or bad.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Bunk

There's Manning Foundation for Democratic Education (charity), and Manning Centre for Building Democracy (tax-exempt non-profit). As far as I understand, donations are made to Manning Foundation and the Foundation finances (some of) the activities of the Manning Centre.

Reminds me a bit of the Colbert Super-Pac - Americans for a better tomorrow, tomorrow.

But wait there is more!

A check of the CRA Charities listings has another entity called... ( wait for it) the Manning foundation" b/n

119031185RR0001
so it's :

"Mannings for a better tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow!

[para transit fellow]

The thing I find amusing is that Mr Wenzel is discussing his free- expression/ free speech rights regarding the make-up of the Calgary Council ...

but apparently, he actually lives in Springbank

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by First Lady

This is happening already.

Smaller municipalities outpace Calgary in home sales growth

The problem I have with documents like PlanIt or ImagineCalgary, is there is little or no reference to what's happening in the market. It's like they believe they can force these changes. Don't get me wrong, I don't oppose change. I just think much of it would happen naturally. I see it in my own community of Highland Park.

Additionally there is no reference to "consumer choice" and I would argue the vast majority of people (especially those with kids or planning a family) still prefer a modest home that isn't crammed onto a postage stamp.

The reality is they are choosing these outlaying towns because they can get a nice size home, on a decent lot and for less money than they can in Calgary.

Meanwhile Calgary isn't addressing this; they are furthering the divide and missing out collecting the tax base.

How exactly is Calgary supposed to address this? Allow developers to build faster? Who is going to pay for all the new infrastructure as well as upgrades to existing infrastructure?

Development doesn't happen in a vacumn.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

How exactly is Calgary supposed to address this? Allow developers to build faster? Who is going to pay for all the new infrastructure as well as upgrades to existing infrastructure?

Development doesn't happen in a vacumn.

I certainly don't have all the answers, but I think one thing that needs to come into the equation is "consumer choice." We need to look at what homebuyers want and why they are choosing to go to outlaying communities.

As for who's going to pay - that always comes from us. Either by directly paying taxes or by buying a home where the developers and builders have passed along their costs.


More on topic, apparently Nenshi and DCU have called a presser for this afternoon at 4 PM. https://twitter.com/sunrickbell/stat...14914761621505

[Bigtime]

Nenshi and Diane Colley-Urquhart holding a news conference at 4pm at City Hall.

What is about to go down?

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Nenshi and Diane Colley-Urquhart holding a news conference at 4pm at City Hall.

What is about to go down?

Obviously I don't know, but I just hope it adds clarity on this whole mess and isn't just something that confuses it further.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Nenshi and Diane Colley-Urquhart holding a news conference at 4pm at City Hall.

What is about to go down?

Diane's about to crack this copper theft case wide open.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Diane's about to crack this copper theft case wide open.

Also, the homeless aren't going to be able to buy transit passes anymore

[Addick]

Originally Posted by First Lady

I certainly don't have all the answers, but I think one thing that needs to come into the equation is "consumer choice." We need to look at what homebuyers want and why they are choosing to go to outlaying communities.

Plan It is about providing choice. Allowing the planning system to make it possible for developers to build neighbourhoods that provide choices other than detached single-family houses on fringe does not equate to not providing detached single-family houses on fringe.

[Major Major]

Bah, is this not televised? Silly Young and the Restless, getting in the way of my civic politics intrigue.

[flamingchina]

Originally Posted by Major Major

Bah, is this not televised? Silly Young and the Restless, getting in the way of my civic politics intrigue.

Metro's trying to livestream it.
http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/648...nshi-property/

[Major Major]

Hahaha, Metro camera guy is getting chewed out for having his live stream camera on and not telling the local news guys.

[Regulator75]

This live streaming is sweet!

[flamingchina]

except when it starts an ad right in the middle of it...