Residents of Springbank Hill are getting vocal about their concerns over a potential new townhouse project, which is slated for review during Thursday’s Calgary Planning Commission meeting.

At 30 Elveden Drive SW, sits a vacant plot of land on the ridge above Elmont Drive SW, and next to some of the most valuable single-family detached homes by property assessment in Calgary: the Estates of Elveden Point and Estates of Elveden Place.

The project being questioned by residents, Augusta Villas, were said by B&A, a planning firm representing the developer, to create a quieter, context sensitive development that aligns with the existing character of the area, according to their website.

That project has been sketched out to create what the B&A described as 42 villa-style townhome units with rooftop patios, double-car garages, and units sized at 2,500 sq. ft. without secondary suites or basement suites.

Community members have said that if built, the townhouses threaten aspects of the neighbourhood that motivated them to live there in the first place. 

“I moved in 2022 for two reasons: one is for the schools, for my kids, and another, you can see how quiet the neighbourhood is,” said resident Patil Hansra. 

Hansra said it took a year-and-a-half to enrol his children at Griffith Woods School, which is located at the end of Elveden Drive SW along 26 Avenue SW.

That school was at capacity during the 2024–25 school year for residents of both Springbank Hill and Discovery Ridge, and Hansra worries this capacity issue will only worsen if the new development goes ahead.

“It’s congested, it’s overcapacity, and with a lot more developments than whatever were originally designed it’s going to create even more trouble for us,” he said. 

Resident Sara Austin said that since Springbank Hill was once a rural community, parts of the area still lack sufficient roads and sidewalks.

“This development would place an immense strain on our roads, on our local school, and create serious safety hazards for our children walking down the street,” she said.

Springbank Hill was established over a quarter century ago in 1999, after being annexed from Rockyview Country in 1994.

Already a surplus of homes in Springbank Hill said community association

President of the Springbank Hill Community Association, Elio Cozzi, said that they support the effort to alleviate housing insecurity. However, since the adoption of citywide rezoning, the neighbourhood has seen a surge of multi-residence buildings.

Near Elveden Drive SW, Austin said that she counted upwards of 350 units that are either under construction or complete, and that Springbank Hill doesn’t need any more. 

“You simply need to walk down the street to [77 Street SW] and you’ll see ample options of condos and townhouses being built,” she said.

Cozzi said that more single family homes would a better fit for the community.

“Build form, diversity, should continue to allow single-family homes, which we feel would be a better option here on this parcel,” he said.

“The city seems to have forgotten that diverse build forms should include single-family homes in the mix.”

According to data from the City of Calgary, 167 building permits have been issued for new apartments, townhouses, single-family homes in Springbank Hill.

Some 33 of those 167 building permits, representing multiple units, have been granted for townhouses located at Summit 77 along 77 Street SW, one block from 17 Avenue SW and Rundle College, and at Elkwood Townhomes in Aspen Spring along 81 Street SW and 19 Avenue SW.

Eight of those permits were for apartment buildings, also located at Summit 77 and in Aspen Spring.

The remainder of the 126 permits have been for single family homes built in Aspen Estates along Springcreek Circle SW, near Mystic Ridge, and in already developed areas of Springbank Hill.

Willem Klumpenhouwe, co-founder of pro-housing grassroots group More Neighbours, said that opposition to dense housing is one of the growing pains cities go through, and that as Calgary’s population increases townhouses are not likely to leave. 

“I do think that this type of housing has a relatively minimal impact, I think that it is something that our city is getting used to,” he said.

Residents feel unheard, but responses to developer led engagements low

Following former Ward 6 Coun. Richard Pootman’s resignation in 2024, Cozzi said that not having an official representative on city council has made residents feel that their worries are going unidentified in development plans. 

“Although some other councillors are pitching in to help, it makes a difference when you have someone representing you at council meetings,” he said.

To have their voices heard, Austin said that an online petition was organized demanding that the city share detailed development plans and conduct traffic impact shadow studies before moving forward with the proposal. 

That petition garnered over 750 signatures, and city administration reported having received 81 letters in opposition to the proposed land use amendment.

Documents submitted to the City of Calgary by B&A said that 37 participants including residents and representatives from the Ward 6 office and Springbank Hill Community Association attended a virtual session.

The company said that they opened an online survey from May 13 to May 28, and that nine responses were completed.

B&A also launched a project website for the townhouses on May 22, which garnered six responses from residents.

An additional meeting was requested by B&A from the Springbank Hill Community Association on the project, but no meeting has been held, said B&A in the documents provided to the City of Calgary.

The lack of a Ward 6 vote on city council is likely to work in favour of the community however, said Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott, whom has been one of the city councillors representing Ward 6.

“The reality is that there’s actually a net benefit built into the electoral system when there is an absence of local representation,” he said.

Coun. Walcott said that without Coun. Pootman’s additional eighth seat on the council, the vote often ends in a tie. He said that a tie does not suffice for this to move forward, and that he foresees the perseverance of Springbank Hill residents paying off in the end. 

“The only way for this to pass is for it to receive a majority of council,” said Coun. Walcott.

“It is more likely to fail because a tie is not good enough to actually approve an application like this.”

City council is scheduled to debate the land use change that would make the project possible on Sept. 9.

• With files from Aryn Toombs