In a Fraser Institute survey of land developers, Calgary ranked eighth out of nine Alberta communities over issues such as timelines for project approvals and application fees.TODD KOROL/Reuters
A new study looking at barriers to housing development ranks Calgary second to last out of nine Alberta cities. But the results have drawn criticism from city administrators and builders alike, who say the study is flawed.
The Fraser Institute last month surveyed 32 developers operating in the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, and asked a series of questions regarding land-use regulations and developments, including the timelines for project and permit approvals and the fees associated with applications.
Nine communities were included: Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Strathmore, Rocky View County, Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane and Okotoks.
While Strathmore, Cochrane and Airdrie held the top three slots for being least restrictive, Calgary ranked eighth of nine, followed by Rocky View County.
Several builders felt it was unreasonable to compare such disparate communities, while others suggested the sample size was too low.
"The numbers they used in terms of responses were quite low," said Garett Wohlberg, director of planning and communications for Qualico Communities in Calgary, which has experience in Calgary, Airdrie, Okotoks and Rocky View County.
"It's far too small a sample," he said. "True, Airdrie is one of the easier places to work with respect to timelines, but Calgary naturally ebbs and flows depending on the nature of the applications.
"You can't compare apples to oranges and complain about the difference."
Rollin Stanley, general manager of planning development and assessment for the City of Calgary, said the report is based on insufficient data.
"If they had wanted a significant survey, they would have talked to everyone who works on projects – cities, developers, builders," said Mr. Stanley. "They didn't get all of the information necessary to draw their conclusions."
Mr. Stanley said Calgary has land services and lots ready for thousands of single-home developments and a number of multifamily units.
To speed up the process, he said, the city often provides partial permits to allow for building to commence while full permits move through the approval process.
Overall design of subdivisions and specific projects that may affect an established area of the city affect response times, as there is significantly more to consider, said Mr. Stanley.
"We need to look at how projects affect other buildings on the street and make sure they fit in," he said.
"There is a lot of discussion about new buildings in the Beltline, for example, and the buildings are always a lot better for it. That's the result of engagement."
Dennis Inglis, vice-president of the land development division of Melcor Developments, concurred.
"The City of Calgary in the last two years has taken one of the best approaches I've seen in ages with their Build Calgary initiative," said Mr. Inglis.
The city meets with community associations, politicians, planners and residents to ensure that developments serve the needs of individual communities.
In addition, he said, the city has built strong relationships with the building community and the Calgary division of the Canadian Homebuilders' Association.
"We're all working collaboratively, and I believe you'll see a complete turn-around in the next few years," said Mr. Inglis. "You don't turn the ship of the City of Calgary around quickly like you can in smaller municipalities; it's too big and bulky for that, but it's coming around."
Mr. Inglis believes the relationships the city has built within the industry will drive success and more streamlined processes.
"When you're building in Calgary or Edmonton, you must engage people," said Mr. Stanley.
In 2015, as much as 75 per cent of single-family residence permits have been submitted online, he said, which has already improved the process for home builders and made the approval process more efficient.
It is larger projects and redevelopments that take longer to approve, to ensure the community is positively affected.
"If someone wants to build an 18-storey building in the middle of Strathmore, it's going to impact the timeline," said Mr. Stanley.
Dr. Kenneth Green, one of three researchers responsible for the Fraser Institute study, stands by the results. "We surveyed 32 home builders, which is a relatively small number," said Dr. Green. "But we feel there is a relatively small number of builders who do the majority of building in the corridor."
The purpose of the study, he said, was to provide Canadians and particularly residents of the Calgary-Edmonton corridor with evidence of the extent to which the government can effect and regulate their lives.
"It shows how municipal governments are effecting access to housing stock and affordable housing with regulation systems," said Dr. Green.
"Government rules and regulations can definitely impact people's lives."