Buying and Redeveloping in Crescent Heights
Much of Crescent Heights is in Heritage Guideline areas.
Heritage Guideline Areas
Crescent Heights Community Association supports renovation and redevelopment that follow the heritage guidelines in Section 2.6 of the NHCLAP. Note that all development permits within Heritage Guideline Areas are discretionary permits only. While contextual development permits dwellings cannot be refused by The City or appealed by the public as long as the design meets the contextual rules in the Land Use Bylaw, discretionary permits must follow the full permit process.
We encourage buyers and developers to look at other options to demolition like additions, laneway houses and secondary suites.
Although many of the pre-1945 heritage homes are 80-100 years old, they are not at the end of their useful life. They can be retrofitted to meet today’s building codes and standards and there are many fine examples of renovated homes in the community. The primary wood used in these old homes is Douglas Fir, a very strong softwood that is an excellent and long lasting building material that came from old growth forests in Alberta and BC. When old studs are exposed, there is very little shrinkage, cracking, warping or splitting. The wood is much stronger than the current manufactured building materials. With proper maintenance and renovation, these homes can last another hundred years or more.
When a new development is the best option for your lot, we encourage you to contact the heritage planners at the City of Calgary and meet with the CHCA Planning Committee prior to developing any plans to avoid delays and redesign. Contact planning@crescentheightsyyc.ca for more information.
For all developments, consider the location of trees on boulevards, easements, restrictive covenants and overhead power and communications lines that run along the streets and laneways throughout the area.
Removing trees on heritage boulevards is very restricted by the City and the Planning Committee encourages the protection and retention of established trees throughout the community, along with the replanting of trees and shrubbery as part of the landscape integration of new builds within the community.
New developments are required to plant trees and shrubs in accordance with the approved landscape plan. The Planning Committee monitors this to ensure planting is completed.
Learn about the property through “My Property”: Once an address is entered, there is information and links for development and planning information in the lefthand column. https://maps.calgary.ca/myProperty/
Note to Realtors: MLS does not currently document Heritage Guideline Areas. Because of the development requirements, it is up to you to inform your client that the property is in a Heritage Guideline Area.