"The Federation's mission is to improve neighbourhood life in Calgary by providing services and programs that create, support and sustain vital and representative community associations." 

Complete newsletter:   http://calgarycommunities.com/newsletter.php

You may have heard the controversy about plans to redevelop the Shawnee Slopes Golf Course, in the Shawnee-Evergreen community. The course is privately owned and there are proposals to redevelop it for residential purposes. Could this happen elsewhere? Many Calgary golf courses are on public land, or are owned by neighbours as common property in a “residents association”. These are unlikely to change to other uses. Other courses are privately owned by club members who tend to be very attached to their golf facilities. But there is no guarantee that private golf courses in situations like Shawnee Slopes will stay golf courses indefinitely.

Such a change would require a land use redesignation and probably an area plan. (The Shawnee course is noted in the Midnapore Area Structure Plan
and infrastructure was presumably developed around that assumption.) The situation is somewhat analogous to those school yards in the inner city that
pre-date municipal reserve, and are on land owned by the school boards. Communities consider this to be vital open space, and the City has some
criteria for dealing with former school land. Does the City also need a plan to address golf course redevelopment? If your community has a golf course
that could be redeveloped I would like to hear from you and put you in touch with the folks at Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association.

View the complete news letter at; www.calgaryarea.com

Bob Van Wegan, Federation of Calgary Communities, planning@calgarycommunities.com