The last week of March brought on another successful McCauley Community League AGM. All of the sitting Board decided to return for another term and we’ll likely be adding a couple of exciting new members in the immediate future. Thanks to everyone who helped pull this together and who is volunteering their time and energy! We want to thank Elisa, a new addition to our communication team, who has taken over the management of our Facebook page and updating the website. Search Facebook for McCauley Community League and join up. It’ll be a great resource for finding out what’s going on locally and for getting involved.

Also at the end of March was the official opening of the Commonwealth Rec Centre. Your League was there selling memberships and talking to community members. Our table was the flashiest League table with a display of pictures of our wonderful neighbourhood. A special thanks to Zocalo who provided the lovely tulips. Go to our Facebook page and see the picture. A McCauley Community League membership will allow you to take advantage of the free-for-members League Access time from 5-7 p.m. every Saturday at Commonwealth.

We also have received attention relating to a number of planning related concerns. A few board members were involved in a meeting with an individual high up in the City’s Sustainable Development department, formerly Planning. This meeting was disturbing and disheartening in a number of ways with the “highlight” being a discussion on how “Planning” doesn’t really believe in plans or planning – largely because things like neighbourhood plans and ARPs (Area Redevelopment Plans) need to be changed over time. This reminds me of the truism “Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail.”

Help your neighbours make your neighbourhood a greater place to live, work, and play. Join the League and volunteer.

It is our understanding that Niginan Housing has or will apply for a new Development Permit for the Ambrose Place project. We have tried to supply “additional information” to Sustainable Development in regards to this application.

The Zoning Committee was involved in another SDAB appeal concerning a property at 9649 106 Avenue. This isolated RA8 (medium density apartment) zoned lot was granted a permit for a Single-Detached Home with accessory Boarding and Lodging Use. What this meant in practical terms was that it was approved as a two bedroom apartment on the main floor and three bed-sit units on the second floor. There was a laundry list of errors surrounding this development on this site. It should also be noted that the developer chose to sign a waiver to start construction on the foundation prior to the completion of this appeal process and that the developer then chose to exceed the limitations of that agreement to frame the first floor of this building prior to the existence of any valid permits. We, and a neighbour of this lot, were successful in our appeal and are awaiting the written decision and clarification of what will be done with the unpermitted structure that has been built.

Help your neighbours make your neighbourhood a greater place to live, work, and play. Join the League and volunteer. Visit us at McCauley.info or on Facebook. Contact us at info@mccauley.info, or (780) 428-5332. We would love to meet you!