Calgary city council has approved a revised multi-residential development in the southwest community of Springbank Hill, despite strong resident opposition, following months of debate and amendments.

Sara Austin, who lives in the area, said residents are exploring their potential recourse options following what was “more than a land-use vote.”

Council voted 9-5 at a public hearing to support a land-use change and policy amendment allowing the scaled-down Augusta Villas project to proceed on 1.16 hectares of undeveloped land along Elveden Drive S.W. in Ward 6, The Calgary Herald reported. Mayor Jeremy Farkas abstained due to a potential perceived conflict of interest, because some of his family members live near the site.

The development, originally proposed as 56 townhomes, was reduced after community pushback and multiple revisions. The approved plan now includes 35 units: seven single-detached bungalows facing Elveden Drive and 28 semi-detached homes, all with double-car garages.

Planning advisory firm B&A submitted the development application to the city on behalf of

Supporters on council said the application reflected extensive engagement and compromise between the developer and residents. They noted the project underwent three traffic-impact assessments, several plan amendments and multiple open houses, despite those steps not being formally required.

Councillors in opposition raised concerns about incremental density increases and the potential precedent for future development in the area, the Herald reported.

The site is located near Griffith Woods School and within roughly one kilometre of the Westside Recreation Centre, Ernest Manning High School, Ambrose University and the 69th Street LRT station.

The proposal generated significant opposition from residents, who argued the added density conflicts with the existing Springbank Hill Area Structure Plan, which allows for 19 detached homes on the site. Critics also cited concerns about traffic, parking, pedestrian safety, slope stability and stormwater management. More than a dozen residents spoke at the hearing, and the city received about 100 written submissions opposing the project. A petition circulated last summer drew more than 800 signatures.

Last fall, a group of residents sought a court injunction to delay council’s vote until after the October 2025 municipal election, arguing they lacked representation following the resignation of the previous Ward 6 councillor. A judge dismissed the application, allowing the hearing process to continue, but a decision was put off until after the October municipal election. Councillors had shared representation of the area after former Ward 6 councillor Richard Poolman resigned months earlier for health reasons.

Although the rezoning has now been approved, the project must still move through the development permit stage, where further technical details — including stormwater management and parking — will be addressed.

Residents were disappointed that newly elected Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopoulos voted in favour of the project after holding extensive meetings with them. They contend that his support swayed other councillors to back the project.

But Livewire Calgary reported that he was satisfied that appropriate engagement and compromise had occurred in the past few months, while concerns surrounding traffic and mobility infrastructure still need more attention.

“The majority of the community’s key concerns have been sufficiently addressed, and I’m confident the remaining matters can be appropriately resolved at the development-permit stage,” Livewire quoted him as saying.

He vowed to remain actively involved in the project’s planning to ensure that no critical issues are missed.

Austin contended that residents’ concerns were ignored.

“This decision was made in direct contradiction to the clear and consistent position of the community,” she said. “Residents showed up for nearly a year, engaged in good faith, and asked for one thing above all else: A meaningful reduction in density. That did not happen.”

Residents were willing to agree to an amendment to the Area Structural Plan, which allowed for 19 units, to permit a 50% increase up to 28-30 units; meanwhile, the developer reduced their proposal from 42 to 35 units, according to a news release issued by Austin.

The decision sets a precedent for future development along Elveden Drive, where several vacant parcels remain, residents contend.

During the public hearing, residents contended that city administrators Administration provided false and misleading information on the public record.

“Council approved this project based on assurances from city officials that residents strongly dispute,” said Austin. “Approving a land-use amendment on false information while deferring critical safety and engineering questions to the development permit stage lacks transparency and places existing homeowners at risk.”

Pictured: Augusta Villas project in southwest Calgary’s Springbank Hill area.

Rendering: Augusta Villas