A weeks-long public hearing on Calgary’s sweeping rezoning plan cost the city about $1.3 million, a new report shows.

The public hearing ran from April 22 to May 14, when Calgary city council narrowly approved the plan that allows for higher-density residential projects.

Councillors voted 9-6 in favour of new regulations after they received about 40 amendments. The 12 days of public submissions and three day of deliberation and discussion ranked as Calgary longest city council meeting, according to the Calgary Herald.

The city spent $945,000 to prepare for the public hearing and $330,00 to hold it, the report says. Some councillors criticized the large cost, but Mayor Jyoti Gondek defended the expenditure.

“You can’t put a price on democracy,” she told the Herald. “We enabled, encouraged and allowed Calgarians to come forward and share their thoughts with us. They were able to express concerns they had (and) they were able to talk about their experiences.

“You can’t ask for a better environment for council to make a decision.”

The approved rezoning plan has widespread implications for future rental-housing and condominium developments throughout the city.

As a result of council’s approval, the city will now permit the rezoning of all residential areas that had only allowed for single or semi-detached homes.

The Calgary Real Estate Board opposed the rezoning plan.