This Old House: New Rules Need Not Apply

If you have a house built before March 16, 1970, the City of Calgary Planning Department has some good news. All the usual setback requirements in the current Land Use Planning Bylaw don't apply.

There's no requirement to keep a 1.2 meter sideyard strip free and clear of any buildings, or to keep any building 7.5 meters away from the rear lot line. More modern houses need to abide by these rules, but for older buildings these do not apply.

According to the Planning Department, it was a free for all before the 1970's where theoretically a builder could have placed a structure anywhere on a lot.

What happened on  March 16, 1970? City Council passed Development Control Bylaw No. 7839 ushering a new era in Calgary's development.

This old house in Capital Hill was built in 1951, so the building doesn't need to be 1.2 meters away from the side property boundary. The City stamped the Real Property Report with a Certificate of Compliance.

The usual building requirments specified in today's bylaws will apply if the old structure is pulled down and a new one built, or significant renovations are made.