Summary#

Calgary Council passed Bylaw 34P2026 at third reading on September 15, 2026. It amends the Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, with the stated goal of helping schools respond to changing enrolment and allowing some interim public-benefit uses in vacant school buildings.

• Up to six portables at a site are exempt from rules for landscaping, bicycle parking, loading stalls, and pick-up and drop-off stalls. The bylaw also limits their total size, but the limit is not stated in the available material.
• Interim uses in school buildings can be exempt from a development permit if the Joint Use Coordinating Committee (JUCC) approves them as providing a public benefit compatible with school board purposes, and they operate on an interim basis.
• Changes to a school building or site, such as additions or landscaping, still require a development permit.
• The bylaw removes an outdated reference to the General Manager of Transportation. City staff say this changes no rules; mobility engineering will still review and advise on applications.

What it means for you#

• School boards: They no longer need to meet the four listed requirements for up to six cumulative portables at a site. City staff say this removes a step that previously involved a 21-day advertising period for approved rule relaxations.
• Communities and groups seeking interim school space: A JUCC-approved use that meets the bylaw’s conditions can operate without a development permit. Examples in the report include libraries, recreation centres, daycares, and private or commercial schools. The bylaw does not itself approve a particular use or building.
• Nearby residents and the public: The changes do not remove permit requirements for additions or other changes to a building or site. The report does not describe a new public notice or input process for JUCC-approved uses.

Money#

City staff report no anticipated financial impact; no cost estimate is provided.

• The report says school boards receive no additional funding to meet the four requirements for portables.
• The materials do not give figures for any change in permit costs, staff time, or other costs.

What is unclear#

• The exact maximum size for the exempted portables is not given in the available material.
• Interim uses are described as typically lasting two years, but the bylaw conditions supplied here do not state a fixed time limit.
• The materials do not explain what review, notice, or public input applies when JUCC approves an interim use.
• One member of the public spoke at the hearing, but the available minutes do not state their position.
• The bylaw’s start date is not stated in the supplied material.

Case for#

• City staff say the changes let school boards respond faster to changing enrolment and reduce delays in setting up portables, especially at older school sites that may not have space for all the required features.
• City staff say portables can help students attend school closer to home while new schools are being built.
• City staff say interim uses can make vacant school buildings available for community services and reduce risks linked to vacant buildings.
• The JUCC and its Site Planning Team supported the proposed amendments, according to the report.

Case against#

• A possible trade-off is that sites with up to six portables will not have to meet the listed landscaping, bicycle parking, loading, or pick-up and drop-off requirements. The report does not describe replacement requirements for those features.
• The interim-use exemption depends on JUCC approval and a public-benefit test, but the available material does not set out how those decisions are reviewed or how people affected nearby can have input.
• The report gives no figures for the savings school boards may receive or the staff costs of applying the changes.