Update: Harvest Hills DP2025-06252
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
We've heard from many Harvest Hills residents with questions and concerns about DP2025-06252 - a proposed daycare application in the neighbourhood. Given how much has changed over the course of this application, we want to make sure everyone has the full history of how we got here and where things stand today.
History of the Application
Following changes to Calgary's Land Use Bylaw in fall 2025, the rules around childcare facilities in residential neighbourhoods shifted in a way that impacted this application. Here's a timeline of how this file has moved forward.
July 2025: Originally, a land use change application (also known as a rezoning application) for this property was submitted to allow for a daycare facility on the site. A Public Hearing was held where council considered that rezoning request and ultimately voted against it. The original LOC application was not approved, and the file was archived.
October 2025: City Council approved changes to Calgary's Land Use Bylaw making child care services in many existing buildings a discretionary use. In plain terms, this means property owners no longer needed to apply for a land use change to open a daycare in an existing building, they could instead apply directly for a development permit.
With this change, these types of applications moved out of Council's hands. Development permits for discretionary uses are reviewed and decided by the Calgary Planning Commission (CPC), a committee appointed by City Council that acts as the approving authority on certain development applications. If an applicant or affected party disagrees with the outcome, they can appeal the decision to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB). an independent body that operates separately from City Administration and Council.
November 2025: Under the updated Land Use Bylaw, that property owner submitted a new development permit application to allow for a child care service for up to 50 children.
April 2026: CPC approved the development application on April 20, 2026. The decision was guided by the City's Land Use Bylaw, the Municipal Development Plan, the applicable Area Structure Plan policies, and the Child Care Service Policy and Development Guidelines.
May 2026: An appeal of this approval has been filed with SDAB. Because the matter is now before the Board, the Calgary Planning Commission and City Administration are no longer able to receive or consider public comments on this application. Anyone wishing to provide input or file their own appeal must do so directly through SDAB. Information on the appeal process, including the hearing date once it becomes available, can be found on the SDAB's Upcoming Hearings page.
For full details on DP2025-06252, including updates on the appeal process, please visit the DMAP posting HERE.
It's worth emphasizing that this application is highly unusual It was shaped almost entirely by timing - changes to the Land Use Bylaw created a unique set of circumstances that are not at all reflective of how land use changes and development permits typically move through the system. Most applications simply don't have this kind of history behind them.
We recognize this has been a lengthy and, at times, frustrating process for many Harvest Hills residents, and we appreciate everyone who has taken the time to reach out and engage.
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