This is my annual summary of development related topics at the micro level, right here in Killarney, and also a broad review of governments, realtors, and any other villains I encountered throughout the year. There is a lot to report from 2017, both highlights and lowlights. Can I be fair? Is this supposed to be my annual comedy entry? I guess the reader can decide.
The good, the bad and the ugly. Let's start with the bad and the ugly.
Ugly:
Realtors - Without trying too hard, I just stumbled on so many instances of realtors blatantly misrepresenting property. I even noticed a single realtor so chronically guilty of lying about development potential, it simply cannot be accidental. I had other realtors forwarding me links to the lies of other realtors! Then we'd discuss the outrageous claims and laugh. The Calgary real estate board, wow, what a total farce. If those are the 'good guys' watching out for the public, beware!
Bad:
The election - the civic election was such a dud. How can public debates be held and no meaningful positions be put forth by incumbents and supposedly desperate challengers? All of the incumbents, including the dead weight were somehow re-elected (here's to you DiCU). The four new members on council seem pretty good thus far, perhaps only elections should be held when incumbents resign? The election financing is so utterly corrupt and hasn't changed in decades. You now have builders giving four to five donations to the same candidate while important land use votes are taking place before and after the campaign. Goodbye Councillor Chabot, we wont miss you!
Good:
Secondary Suites - progress on this important issue of personal and property rights has to make everybody's Calgary top 10 list (except for the four remnant corpses and dinosaurs still on Council). The rest of us are still suffering brain damage from the last decade of secondary suite trauma.
Excellent:
NIMBY's on the run? - Small change over many years on Council has suddenly had a cumulative impact and we find ourselves in 2017 passing main streets initiatives all over the City, with mass land use re-designations of hundreds of properties (that would have cost $20k each to do individually). With the new four on Council, I've seen a major improvement, and community resistance based on fear and protectionism seems to be ignored by the voting members and mayor (the only votes that count). Class and race based prejudice that bubbles just below the surface of many land use debates is being called out as 'insane bigotry' and 'dog whistle nimby'ism' by those on Council with conviction to modernize how we rebuild the inner city. To me this is a welcome change.
Ugly:
Government at all levels, at its worst, meddling, screwing stuff up, adding layers of cost and bureaucracy on business owners. It is impressive how the parasitic class in our society grows, and how little of value it produces, and how much subtle and insidious harm it can cause. This year the government gets an ugly rating, for the ridiculous farce of the licence program, the mortage rule meddling, and the fee hungry thievery. Can 2018 be any worse?
Ugly:
The political correctness run amok has yet to really appear in development debates, which is very peculiar, especially given the homegrown prejudice that is so rampant in the hardened opinions people have on these matters. I guess now the face of a middle aged white male who refuses to use bizarre pronouns can be pasted on a kid at Halloween as a ghoulish mask. No store bought costume needed! The bizarre case of the univeristy TA made major headlines. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/yw5dbg/wilfrid-laurier-exonerates-lindsay-shepherd-we-can-all-move-on-now . I am hoping NIMBY'ism can become the next shameful 'ism' along with racism and sexism so that development debates are more meaningful. Maybe 2018 will become the year where we can have a rational debate on how to rebuild our City by excluding the NIMBY'ism perspective. Once we do that we can make some good land use decisions.
Bad:
The City staff drafted a document proposing changes to the RCG zone, and it isn't very good. Two of the three proposals would be seriously negative for rowhouse projects. I am hopeful in the new year this can be fought off and the City will back down. There is also a project to look at wholesale changes to how inner city contextual development proceeds. This would be such a welcome process if it actually includes input from builders and designers with ample weighting to other perspectives. Stay tuned for updates on this one.
Bad:
Bankers - we've complained about lenders who won't lend before, and we are doing it again. I've never felt so rejected! Poor me. I had a banker offer to lend me $200k if I gave them $200k in a cash deposit. That was really bizarre. I guess they'd take my $200k and give me zero interest, while lending me the same sum back at a higher rate. That's the bankers idea of a good deal.
Good:
Oil - the price of oil ended, by my review of oilprice.com at $60. That is a lot better than I had expected last summer when it hit $42 in July. Natural gas is still really suffering though.
So there you have my overview of 'everything else' that is going on locally and on up to the provincial and federal level. I think 2018 will be a fascinating year in the evolution of our society and hopefully us builders will benefit from a better local economy (and somebody will sell me a good development lot next year too).