Money, it is said, can’t buy you happiness.
But if you’re ex-telecommunications CEO Jim Shaw, bucks can get you a 3,500-square-metre plot of city-owned land to expand your massive residential lot in Crescent Heights with a panoramic view of downtown Calgary.
City council paved the way for Shaw’s purchase by rezoning the land adjacent to his house that is connected to McHugh Bluff. Most of the land will be used to expand Shaw’s private yard.
However, the city won’t reveal how much Shaw is paying for the land until the deal is rubber-stamped.
Last November, a reportedly inebriated Shaw berated colleagues and investors at a Vancouver restaurant meeting. The 53-year-old retired soon after and was handed a $16,000-a-day pension.
Ald. Dale Hodges, who voted against the rezoning, says council made a mistake in selling the land. The city could have instead issued a “landscape lease” for a nominal fee, he says.
“That way they have a bit of control of the site, but they don’t have the right to dispose of it,” he says. “That would have been the solution… but it didn’t happen.”
Comments: 7
dog dog wrote:
Love live Nenshi. In Nenshi we trust.
on Apr 14th, 2011 at 10:57am Report Abuse
tshowell wrote:
Actually, Nenshi and Hodges were the only council members who voted against this rezoning. And how do jets figure into this particular issue?
on Apr 14th, 2011 at 11:12am Report Abuse
dog dog wrote:
So, he couldn't convince the rest of the council that this was a bad idea?
You realize that's worse, right?
And I bring up the jets because you always, always put a dig into "urban sprawl" into every damned article you write, even if the issue has nothing to do with it.
on Apr 14th, 2011 at 11:18am Report Abuse
tshowell wrote:
"you always, always put a dig into "urban sprawl" into every damned article you write" — Really? This is just such a baseless and stupid comment that it's not worth my time countering.
on Apr 14th, 2011 at 11:48am Report Abuse
susieQ wrote:
on Apr 14th, 2011 at 12:10pm Report Abuse
Clairvoyant wrote:
Trevor, if you could clarify: did Hodges and Nenshi vote against just the rezoning? or also against the sale?
on Apr 14th, 2011 at 10:57pm Report Abuse
tshowell wrote:
To the best of my knowledge they voted against rezoning the land as residential. The sale is still being negotiated between the two parties, which is why the city won't talk about the details, such as a pricetag. (Which frankly seems ridiculous to me, it's not like there's a bidding war or trade secrets about to be revealed.)
I agree there needs to be a more transparent process — especially in light of some of the land deals you've mentioned.
on Apr 15th, 2011 at 8:09am Report Abuse
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