Q: |
Am I responsible for my fence maintenance? |
| A: |
All fences backing onto open space or roads are constructed within the
homeowner’s lot. Maintenance of these fences falls to the property owner for
both sides of the fence. Maintenance of all other fences located on the
perimeter of a lot is the responsibility of each property owner for their own
side of the fence. |
Q: |
Can I build a shed on top of the concrete gutter at the back of my house? |
| A: |
No. These drainage gutters, called “swales” are to be protected from any
obstruction because they assist in the management of stormwater. There is a
restriction on the Certified Copy of Title of your property called an Overland
Drainage Easement and Restrictive Covenant that stays registered on your lot
forever in order to protect and maintain proper drainage of the lots in the
neighbourhood. The Easement extends beyond the edges of the gutter itself, and
up to 1.5 m (4.92 ft) either side of the gutter, so that drainage patterns are
maintained. During high rainfall or snow melt, the gutter may overfill and the
water will flow beyond the edges of the gutter to the limits of the easement
area. Check your Title before building or placing anything (including a fence)
near your rear yard drainage gutter. |
Q: |
Can I mow the area behind my house if it is an Environmental Reserve (ER)? |
| A: |
No. The Municipal Government Act (MGA) states that an applicant for subdivision
may be required to dedicate land as an environmental reserve. Environmental
reserves ensure that building does not occur on land subject to natural hazards
which is to be left in its natural state. Individual residents cannot use
environmental reserves for their own purposes. Unfortunately, environmental
reserves are sometimes misused. Adjacent landowners must not compromise the
purpose and nature of these reserves through the removal of trees and
vegetation, mowing the grass, the on-site development of fences, decks or other
structures, the re-contouring of the site and other private uses of these
reserve lands. |
Q: |
Can I purchase a lot and build my own house? |
| A: |
Qualico Communities uses approved builder groups for each community. In order to
purchase a lot please use one of the following starting points:
> Select a Qualico Community
> Select a Qualico Builder Partner
|
Q: |
Can we swim or skate on our community's storm pond? |
| A: |
Please do not swim or skate on ponds in your community unless a sign indicates
you may do so. These ponds are for rainwater and snow melt, thus the movement of
water through the pond causes ice to remain thin and the water unsafe for swimming. |
Q: |
Do I get a fence on my lot? |
| A: |
Developer fencing is provided on laned lots, or on lots that side onto another
lot (i.e. between houses). Fencing height is set out by municipal bylaws.
Qualico Communities will provide standard fencing as set out below:
Wood Screen Fencing is used on the rear of lots that back onto
another lot.
Chain Link Fencing is used on the rear and/or sides of lots
that either back or side onto MR areas.
|
Q: |
Does the developer provide any trees for my yard? |
| A: |
The Developer always adheres to the city, town or municipal bylaws to address
tree planting regulations. Each municipality has different requirements. For
example, the City of Calgary requires a tree to be provided with each lot where
applicable. |
Q: |
How do I report a burned out street light? |
| A: |
If a streetlight is not operating in your community, please call the City of
Calgary at 311 and they will send someone to check on the problem. |
Q: |
How high can a fence be? |
| A: |
Side yard fences may be a minimum of 1.2 meters (4 feet) in height to a maximum
of 1.8 meters (6 feet). If the height of the side-yard fence differs from that
of the rear fence, a gradually stepped design is required to integrate the two
heights. |
Q: |
My sidewalk is damaged. When will it be fixed? |
| A: |
Construction damage repairs to your sidewalk are done two years after the
subdivision was first constructed. When the repairs are being made, you may
loose partial or complete access to your driveway during the time of repair.
Please avoid driving on newly placed concrete for at least 2 weeks to allow it
to gain enough strength to support a vehicle. Concrete requires 28 days to reach
full strength. |
Q: |
The pavement on my street is lower than the gutter and it does not drain
properly. Why is it left like this? |
| A: |
The pavement in new subdivisions is intentionally left low to allow a period of
time for settlements to occur and to make repairs to damaged concrete. Two years
after pavement is installed, a second ‘lift’ of asphalt will be installed over
the first to fix any settlement. At this time, your pavement will be flush with
the concrete edge of the gutter. This is a construction requirement imposed on
the developer by the City of Calgary. |
Q: |
What are bioswales? |
| A: |
Bioswales assist in the management of stormwater by providing natural
percolation of runoff into the ground and the conveyance of lot drainage to a
drainage course. They are designed to support specific types of vegetation and
soil that support drainage and percolation. Bioswales may be part of your lot
and are constructed to extend below the ground to a depth of up to 1 m (3.28
ft). They will not operate properly if altered through mowing, planting,
removing material or blocking drainage. There may be a restriction registered on
your lot that governs what you can and cannot do on or near bioswales. This
restriction is called an Overland Drainage Easement and Restrictive Covenant and
stays registered on your lot forever in order to protect and maintain proper
drainage of all lots in the neighbourhood. |
Q: |
What are the different types and how do they differ? |
| A: |
MR: Municipal Reserve is a public park which will eventually be
owned by the City/Town/Municipality and may have play structures on it.
ER: Environmental Reserve is natural area owned by the
City/Town/Municipality. It is maintained in a natural condition and will not
contain play structures. Vegetation is not groomed and has restricted access.
|
Q: |
What are the various lot types and how are they defined? |
| A: |
Level Lot: Have minor grade variance, sloping from front to
back.
Back to Front Lot: Lots with grade variance from back to front,
with slope draining from the back to the front of the lot.
Under Drive Lots: Back to front lots with major grade variance,
sloping/draining to front of the lot. Under drive house plans always have their
garage at a lower level than the main living area.
Walkout Lots: Have a grade variance sloping from front to back
with a minimum grade difference of 1.8 m (approximately 6.0 ft) lower in the
back.
Transitional Lots: Meet the criteria for a level lot on one
side but have a greater grade variance on the other side (front to back or side
to side).
|
Q: |
What are those undeveloped parcels of land in my community? |
| A: |
FUD: Future Urban Development (formerly called UR, or Urban
Reserve). It is a land use designation under the City of Calgary’s Land Use
Bylaw specific to land that is waiting to be developed in future. It is not a
park or environmental reserve area. Development of FUD is usually not far off
and is normally subject to a land use application and public process.
S-SPR: Special Purpose Reserve, formerly known as MSR
(Municipal School Reserve) refers to land dedicated as school reserve, municipal
school reserve, community reserve and public reserve.
Resident Association Sites: A privately owned site designated
for the enjoyment of the community. They may include facilities, buildings,
entry features, parkettes, signs and pathways (if they contain pathways,
maintenance may not include snow removal in winter). QC maintains and owns these
parcels until they are turned over to an active Residents Association.
|
Q: |
What do you do during a big rain storm when the street is flooded and water is
starting to come into your yard? |
| A: |
The streets of any new subdivision in the City of Calgary are designed to be in
compliance with an approved Stormwater Management Plan to handle severe
rainstorms. The Trap Low Design is a requirement by the City of Calgary
Wastewater and Drainage Division as part of this plan.
Ponding areas are designed and constructed to temporarily hold back runoff so
that areas downstream do not receive large quantities of stormwater/snowmelt all
at once. To assist the underground pipe system during a rainstorm, temporary
stormwater storage sites called “Trap Lows” are designed into the streets, lanes
and even parks to accommodate a high volume of water. These ponding areas
eventually drain down slowly (up to 24 hours) and are designed so that the
detained water does not enter any buildings.
The ponding may encroach into the lot or driveway and remain there for a while.
Do not panic if you see water rising in your street, or even in your driveway,
during a fast rainfall. Predetermined grading plans are followed at the time of
construction to ensure the water will flow towards the Trap Low and slowly drain
into catch basins once the rain subsides. There is an easement registered on any
lot that will have temporary ponding on it. This easement is registered in
favour of the City/Town/Municipality and legally permits the ponding to occur on
the lot.
Should you have concerns that there may be a blockage preventing the ponding to
drain slowly into the catch basins, as stated above, report your concern to The
City of Calgary by dialing 311.
|
Q: |
What does Architectural Assurance mean? |
| A: |
This means that builders and purchasers are assured a level of commitment to the
aesthetic value of a neighborhood. Architectural Guidelines exist to ensure that
every home built in a Qualico Community works with the surroundings and is
consistent in creating a strong community landscape and a real sense of place.
This assists the builder and purchaser in visualizing the built-out community. |
Q: |
What is erosion control? |
| A: |
An Erosion and Sediment Control Plan is a regulatory responsibility of QC in any
developing area, serving to protect the integrity of our water. Part of this
plan includes a stormwater collection and conveyance system that feeds into a
stormpond facility. Other components include silt fencing, catch basin inlet
protection, trapped lows, ditching, earth berming and regular street cleaning.
These measures help ensure our receiving streams remain clean and healthy. |
Q: |
What is the purpose of retaining walls in my yard? |
| A: |
Retaining walls assist in leveling out sloping areas and ensure that water
drains away from the foundation. Retaining walls are required on lots where
there is more than a 3:1 slope on the property. Generally, the retaining walls
within the lot are the responsibility of the builder. Grades and slopes are
examined by the architectural assurance committee and if substantial slope is
present, than the committee will suggest or require that a retaining wall be
constructed. All retaining walls shall be constructed to compliment the exterior
home design and finish, and should blend with the lot landscaping. They are to
be made of materials such as brick, stone or simulated stone and have a finished
cap. |
Q: |
What materials can be used and what colour can it be? |
| A: |
There may be materials specified in the Architectural Guidelines for a
particular community, thus these guidelines should be referenced first. The
basic rule of thumb regarding the aesthetic of your fence is that it ought to
coordinate with other fences within the area in design and colour. What this
really means, is you should discuss your plans with your neighbours. |
Q: |
When do developers provide fences? |
| A: |
QC provides a variety of fencing types in each community. Lots that back onto
other lots or side onto a walkway typically have wood screen fencing provided at
the rear property line and along the side property line, respectively. To
further enhance lots backing or flanking green spaces, including parks or MR,
black chain link or wrought iron is provided depending on the community’s
architectural standards. |
Q: |
When does landscaping occur, and who is responsible? |
| A: |
Once construction is complete and new homeowners take possession of their homes,
the responsibility and obligation to maintain the lots in a safe and
aesthetically pleasing state transfers to the new homeowners. Homeowners are
required to ensure that soil does not erode from their lots and must take the
same care and caution as the builders. Once the lot is compacted, graded
correctly and the builder has received their By-law Grading Certificate, you
should sod or seed their yard to prevent topsoil from eroding onto the streets
and entering the storm sewer system. It can take up to one and a half years from
the move-in date before a builder receives a By-law Grading Certificate. |
Q: |
Who determines the amenities that will be available in my neighborhood? |
| A: |
Community amenities are discussed during new community planning stages. The
Developer will perform market demand studies to assist in determining what the
area may need in terms of recreational, commercial or retail space. Most often
there is collaboration between levels of government, municipalities and
developers that may result in a joint effort in providing said amenities.
Developers generally provide landscaping and pathway systems that enhance
neighborhoods and allows for connectivity and pedestrian oriented development. |
Q: |
Why are there bags around the catch basins (drains) causing the street to flood? |
| A: |
In new areas and in construction zones, stormwater inlets (catch basins) on the
streets are often protected with socks or bags to reduce the amount of sediment
that enters the storm sewer system that drains directly to the Bow River. This
is a requirement from Alberta Environment to protect the water quality of our
river systems. Sediment from construction sites can have a significant impact on
the water quality of the river. Although this can be annoying for people living
in the area or driving on the road, this small inconvenience is worthwhile if it
helps to improve water quality. It is unlawful to remove these devices. They
will be removed once construction in the area is no longer tracking mud onto the
streets. |
Q: |
Why do I have to let the developer approve my house colors? |
| A: |
Color selection is subject to Developer involvement as purchasers and builders
alike tend to look at each home as a stand alone building, rather than as one
residence fitting into a whole neighborhood. Exterior colors- similar to
clothing colors- have a cycle. Driving around different neighborhoods built in
different decades, it is easy to gauge when the homes were built, as colors and
materials evolve and change. There are always "choice" colors, and without the
involvement of the architectural assurance committee, more houses would be of
the same choice. Color repetition "rules" are in place for the benefit of the
purchasers. This ensures that the same colors are not repeated on neighboring
houses, and ensures that we can maintain a unique character and cohesiveness
throughout the community |
