As reported in the Calgary Herald, the push for affordable tiny homes in Okotoks has been met with huge local opposition after more than 10 per cent of the population signed a petition demanding the approval of the project be overturned.

Submitted to town administration earlier this week by the Okotoks Ratepayers Community Group, the petition calls for council to stop the taxpayer-funded portion of the project and rescind the agreement to use “ratepayer owned land, dollars, capital and operating funds.”

Advertise YOUR business on Construction Links Network – Download the media kit

The 3,200 signatures collected surpassed the necessary 2,900, or 10 per cent of the population, to be considered a valid petition by the Municipal Governance Act (MGA). The town’s CAO is currently auditing the signatures and administration anticipates it will be ready for council’s consideration at their next meeting Aug. 19.

“Our group is not against tiny homes. This is not a nimby ‘we don’t want tiny homes,’” said Ryan Nix, co-founder of the Ratepayers Group. “We would prefer if they wanted to do a tiny homes village that they zone the land, sell it and have the development build. Our concern is not the homes but that it’s basically a taxpayer-driven project as opposed to a private-sector project.”

A formal agreement with the developer, Realize Communities, has yet to be made and therefore can still be adjusted before money is exchanged or construction begins.

Councillor Tanya Thorn, one of two councillors who voted against the original plan, said council essentially has two choices ahead of them.

Keep reading in the Calgary Herald