Free parking at Edworthy Park may soon to be coming to an end, as the City of Calgary plans to pave the lot and recoup the cost.
According to city officials, the gravel parking lot is busy and in poor condition, riddled with potholes and dust, with disorganized parking and seasonal flooding.
The planned upgrades would see the lot paved with marked stalls, lighting and a naturalized drainage system to prevent flooding and sediment runoff.
However, the city plans to charge for parking once its complete to recoup the costs of the upgrades.
“My concern is the amount of spaces we can exist in for free is rapidly shrinking,” said Danijela Mikulic, who lives nearby.
“I think all families deserve to be able to come and use our parks for free.”
Residents in nearby Point McKay told Global News they weren’t engaged about the plans and only discovered the proposal on the city’s development map.
Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong, who represents the area, said he found out about the proposal from those concerned residents, not city staff.
Wong said the city needs to do consultation ahead of time, but stands by the move to introduce a fee once the construction is complete.
“We have a user fee model that if you want to park you should pay for it,” Wong said. “Then the question is what sort of fee structure do we put in there to accommodate the different uses?”
According to a statement from the city’s mobility department, visitors would be able to park for free for up to two hours, with a small fee for longer stays “which would cover the improvement costs.”
Nearby residents said they are concerned about a loss of park space due to another portion of the proposal which eyes an expansion to the existing parking lot.
The design includes paving an existing green space to add an overflow parking lot with 143 stalls.
“We have a myriad of concerns. Probably the top of our list is taking existing green space and turning it into a parking lot,” said Point McKay resident Kara Rowley.
The design is currently being developed, and the proposal will be refined with community feedback, according to city officials.
“As far as the parking lot expansion, it is a proposed design at this time and will not be finalized until we’ve worked through details, which includes feedback from Calgarians and considerations from different planning teams at the city,” said a statement from Robb Whyte, the planning and operations coordinator with the city’s mobility department.
“The final design can change as more details are worked out.”
When asked about the parking lot expansion, Wong said whether it moves forward will be determined by “community discussion.”
“There may be a time in the future where they’re going to pave,” Wong said. “We’ve got the technical drawings but it doesn’t mean we have to proceed with it.”
Residents who spoke with Global News on Friday said they’ve received mixed messaging from the city on the proposed expansion of the lot.
“There are a number of things that they have communicated that have been in conflict with their original statements,” said Melissa Monteros, who also lives in Point McKay.
Once design is complete, the city said construction is scheduled to begin “the earliest” in spring 2026.
Calgary Parking plans to host information sessions on its proposal for Edworthy Park’s parking lot:
Monday, May 5, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., east of Angel’s Cafe
Friday, May 9, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., east of Angel’s Cafe
May 28, drop-in between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Parkdale Nifty Fifties Seniors Association at 3512 5 Ave NW