Homeowners against blanket zoning turn to restrictive covenants to block redevelopment

Growing interest in restrictive covenants in some neighbourhoods in response to city council's approval of blanket zoning

A growing number of households in Calgary are registering restrictive covenants on their land titles, pushing back against new city zoning regulations that allow for higher density in older communities.

The idea has particularly caught on in Lake Bonavista, where hundreds of households have teamed up with a law firm to register the covenant on their land titles. A local volunteer committee formed to promote the idea has been hosting information sessions about the private contracts for residents of the southwest lakeside community.