Mount Royal parkland sale discussed behind closed doors at city hall

The controversial sale of parkland to a private property owner in the southwest community ofMount Royal was discussed behind closed doors at city hall.

• Mount Royal residents try to block parkland sale to Don Taylor

Members of a council committeespoke privatelyThursdayto Calgary philanthropist Don Taylor, who wants to buy the chunk of parkland, as well as members of two community associations that are opposed to the sale.

Media wasnot allowed in the room.

Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said it's rare to allow members of the public into a closed-door meeting to register opinions on a city land deal,but this is also a rare deal.

"This is not a piece of land that we are disposing of on the open market. This is a willing buyer approaching the city saying we would like to do this deal and here are the reasons and the history and it's our job to look at that."

The 3,700 square feet of city-owned land, in an areaknown asHillcrestHill or Cliff Bungalow Escarpment,is adjacent to land Taylor bought about 20 years ago.

In the letter he sent to his neighbours he explains that until 2006 he was under the impression it already belonged to him. It even had a basketball court on it when he purchased the hill-top lot with a spectacular view of Calgarys downtown.

When the slope adjacent to the property began to fail several years ago, Taylor says he helped pay for a retaining wall to shore it upon the condition he be allowed to buy the land back at fair market value.

The city agreed to subdivide the parkland last year.The proposed sale still needs to go before a city committee and the full council.

But some Mount Royal residents aretrying to stop the sale. Residents say they have been left out of the process and the land should remain as public parkland.

The committee will discuss the proposal again in December again behind closed doors and could have a decision at that time.