CANMORE – An appeal against the Town of Canmore’s planning department to deny employee housing in the light industrial area of Bow Meadows Crescent was denied by the Town’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.
The board refused the appeal in a four-page May 31 decision due to the need for industrial land to be protected as outlined in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP), the proposal not meeting the affordable housing goal in the MDP by enabling the units remain strictly for employees and the Indian Flats area structure plan not having a specific role for housing in the area.
“The SDAB is in agreement with the reasons provided and presented by administration to refuse the application,” the board stated in its decision.
The board specifically identified the need to “conserve and protect the limited industrial land base” and “industrial lands shall be protected from adjacent uses that could impact the continued operation of industrial uses.”
It also found the proposal “does not meet the definition of affordable housing” in the MDP since “there are no means of ensuring that the proposed residential units will be used for employee housing now or in the future.”
The appeal had been brought forward by Big Moose Developments Ltd. – also known as Basecamp Resorts – and proposed 12 second floor employee housing units to add 34 bedrooms at the 100 Alpine Meadows development.
At the appeal, Basecamp Resorts owner Sky McLean emphasized the importance of employee housing in maintaining business operations due to the ongoing staff shortage felt in the Bow Valley.
“If we didn’t have employee housing in our operating business, frankly we’d be dead in the water,” she said at the May 18 hearing. “There would be no business. We wouldn’t be able to function because if people don’t have housing they can’t work. It’s not feasible for people right now in Canmore … There is no other option.”
The May 16 hearing had a full chamber, with 16 people speaking and 13 letters of support but more than 30 in attendance in support of the employee housing.
The speakers spoke of the desperate need for employee housing for businesses.
Dustin Taylor, the owner of Cascade Mechanical, emphasized the importance to provide “affordability and sustainability in staff retention.”
“The reality is, right now in Canmore, most business owners are kind of burning the candles at both ends because every person has the same challenge point and the same challenge point that’s been in front of us for the last 30 years.”
Bruce Marpole, the communications manager for Tourism Canmore Kananaskis and speaking on behalf of the organization, spoke of the desperate need for staff housing to support tourism-related businesses.
“We know our business partners are finding it difficult to hire and retain staff from entry level up to management positions. … Basic housing needs cannot be met, making it difficult to recruit and retain staff,” he said.
In a letter to the editor in the June 1 edition of the Outlook, the Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association raised concerns about the lack of direction and guidance being given by council to Town staff.
“We urge council to promptly review the Canmore land use bylaw in relation to housing such as that proposed in the Bow Meadows area and render guidance to administration,” wrote BOWDA Chair Brian Talbot on behalf of the board of directors. “The interpretation of the Municipal Development Plan regarding both industrial and housing is in conflict and this needs to be rectified.
“We implore council to act and provide explicit, consistent, and effective guidance to the administration to solve this problem. This should include setting realistic goals and implementing strategies to achieve those objectives. Although it may not be an easy task, it is crucial to ensure that all employees in need of housing eventually have access to adequate and affordable housing.”
Town staff argued that while there is an ongoing housing crisis – with the Town’s housing action plan set to come to council June 6 – the inability to ensure such housing remained strictly for employees could lead to issues in the future.
While caveats or restrictive covenants are able to be offered, Town staff highlighted there was little in way of enforcement to ensure it was used for employee housing. The concerns of
“All residents, regardless of their socio-economic status deserve the opportunity to have the same quality of life that would be afforded to them if they were in a residential area,” said Lauren Miller, the Town’s manager of planning and development, at the May 18 hearing.
The SDAB decision also stated the 1994 Indian Flats ASP was designed to “provide for an area which allows for a range of industrial activities that will be compatible with adjacent land uses” and the ASP has no guidelines for housing.
It added residential use was inconsistent since “residential uses are not limited to housing for employees” and the impact from “industrial uses are potentially significant” as well as possibly impacting future industrial use in the area.
The decision is the latest in multiple attempts by Canmore businesses to add employee housing in the light industrial area of Bow Meadows Crescent.
SDAB had previously agreed with an appeal for employee housing at 127 Bow Meadows Crescent. They ruled employee housing would have little impact on light industrial and a caveat on the land title was also added to ensure employee housing would be the specific use.
The Canmore Planning Commission also approved 12 employee housing units in May 2022 for 121 Bow Meadows Crescent.
The area has seen a growing contention between businesses and the Town as multiple applications have come in for employee housing in the Bow Meadows Crescent area.
SDAB is a quasi-judicial board appointed by council. The decision can be appealed with the Court of King’s Bench under Section 688 of the Municipal Government Act.
