CANMORE – A long-awaited move to discourage employee housing in Canmore’s light industrial areas will head to a public hearing.
First reading was given by council at its Tuesday (July 2) meeting and to set a public hearing for Sept. 3. If passed by council, it would remove employee housing reference in light industrial areas in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and land use bylaw as well clarify use in other Town planning documents.
“We’ve tried to scope this down to areas where the building stock is somewhat dated. The Elk Run industrial park is something we’ve looked at. … We’re looking at older buildings where for one reason or another employee housing units have moved into,” said Harry Shnider the Town’s manager of planning and development.
He noted there are new developments under construction in the Bow Meadows light industrial area with Alpine Meadows and 121 Bow Meadows Cres., but the bulk of existing buildings are older.
Though Town staff are recommending discouraging employee housing in the Bow Meadows light industrial area based off previous council direction, Shnider said in the two light industrial areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway it’s a “little bit of a different story.”
He said those two areas – the transition industrial district on Industrial Place and southern business district near the municipal heliport – are newer and better suited to potentially have a form of employee housing.
“These areas can have dwelling units contemplated as part of the overall building design and they can take environmental factors into much better consideration,” Shnider said, noting better amenities can be provided in those areas.
“The major issue of developing south of the highway are potential noise from the Trans-Canada [Highway] and more pertinent to where things are being developed right now, proximity to the rail line.”
Shnider said recent approvals in the southern business district are Moose Meadows and a new location for Wolfe Canmore, which had variances approved by Canmore Planning Commission last year.
“There are still large open lands that are available for redevelopment that already have a regulatory framework built in for proper size of unit, proper noise mitigation and these things can be looked at,” he said.
A staff report highlighted three sections of the MDP would need to be changed by council majority.
“The proposed amendments change the language in the MDP from support if certain criteria can be met, to non-support for new development proposals in industrial areas to the north of the Trans-Canada Highway, and more specific criteria for industrial areas to the south,” stated the staff report.
Section 2.2 that outlines the pattern of growth would have a slight change under the industrial component, while Section 5.3 that indicates market affordable housing would remove, add and reword two subsections. Section 12.1 focuses on general industrial policies and would have a subsection modified.
Four land use districts are also proposed for changes in the land use bylaw. However, for previously approved employee housing units, they would become legal non-conforming and continue to be used for employees.
“There will not be an opportunity to apply for additional employee housing units on the same property, however,” stated the report of the light industrial district and general industrial district in the area of Bow Meadows Crescent.
The proposed changes to the land use bylaw would be more robust than the MDP, with the four districts removed, reworded or added, specifically employee housing provision subsections.
Town staff are proposing rather than remove employee housing from the transition industrial district on Industrial Place and southern business district near the municipal heliport, some accommodation be allowed.
The transition industrial district and southern business district is proposed to replace the term employee housing with dwelling units above the ground floor. If approved, the staff report states it will shift the district to “more mixed commercial/industrial development that is better suited to support some residential use.”
The residential units, however, will be no more than 30 per cent of the gross floor area, limiting the size of what can be built to be more “workforce oriented”.
The proposed bylaw would have dwelling units above the ground floor be no larger than 37 to 84 square metres, depending on if it’s bachelor, one-, two- or three-bedroom units.
In addition to districts being clarified, the wellhead protection study that was approved in the 2022 budget will also be modified. The study, which is set to come to committee of the whole in September, clarifies the location of the aquifer from where the Town gets its drinking water from since land uses may impact it.
The study “recommends the removal of potential industrial uses that could impair the aquifer that provides the Town’s potable water supply from the [transition industrial] district,” according to the report.
The topic of employee housing in Canmore’s light industrial areas became contentious and polarizing for roughly 16 months in 2022-23, particularly given the housing crunch being felt in the community.
Several projects went before Canmore Planning Commission (CPC) and Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) – with mixed results of success or denials – and often pitted Town staff against property owners.
While Town staff recommended against employee housing in light industrial areas, arguing it would take away valuable land for commercial and industrial use and also the lack of amenities, distance from garbage, more noise and less connectivity for people living in such an area. Municipal staff have indicated such units could be used for illegal vacation homes.
Property and business owners have highlighted the need because of their desperation for staff due to a lack of housing, which has impacted the ability to consistently run operations.
The retail gap analysis and light industrial and commercial land review study recommended council stop employee housing going in light industrial areas, restricting its use to commercial and industrial purposes.
CPC approved 12 employee housing units in May 2022 at 121 Bow Meadows Cres. and a subsequent July 2023 hearing led to an increase to 15 units.
Two one-bedroom units at 127 Bow Meadows Cres. was approved by SDAB last February. A well-attended May SDAB hearing had more than 30 people in attendance and 16 businesses and individuals speak in support of employee housing at 100 Alpine Meadows. SDAB ruled against Basecamp Resorts proposal for 12 second floor employee housing units to add 34 bedrooms.
Ian O’Donnell, the executive director of Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association (BOWDA), said its members are looking for “clarity and consistency” in the land use bylaw to move forward.
“We’re still hearing from our members that employee housing and staff accommodation is a priority for them to help determine their viability for operating their businesses in coming years,” he said. “We believe employee housing and staff accommodation or dwelling units that help provide accommodation for employees is something critical in this housing crisis and we look forward to sharing more of those opinions on Sept. 3.”
O’Donnell said the Canmore Business Alliance – a group of local organizations representing businesses such as BOWDA, Tourism Canmore Kananaskis, the Downtown BIA and Canmore Hotel and Lodging Association – will be providing feedback to the Town since “employee housing is the No. 1 priority for our members and businesses.”
