BANFF – Banff’s elected officials have put a hold on municipal land beside Mineral Springs Hospital that is being eyed by a local resident group for potential future development of seniors housing.
At a Feb. 14 council meeting, the Banff Inclusive Housing Committee asked for the land to be donated and rezoned for a facility that would allow seniors to age in place and prevent the ongoing exodus of seniors from the community.
While council voted to hold off any activity that could impede development of future senior and accessible housing until council provides specific direction, they decided against starting a process to rezone land that would allow for housing in the absence of a formal proposal.
Officials say a hold on the land would give the resident-driven Banff Inclusive Housing Committee time to develop a comprehensive proposal, partnerships or other organizational requirements for creating a project proposal.
“We know that there’s a need, we understand and we’re hearing the community, but it feels a bit like the cart is before the horse. I have zero hesitation about placing a hold on it and pausing. I don’t foresee any reason to look at doing something else on it,” said Councillor Barb Pelham.
“Hopefully that will allow this group to formulate their ideas and their concepts more to deal with some of these outstanding large-scale questions of accessibility, about affordability, about exactly what that vision is for our seniors.”
The municipal land in question, which is currently assessed at $3.6 million, is a forested parcel located along Wolf Street south of the Mineral Springs Hospital facing onto the canoe docks parking lot. It is currently zoned public service.
Council plans to discuss the housing concept in workshops planned this spring and summer to build the 2023-27 strategic plan for Banff.
The council planning will examine housing demand, advice from Bow Valley Regional Housing, an inventory of available seniors housing and accessible units in Banff, land inventory, and facilities in the region.
Councillor Ted Christensen, a big proponent of the proposed senior housing, said the need for such a project has long been established.
He pointed to Canmore’s Bow River Senior Citizens Lodge, with a waiting list of 23 people and Bow River Homes in Canmore with 21 in line, adding Banff’s Cascade House has a wait list of six people and Mount Edith House has five.
“There is a continuing need and it varies,” said Coun. Christensen.
Karen Thomas, chair of Banff Inclusive Housing Committee, said the land is the first step in this initiative to begin the formal process to address the need for senior and disabled housing in Banff.
“We are in the infancy of the project and although need is established, the details will evolve and be ongoing, as it does with any major project of this magnitude,” she said.
A survey completed by the Town of Banff in 2021 showed 70 per cent of seniors indicated they want to remain in Banff as they age while close to 40 per cent of those did not know where they would live.
“Many seniors and residents with disabilities have left town as they do not have a suitable place to live. This is not acceptable,” said Thomas.
“Many of these people would have stayed in Banff had appropriate housing been available.”
Thomas said the land is a perfect fit for seniors and those with disabilities in terms of proximity to downtown services and the hospital.
She said the group has applied for a grant to help get seed money to further explore details for the project as well as partnerships.
“We’ve applied for a grant to help us develop the next steps… to look to exactly what type of building is necessary for the residents,” said Thomas. “We know there’s a need; we just need to decide and determine the best use.”
Following a meeting with Banff Inclusive Housing Committee, Covenant Health, which oversees Minerals Springs Hospital, threw its support behind the initiative for a seniors housing facility on the municipally owned land adjacent to the hospital.
“The Banff Mineral Springs Hospital will partner with and support the seniors housing facility as supporting seniors is one of our top strategic priorities,” said Patrick Dumelie, CEO of Covenant Family, said in a letter to the Town of Banff.
“It is both a response to what we know and encounter daily efforts to deliver comprehensive, compassionate and respectful care, and a call to action inspired by the voices of seniors, and by those who care for them.”
Mayor Corrie DiManno said the issue will be a good topic for discussion in the strategic planning sessions.
She said all housing projects supported by the municipality to date have been done through the lens of affordability, but noted she was hearing the seniors’ facility might not be.
“I think that’s something for us to think about as this moves forward,” she said.
“Our land in Banff is finite, we know this, and this is likely one of our last parcels, so I think we should be talking about this during our strategic plan … we’re just at a point where we just have a lot of questions.”
There are also strict parameters around how a municipality can donate land.
“It’s not impossible, it’s just there’s not a formalized group or we don’t know who the group is that we want to donate it to,” said Town Manager Kelly Gibson.
“There is a process if we give away land below market value … as well we would have to go through a public process to do something like that.”
