BANFF – Banff’s elected officials are looking at a bylaw change to expand the areas of town in which sports equipment rental businesses are allowed to operate.
The proposed change, which has been triggered by Black Tie Ski Rentals of Banff wanting to set up a storefront location for a ski and bike rental business in the Banff Park Lodge, would allow sports equipment rental businesses in hotels in several different land use districts.
Council passed first reading of the proposed bylaw on Feb. 14 and has scheduled a public hearing for March 28.
"An application was received to amend the land use bylaw to include equipment rental as a discretionary use in the CA (Commercial Accommodation) district. Under our land use bylaw, equipment rental is a use that's already listed; however, it's not allowed in the CA district," said Dave Michaels, manager of development services for the Town of Banff.
"Either Municipal Planning Commission or council can trigger amendments to the land use bylaw, but there is also a process where applicants can apply to amend the land use bylaw and so that's what happened in this instance."
Currently, sports equipment rental businesses can only operate in the downtown core of the CD Downtown District and in the industrial compound, which is also known as the Commercial Services (CS) district.
The proposal on the table for council to consider would allow this type of business service in hotels by making it a discretionary use in the Commercial Accommodation (CA), Banff Springs Hotel (CB) and Tunnel Mountain (CT) land use districts.
Councillor Kaylee Ram, who owns and operates Snowtips-Bactrax sports rental business on Bear Street, declared a conflict and did not take part in any discussion or vote when the matter was before council for the first time on Feb. 14.
Councillor Ted Christensen, however, was the lone voice of opposition, voting against first reading amid concerns about competition for existing sports shops and fears that hotels would have a greater advantage.
“I see this as a way of increasing competition for existing sports shops, established shops in the districts that allow it,” he said.
“That is a concern for me regarding those established businesses who are following the rules in the correct districts and offering their shops.”
The Town of Banff’s planning department believes expanding the districts where sports equipment rental would be allowed, as a predominantly tourism-based business, could have some benefits as well as some disadvantages.
Offering a wider variety of goods and services for visitors throughout Banff could reduce traffic, while disadvantages could include intensification of the activity on a site by adding the potential for a new use and providing an opportunity for the use of a site to differ to the intended purpose of the district.
In an effort to make the most of potential benefits while mitigating potential disadvantages, administration recommends a prudent approach would be to allow sports equipment rental only when accessory to a hotel. Banff’s Municipal Planning Commission has also recommended this direction.
Administration has drafted a proposed amending bylaw that takes a broad view of the existing accessory uses allowed within hotels focusing on the addition of sports equipment rental, without a full scale review.
Michaels said the applicant had proposed, and MPC agreed, that the addition of sports equipment rental would be compatible with and complementary to sites where the primary use is a hotel.
“It is for this reason that MPC recommended that this use should be included in all districts where visitor accommodation is the primary focus on the condition that it remains accessory to the primary use of the site,” said Michaels.
