BANFF – Some municipal politicians seem interested in reviewing controversial legislation that relaxes the number of required parking stalls in new apartment buildings.
As a way to encourage developers to build housing, bylaw 380 allows a reduction of required parking stalls to a minimum of 0.6 for rental apartments with up to two-bedroom units, but only if the project meets certain criteria such as proximity to transit.
The Town is studying how full public parking stalls are used on many residential streets this summer, but council also wants information on actual usage of on-site stalls at apartment projects that took advantage of bylaw 380 and its predecessor, policy C122.
Councillor Grant Canning said that added information would help inform debate on the issue.
“I personally do want to revisit 0.6. I do think it’s worth looking at to determine if it’s the right number; whether it should be higher or not,” he said at a meeting last month.
“I think the one component that is missing right now is information on actual usage in the buildings that utilized bylaw 380.”
In a controversial move after Banff’s development appeal board effectively quashed policy 122 by throwing out a development permit for an apartment building on Marten Street, council fired back by turning the policy into legislation.
The bylaw, approved early in 2017, aims to trigger more construction of rental apartments by reducing costs to developers as well as reflecting vehicle ownership rates, which have generally been lower for people living in apartments.
Thirteen projects have been granted a relaxation in required parking, including the Town of Banff’s affordable housing project, Ti’nu. Three of the 13 developments have not been built yet.
Meanwhile, council held a public hearing Monday (July 16) on a bylaw that would affect the number of required parking stalls in certain areas. Second and third reading are scheduled for the August 13 meeting.
Due to recent changes in transit routes, certain properties now qualify for parking reductions for apartment housing due to their proximity to transit, while other properties no longer qualify.
Under bylaw 380, properties can get a 15 per cent reduction in the number of required parking stalls if the development is on a road containing a public transit route or on a road adjacent to a public transit route.
At Monday’s public hearing, resident Jon Whelan called for the bylaw to be postponed.
“It should be held off until there is a full review of bylaw 380,” he said.
Resident and former town councillor Stavros Karlos suggested transit corridors be created so the issue doesn’t have to be back before council any time a transit route changes.
Karlos said he believed bylaw 380 led to some appreciation of property values that were in districts that could apply for parking reductions because it measurably lowered construction costs.
“Therefore, when council changes transit corridors, it conceivably may devalue or add value to properties added or removed,” he said.
“Council may want to establish transit corridors in order to establish more of a longer time horizon so we’re not dealing with these situations every couple of years.”
