The long-awaited redevelopment of the Homestead Inn, which has been subject to many appeals over the past few years, can now proceed.
In a written 32-page decision handed down on May 11, Banff’s development appeal board threw out several appeals by local businessman Peter Poole of Arctos and Bird, as well as the developer, Fuji Starlight Express.
Town officials say the decision confirms the Town’s understanding of the legislative framework for planning and development in the Canada National Parks Act, Town of Banff Incorporation Agreement and Banff National Park’s management plan.
“The applicant can now proceed to fulfill the conditions of the development permit approval and make an application for a building permit to commence construction,” said Randall McKay, Banff’s director of planning and development.
Fuji, which also owns nearby Banff Park Lodge and Bow View Lodge, wants to tear down the existing 28-room hotel on Lynx Street to make way for a new 71-room hotel, with the addition of two residential apartment units.
Last December, the Municipal Planning Commission gave the green light to the project.
Poole, who successfully appealed Homestead’s previous development plans in 2015 on different grounds, had several appeals, in particular that certain lots on the Melissa’s and Homestead sites should have been required by MPC to be subdivided.
One of the keys to his argument was that the subdivision stage rather than a development permit stage allows for broader concerns to be considered, such as matters of density, traffic flow and the town’s residential population cap.
Fuji Starlight Express appealed against certain conditions imposed by the MPC on the development permit approval for the redevelopment of the Homestead Inn site and for renovations to Melissa’s Restaurant.
The DAB decision can be appealed to the Alberta Court of Appeal within 30 days of receipt of the decision. Any appeal would centre on whether DAB erred in the way it made its decision, rather than the decision itself.
Poole and the developer could not be reached for comment at press time.
McKay said it is hard to say whether or not the decision will be appealed to the Alberta Court of Appeal.
“Given the fact the appellant (Poole) previously filed a separate federal judicial review application on the same grounds as the appeal, it wouldn’t surprise me,” said McKay.
