Banff liquor stores will be regulated in the same manner as every other general retail store after the business community raised concerns the municipality was essentially establishing a quota.
Under amendments to Banff’s Land Use Bylaw, it was proposed liquor stores and nightclubs be defined as unique uses and to make any new ones discretionary.
While there was no discussion at a council meeting, Monday (May 28) on making new nightclubs discretionary, most of council showed no interest in treating liquor stores differently than other general retail.
“It’s just pinpointing liquor stores,” said Councillor Paul Baxter. “It’s a quota by another name.”
Currently, liquor stores are regulated as general retail, but the proposal would have them become discretionary, meaning they would require approval of the Municipal Planning Commission.
Administration said it believed the LUB needed to be more effective in addressing loading and unloading issues for liquor stores in the downtown core.
Darren Enns, Banff’s senior planner, said liquor stores in Banff function as distribution hubs for liquor retailers, and therefore the delivery volumes to these businesses is often higher than other comparable retail outlets.
“This is a reactive approach to something we see happening in the community,” he said.
Part of the proposed definition as a unique use, which council ended up scrapping on a 4-3 vote, involved not allowing liquor stores within 100 metres of a school.
Councillor Stavros Karlos said there was a lengthy discussion in the LUB working group about the future financial viability of grocery stores in the community.
For example, he said, should Safeway close in the future, that definition would prevent a new liquor store opening in that location because it’s within 100 m of a school.
“This definition has the potential to cause unintended consequences,” he said. “It’s also an indirect quota system that protects current liquor store owners.”
Couns. Chip Olver, Brian Standish and Leslie Taylor voiced support for defining liquor stores as unique uses and making them a discretionary use, although in the end Olver voted to keep liquor stores as general retail.
Taylor said she believed making them a discretionary use was a good idea, as loading requirements of liquor stores makes these businesses worthy of attention.
“I use Caribou Street regularly and these problems are real,” said Taylor.
Council passed first reading of the amending bylaw earlier in May, but they did not get through to second reading on May 28. A special meeting for second reading has tentatively been scheduled for June 11, starting at 8:30 a.m.
