By Steve Hubrecht
The District of Invermere’s short-term rental (STR) regulations are finally in place.
Invermere council members earlier this month adopted the final zoning and Official Community Plan (OCP) amendments, making the district’s new STR rules official.
Invermere has been working toward STR regulations for the better part of two years. Earlier this year the long months of planning and consultation started crystalizing into reality as council began giving initial reading to the various pieces of municipal legislation that collectively make up the new regulation.
The process was completed during the Tuesday, April 9 council meeting, and the new rules are set to take effect on May 1. That has been Invermere’s target date for implementing its STR rules for several months and coincides with the start date of new provincial regulations on STRs (which do not apply to Invermere, since it is a designated resort municipality and since it has a population of under 10,000).
“It is all in place, we are full on,” Invermere Mayor Al Miller told the Pioneer. “It has been long awaited, but now, in many ways the real work begins, when we have people coming forward and start applying (for permits).”
Invermere is taking a two-pronged approach to regulating STRs, using both temporary use permits (TUPs) and business licences. All STR operators will need business licences. Those who operate STRs in parts of Invermere that are not already zoned for STRs (most single family residential neighbourhoods do not allow them) need to get TUPs in addition to business licences. Fines for operating an STR illegally (without the necessary permits) begin with a friendly letter for the first infraction and escalate up to $5,000 and referral to provincial court.
When the Pioneer spoke with Miller on Thursday, April 18, the district — to the best of Miller’s knowledge — had not yet received any applications for TUPs or for business licences to operate STRs.
“I know they (district staff) are ready. They’ve had a workshop (on handling applications) and they are ready,” Miller told the Pioneer.
Several residents had, in recent months, expressed concerns about the district’s ability to handle a potential deluge of applications. So far that flood — or even so much as a trickle — has yet to materialize.
But if it does?
“It’s hard to say,” Miller replied. But he quickly added that “we’re certainly in a position to handle a good number of applications.”
Miller said he is very pleased to at last have STR regulations in place, pointing out that when district staff and council members first said several months ago that they wanted the new STR rules ready for May 1, some critics scoffed that the district would never meet such an ambitious timeline.
“But we did it. Obviously we don’t know for sure how it will roll out. It’s brand new territory for us. It’s (dealing with STRs) a big deal not just in the Columbia Valley, but all over the province,” said Miller. “We have something that we feel will work well.”
