By Steve Hubrecht
Once again short-term rentals (STRs) dominated discussion at the most recent Invermere council meeting.
The October 8 meeting was the third one on the trot in which STRs were the main topic, and for the third meeting in a row there were more chairs full of residents than empty chairs in the public gallery. (In comparison, before STRs became a hot button issue, it was often possible to count audience members on one hand.)
The latest meeting saw Invermere council approve temporary use permits (TUPs) for four STRs in Invermere, but in each case council restricted the STRs to fewer guests than the operators wanted. Under Invermere’s new STR regulations, all STR operators in the district need a business licence and those in areas not zoned for visitor accommodation (i.e. many single family residential neighbourhoods) also need a TUP. Any TUP application for more than the maximum of eight guests outlined in Invermere’s STR regulations must go to council for consideration.
The four STRs reviewed on October 8 included one in the Fort Point neighbourhood; one in the Kpokl neighbourhood; and two in Upper Invermere (the neighbourhood of Invermere bounded by 10th Avenue in the east, 13th Avenue in the west, and 10th Street in the south) – one on 6th Street, and another on 5th Street. All sought 12 guests, except the Kpokl STR, which sought 14.
Invermere councillors allowed the Fort Point and Kpokl STRs to have 10 guests (rather than the 12 and 14 requested); but limited both Upper Invermere STRs to eight guests. The decisions to allow the Fort Point and Kpokl STRs were close, each passing only by a three-to-two vote (in both those cases, councillors Kayja Becker and Theresa Wood wanted a maximum of eight guests, and so they voted against the motions). The decisions on the Upper Invermere STRs were not close, each vote passing unanimously.
The TUP for the 5th STR was approved only for a one-year term (as a sort of “probationary” trial) instead of the normal three-year TUP term.
There were multiple letters of concern sent in for each TUP application (15 for the Fort Point STR; two for the Kpokl STR; three for the 6th Street STR; and eight for the 5th Street STR. The 5th Street STR was the only STR to attract a letter of support.
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During discussion on the TUP applications, Invermere councillors outlined many factors that contributed to their votes.
Wood explained that in her opinion a lot of discussion and effort went into arriving at a maximum cap of eight guests in Invermere’s STR regulations. “I was expecting them (the TUP applications) to be for fairly extenuating circumstances. Not just ‘we have more bedrooms, can we have more (than eight guests) please?’ Which is what we seem to be getting,” she said.
Invermere councillor Gerry Taft said “the bigger homes in the more traditional single family neighbourhoods are the pressure points. No one seems to have a problem with an STR in a two-bedroom condo in Lake Windermere Pointe. It’s a tricky balance.” Later speaking more specifically about the 6th Street STR, Taft said “this is getting into what I feel are the more traditional residential neighbourhoods . . . it’s (the home) really not that big, and there’s really not that much parking. I think 12 (guests) is a stretch. I think this is where eight makes sense.” Later he outlined similar sentiments for the 5th Street STR, saying it “is in the core of Invermere . . . I’m not sure some of these neighbourhoods are the best place for 12 guests.”
Becker said, in regards to numbers of guests, “more people is more noise” and outlined a desire to stick with a maximum of eight guests. “In a sense we are subsidizing people’s businesses. Because operating an STR in a residential area, you are running a business in a residential area. You are paying residential taxes, not business taxes. That bothers me,” she added.
A large number of the public gallery were Fort Point residents, but there were also some there specifically for the 5th Street TUP application. Several neighbours came to speak against the STR, voicing complaints about noise and parking issues, while owner Ryan Neal spoke in defence of his operation.
Feelings ran strong on both sides, and discussion seemed to highlight a deep divide in the neighbourhood. At one point Invermere mayor Al Miller cut off neighbour Bill Ark, saying “I’m going to call this right now . . . I’m not going to put up with you attacking other people.” Ark protested he was merely outlining what he saw as facts, and added he simply wants to understand the rationale behind the district’s approach to STRs, saying “it certainly isn’t for the good of this town and 99 per cent of the locals.”
Neal countered that the complaints have been “deliberate, deceitful, and dishonest about what’s going on at my house.” He noted he lives in the home as his primary residence “65 per cent of the time” and that a complaint about a huge number of STR guests staying at his home this past June was actually his sister and her friends gathering at the house prior to David Thompson Secondary School graduation activities. He said that neighbours have taken photos of his friends, photos of vehicle licence plates in his driveway, as well as thrown beer cans and even a bag of dog poo into his yard.
At one point Neal said Ark had taken photos of his sister, and Ark said he had not. Miller interjected again, asking (more gently this time) both to refrain from making any personal attacks.
Pat Bavin said that he had taken some photos of vehicles at the 5th Street STR, and said “my concern is egress for emergency . . . it’s a really serious matter.”
Former school teacher Jill McCorry also spoke, saying “it’s constant, constant traffic, coming and going.” She noted she’s been out at 1 a.m. in her pyjamas because of loud noise. “The sound carries like a son of a gun in the winter,” said McCorry, pleading for “a little more understanding of the people around you.”
At the end of the meeting Neal told councillors “I’m quite disappointed by (council’s) decision.” He questioned why the Fort Point STR was allowed 10 guests while his was allowed eight. “If it (the STR) has to be listed as sleeping eight, it really brings the price down.” Neal asked what the financial impact to Invermere is for losing four tourist visitors multiple times a year. “That should have been part of the research,” he said.
