By Steve Hubrecht
A planned new multi-family development in downtown Invermere is prompting parking concerns from neighbours.
The development is proposed by Rocky Peak Enterprises Ltd. It envisions 10 townhouse-like apartment units built on the lot at the southwest corner of 8th Avenue and 13th Street, across from Red Apple.
The relatively large lot currently has one older house on it, which would be dismantled to make way for the project. The townhouse-apartments would go up in two rows, running east-west. Of the 10 housing units, two would be two-bedroom units, the rest would be single-bedroom units.
Invermere council recently gave initial readings to bylaw amendments that would switch the zoning for the property from R2 (medium density residential) to CDZ-7 (comprehensive development zone). There will not be a public hearing on the project because under new provincial laws meant to speed up home construction, municipalities are not allowed to hold public hearings on housing projects that are consistent with a given municipality’s official community plan (OCP).
Invermere planner Rory Hromadnik pointed out this zoning switch is consistent with Invermere’s OCP.
“It mentions this is for rental housing . . . is there anything to solidify or guarantee that?” asked councillor Gerry Taft. He pointed out that the design concept drawings show garages under the townhomes.
“They look like nice townhomes for sale, not rental apartments. Garages are not usually part of apartment buildings,” said Taft. He noted that without a formal clause, it would technically be possible for a developer to just say they are building rentals, but then turn around and privately sell the homes.
Hromadnik replied that District of Invermere staff have not had any discussion with developers on a formal restriction limiting the buildings to long-term rentals, but that there has been discussion about a restriction against any short-term rentals (STRs).
Development consultant Richard Haworth was at the meeting representing Rocky Peak. He said the developer’s intent is to keep the project as long-term rentals. He said having garages under the townhomes was the only way to have onsite parking and to also fit all of the housing units on the site.
“We need multi-family, high density housing. We lack that in Invermere. But this is right on the edge of commercial space, and Invermere also lacks commercial space. There’s not that much of it,” said Taft. He wondered if it’s possible to have a mixed residential-commercial development, with some commercial units on the bottom of the building, facing out to 8th Avenue. “We need higher density. But do we need higher density at all costs?” he asked.
Taft also raised concerns about parking. He acknowledged that there are garages in the design “but in my experience, after awhile people don’t park in their garages. They fill their garages with stuff and park somewhere else.”
These concerns were echoed later in the meeting by two neighbours of the proposed development, who separately pointed out that there are already considerable parking problems in the immediate area, particularly where 8th Avenue splits into two parallel roads, one paved and one gravel.
Meredith Hamstead, one of the neighbours, cautioned that “we get our knickers in a knot really easily in our small town over parking” and that people sometimes voice concerns about parking when really they simply don’t like a development, but outlined that in this case parking concerns are legitimate.
“It’s ridiculously unsafe, and it’s untenable,” said Hamstead, noting the situation has been a problem for the 20 years she’s lived in the area and that neighbours tell her it was bad there a decade before that.
Councillor and acting mayor Kayja Becker said, “You can’t take a (parking) situation that’s already a mess, add more mess and expect it to somehow be better.”
Council directed staff to examine different development designs to better accommodate more onsite parking and waste management.
“We are nosey and we want to be involved in further discussions,” said Becker.
