Pushback on 'strata hotel'

Lake Country residents are expected to pack Tuesday’s public hearing to voice their displeasure over a zoning amendment that would turn the Zara at Lakestone property into a “strata hotel/motel.”

The application was forwarded to a public hearing after council unanimously gave first and second readings to the bylaw change earlier this month.

Lake Country CAO Paul Gipps told council at the time that the zoning change is to clarify a decision by council four years ago that a portion of the building would be utilized for short-term rentals.

He said that would work out to 30 to 40 per cent of the 86 units inside Zara.

The change would also point to new provincial regulations that stipulate the building must have a front desk, operate with its own rental platform and employ one or more people to perform housekeeping duties.

A minimum five to seven night reservation policy would also be instituted.

An online petition with nearly 400 signatures voices concerns the decision will impact the need for long-term rentals in the municipality while also negatively affecting the “family-friendly neighbourhood character” of the residents of Lakestone and surrounding areas.

“With vacation rental guest units located right in the middle of single family unit homes, these surrounding homes will experience increased noise, parking and safety concerns,” the petition preamble states.

“There will be increased pressure on inadequate traffic infrastructure, increased strain on RCMP and bylaw enforcement resources due to inappropriate location.

“By allowing rentals in Zara as short-term, much needed long-term rentals will have been removed from a market in a community already suffering from a shortage.”

Chris Evans, who lives next to the proposed development, says he plans to sell his home in a few years and fears he won’t be able to if the zoning change goes through.

“My kids are out on the road playing hockey and riding their bikes around the neighbourhood…now there is going to be so much traffic and random people,” Evans told Castanet News.

“My property value is going to go down, everyone’s property value in the entire area will go down.”

Evans says parking, which is already a problem particularly on weekends, would only get worse.

He says while residents knew a building was going up, if it’s populated by long-term residents, you get to know your neighbours and everyone is looking after the community.

“When you get random people showing up for one night to party or coming for a hockey tournament - you don’t want that in your neighbourhood," he said.

“I’m sure nobody in their right mind would want that.”

Evans says they have a lawyer lined up for the public hearing with a “boatload of people coming because there are a lot of people who are upset about it.”

The public hearing is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 in council chambers.