To say the District of Squamish zoning bylaw review is an important document for the community would be an understatement. In its 300 pages, it prescribes everything from parking requirements to lot sizes to residential employment restrictions to sustainability practices.
When DOS planning manager Chris Bishop and Halcrow Consulting Inc. representatives presented a summary of the document to council on Tuesday (June 7), discussion focused mostly on one proposed change implementing a special area levy (an added tax on the downtown area) to eliminate commercial parking requirements.
The levy would provide money for a future surface parking lot downtown.
Although council has supported the idea of reducing commercial parking requirements downtown, council members reaction to the proposed solution was all negative.
Its just an extra tax for business owners downtown, said Coun. Bryan Raiser. I dont see this as helping the downtown.
Mayor Greg Gardner was also concerned about recent developers reactions.
So someone who developed last year and built a much smaller building because of the parking requirements would still be asked to pay the area levy on an annual basis? he asked, incredulously.
Bishop said that would be the case because, according to B.C.s Community Charter, it was not possible to grandfather certain businesses in the area who had already provided parking spaces. However, the special area levy would require the support of a majority of downtown property owners representing more than 50 per cent of the assessed value of land in the area.
Bishop also reminded lawmakers that it was they who had advocated for zero parking requirements downtown to encourage development when the issue was discussed in October, November and December 2010.
Coun. Rob Kirkham was concerned about the measures existing businesses might take to avoid paying for parking twice.
Im concerned with the inequity between existing businesses that we basically forced to provide the parking or to pay the in-lieu amount and on top of that, we would need to charge the ongoing levy, he said.
Someone who has a whole lot of parking will decide to turn it into commercial space instead of parking because they dont want to pay double into parking that will create an immediate problem for the district with regards to providing this future parking garage when at the moment, we have no land for it.
Coun. Doug Race said if the district is looking for an ongoing revenue stream, he would prefer taxing everyone in the district, not just a certain area, because everyone in the community will benefit from having a vibrant downtown.
Council decided to present the parking options instead of a suggested solution at the open house on Thursday (June 16).
Discussion focused on providing more bicycle parking, the definition of natural grade and height, and small lot zoning.
