[This letter is] regarding [the] 5298 Alta Lake Rd. Rezoning Application RZ1157, [which] "proposes to rezone the lands from TA17 (Tourist Accommodation Seventeen) to a new zone that would allow for development of 15 employee restricted townhomes, 22 tourist accommodation townhomes, an amenity building, and a Municipal park containing the existing cabin and barn."
I am not against this proposal, although I question the density.
I hope that staff negotiates diligently to keep the scale/density of this project as low as possible. This is a beautiful lakefront property that should not be overdeveloped.
What I really question though, is the tourist-accommodation (TA) zoning. As a municipality we worked, and continue to work diligently to keep nightly rentals out of residential neighbourhoods. There is no need for TA zoning in this area: far from the village and/or mountain lift access.
Whistler was designed to have most of the TA-zoned properties within walking distance to the village and the mountain base areas in order to keep neighbourhoods quiet, peaceful and family-friendly. Illegal nightly rentals can be a disruption to homeowners with party noise, extra traffic, laundry, catering trucks, taxis and buses invading their neighbourhoods.
I know the Jordan Lane homes are all TA-zoned but these homes, along with the Kadenwood homes, were TA-zoned to fulfill a need. There was a demand for TA-zoned homes so that groups of families/friends could come to Whistler and stay together. Giving Kadenwood and Jordan Lane TA zoning helped to take the illegal, single-family home nightly rentals out of our existing neighbourhoods.
There is not a demand for TA-zoned townhouses. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true. Village and Benchland townhouses and condo hotels are not fully occupied.
The low occupancy level for existing TA beds is a concern for Tourism Whistler's accommodation sector.
Why do these developers not only get increased density, but TA zoning as well?
I know this property has TA zoning as it stands now, but it is going through a rezoning process, so TA zoning doesn't have to run with the development. The current TA zoning is for a small lodge and cabins—not anywhere near the density of 22 market townhomes and 15 employee-restricted townhomes.
TA zoning will increase traffic over and above residential zoning. The Alta Lake Road and Highway 99 intersection is already a problem. The Prism Lands market and employee-housing development at 1501 Alta Lake Rd. will also add additional stress to that badly congested intersection.
You have to ask yourself if you would like to live in a townhouse development with potential disruption from a nightly rental townhouse right next door. It could be a nice place to live—but not with TA zoning.
Please consider removing the tourist-accommodation zoning from this development.
Stephanie Sloan // Whistler
(Editor's note: This letter was sent to council and is included in the Dec. 17 council package.)
