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no current plans for the site

Council makes ‘pro-business move’ by not limiting height at Baymont property

Sep 15, 2020 | 9:00 AM

Despite a substantial amount of pushback from a neighbouring seniors condominium, there will be no height maximum for the owners of the Baymont Inn & Suites at their subdivided downtown property.

The site of the Baymont was zoned as C4 and then rezoned to C1 before being subdivided into two lots in 2015. However, the lot retained C4 parking requirements.

On Monday, Red Deer city council gave final approval to two bylaw amendments passed on by the Municipal Planning Commission. The first, which was supported by administration, clarifies that C4 parking regulations still apply to the northern half of the lot, which is entirely parking space, with the hotel on the south side.

Administration characterized this amendment as housekeeping.

However, the second amendment was more contentious, and not supported by admin. The amendment proposed a building height requirement on the north half of the property which backs onto Sierra Grand Condominium, built in the early 00s.

RELATED: Part of downtown hotel to be turned into apartments

During a public hearing, Baymont Co-owner Shaz Bharwani stated his opposition to the height maximum. No one else spoke during the hearing.

“I believe that the cover letter (from Sierra Grand) mentioned we want to put a four-storey building or higher, and [I’ve heard a] fast food place too, but I’m not sure where that’s coming from because we’re not even sure what we want to do. It was a simple subdivision because it was excess land,” Bharwani said, adding that the northern lot is actually up for sale.

“[We want to put there] whatever downtown is in need of. It’s still going to go through MPC if it’s more than four storeys. [Look at Toronto, where] a building can just come up and it’s part of the downtown. If you want vast lands, there are areas for you to live in, [but] downtown is more robust and the City is really incentivizing the area anyway. There are no plans for the site right now.”

Bharwani said he’d be willing to subdivide the northern lot even more if it was beneficial to the vitality of downtown and conducive to development.

Sierra Grand, among others, submitted a package of 78 letters signed by residents in support of a height requirement. The letters cited a potentially ruined view and decreased property values, and requested a one-storey limit.

“Sierra Grand is considered “high end/luxury” PURCHASED units, with a 55+ age group. Therefore, I am simply guarding my financial investment & retirement,” a stock letter signed by all 78 reads. “If this proposal is allowed, it would totally change my current environment to an alley of concrete and brick structures, which would be the view from our south facing units.”

Randy Mabbott, president of Grand Central Properties which owns Red Deer’s Stantec Building, submitted a letter to the City on this matter, stating his strong support for no height edict.

“I would strongly suggest to council that should it pass the proposed bylaws that this would again send a very significant and dangerous message to investors in Red Deer and equally significant to those that are seeking to help develop and rejuvenate the Downtown (or elsewhere),” he wrote.

RELATED: Property company remains committed to Red Deer’s Downtown

Senior Planner Orlando Toews added”If we’re wanting infill and intensification, [we’d expect] that the tolerance for height and density would be greater in the downtown.”

Three councillors voted in favour of a height requirement, and six against.

As it stands, the C1 zoning allows for a building of any height, however any proposal over four storeys would go to the Municipal Planning Commission. Anything four and under is reviewed by a development officer.