Cranbrook City Council is looking at changing Official Community Plan to amend the zoning on the old fire hall property in the downtown core in an effort to make it more marketable to potential purchasers.
The zoning change underwent first reading at a regular council meeting on Monday night, as the property is currently zoned ‘Park/Institutional/Recreation’ with the proposed rezoning designation being ‘Core Commercial.’
Wayne Staudt, the Chief Administration Officer—in his final council meeting before officially retiring—noted that the proposed changes would have no effect on heritage provisions of the building.
“Definitely the heritage values of the building, of the property are being protected, that is embedded into our bylaw and that is not being affected by this change,” Staudt said.
“This change is more in line with what we see as an area of town with more commercial opportunity and by making this zoning change, it would allow a potential buyer of that building to do some sort of commercial development as opposed to an institutional development, which is what is currently zoned.”