The City of Cranbrook decided to send a proposed zoning amendment which adds a number of permitted uses to the C-3 Neighbourhood Commercial Zone back to staff.
The amendment would add additional retail trade uses of a neighbourhood scale to the original 2012 zoning bylaw. It adds these new uses:
Shoe, apparel/clothing store; Food and beverage store; Gift, novelty and souvenir store; Book store; Hobby/craft store; Music store.
"These are uses that up until now have not been permitted in the C-3 zone," Stetski said.
One Cranbrook resident aired her concerns about the proposed changes and asked for some clarifications.
Johanna Kinsman, lives near two of the affected addresses in the 1100 block of 11th Street South.
She noted there is a daycare there (Little Summit Daycare).
"In the past we did have a grocery store there, and there was talk of having a pub there," she said. "My concern in having this zoning is the food and beverage store."
She said in the past it was a real concern in the neighbourhood for children and young adults.
She wondered if it is a possibility that the daycare could become a grocery store or restaurant that could serve and sell alcohol.
Stetski asked CAO Wayne Staudt whether those kinds of uses would be permitted.
“I believe if we were contemplating liquor sales, of course it would have to be licensed to the province,” Staudt said. “Currently our definition of food and beverage store I don’t think specifies liquor sales.”
Rob Veg, the city’s senior planner, said the city doesn’t actually define the use.
“So I suppose in theory it could be a liquor store,” Veg said. “In some zones we do say liquor retail, but being kind of general it could be. It’s not anticipated for that site by any means. This is a broad amendment to encompass all the C-3 zones, but I suppose the potential could be there.”
Kinsman said even when the food store was there it wasn’t that great.
“I just really think don’t we have enough in this city already that we don’t need to be bringing in more retail in a residential area, where there are small children,” she said. “We have buildings in this city already that need to be filled.”
Coun. Angus said when he read through the agenda before the meeting, he didn’t think of those types of concerns.
Coun. Sharon Cross asked whether there was a requirement under the liquor licence to check with neighbours.
Roy Hales, director of corporate services, said there has been that requirement for certain licences, but with recent changes to liquor sales being introduced to retail stores he was not aware of the process by which local government would be involved.
The bylaw amendment was up for third reading and adoption, but council decided to defer it back to city staff to bring back to council for further consideration.
Interestingly, the current zoning already permits liquor sales if they are licensed by the province.
“A neighbourhood convenience store can sell beverages,” Hales said. “As an eating establishment and drinking establishment can as well.”