A proposed short-term rental in Trail’s Glenmerry neighbourhood is poised to be approved, but city council hasn’t signaled yet how it feels about an application in Sunningdale.
A public hearing last week dealt with applications for 3249 Lilac Crescent and 12 Hazelwood Drive, but most of the time was devoted to the latter address.
Proponent Ken Umbarger, who recently purchased the Sunningdale home, is converting it into a triplex and would like to use one of the units as a short-term rental. He and his wife expect to be away about half of the year.
Umbarger said he understands there is anxiety from neighbours who fear he is trying to make a “quick buck,” but he insisted there would be “minimal neighbourhood impact and positive community economic benefit.” He said maximum occupancy limits would be strictly enforced, there would a local contact available at all times, and all required parking would be provided on-site.
“The proposed STR is designed to operate in a manner consistent with the surrounding residential neighborhood, property values, and community context,” he said.
However, the dozen or so neighbours who spoke at the hearing, including several longtime residents, weren’t convinced.
Retired provincial court judge Ron Fabbro said allowing short-term rentals in the neighbourhood “fundamentally changes its character.”
“Trail’s official community plan calls for preserving the single-family residential nature of Sunningdale,” he said. “A revolving door of short-term guests would erode the sense of community that we value.”
Fabbro also said seven proposed parking spaces to be added to the property are “inconsistent with the established character and aesthetics of the street,” adding that “increased traffic, parking congestion, noise and disruption are inevitable in those circumstances.”
Retired credit union manager Doug Stanley, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 45 years, said he is already seeing parking issues in Sunningdale and adding a short-term rental wouldn’t help.
“During the summertime, I have trailers, motorcycles, trucks, and sports cars parked two houses in front of me,” he said. “I can’t find a place to park. Now we have those who want to intensify this by using their lawns as parking spaces.”
Stanley said he is worried that if council approves the application, it will open the door to others: “Should this application pass, then the preservation of the single-family residential nature of Sunningdale will, in my opinion, pass on.”
Jamie Forbes, who spent more than 30 years working for the City of Trail as a planner and city clerk, said he was “surprised and dismayed” to discover current bylaws allow for two-family homes in single-family residential areas.
He said while there is nothing neighbours can do to stop Umbarger from adding more units to the home, they can try to stop further increases in residential density from “eroding the character of our neighbourhood.”
“More density means more cars and more conflict with pedestrians,” Forbes said. “I think I can safely speak for the majority of residents in Sunningdale. We like our neighborhood just the way it is, and we do not want any increase in residential density in existing dwellings.”
Addressing one of the common concerns, Umbarger said his proposal to put parking on the property was to avoid taking it away from the street.
While most of the written submissions the city received were also against the proposal, one of the two in favour was from former mayor Sandy Santori, who said he thought Umbarger’s application was “being pursued thoughtfully and responsibly.”
“I believe this proposal can be operated in a manner that is respectful of the neighbourhood and consistent with the City of Trail’s objectives,” Santori wrote.
In a split vote, council opted to delay its decision on 12 Hazelwood until Feb. 23. Mayor Colleen Jones and councillors Paul Butler, Nick Cashol, and Terry Martin supported the postponement, while councillors Bev Benson, Doug Wilson, and Thea Hanson were opposed.
By contrast, the other application for Lilac Crescent has met with little opposition.
The applicants, Bernie Johnson and Carol Buckner, are seeking a license to operate a short-term rental in their basement. They said they have already been renting the space out, live on site, and expect bookings of five to seven days per month. They said the unit wouldn’t be suitable for long-term accommodation because it doesn’t have a kitchen.
Council heard from three speakers who either supported the application or just had questions.
“No one wants to see a revolving door like a hotel,” said Ashton Florko, who lives nearby. “This is not that. Who’s coming? Nurses, doctors, maybe students. It’s not had any impact.
“I can’t think of a reason that this shouldn’t go ahead. What more could you ask for here? You’ve got oversight. No one’s staying there a long time. There’s not a bunch of cars. It’s fine.”
Council voted to approve third reading of the bylaw amendment to legalize the suite. Final approval is pending sign-off from the Ministry of Transportation.
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