A new hotel and brewery will be coming to Bragg Creek following an approximately three-and-a-half-hour public hearing and council decision.
At a regular meeting Feb. 25, Rocky View County (RVC) council approved the creation of a Direct Control District at the junction of Balsam Avenue and River Drive North and an accompanying Master Site Development Plan (MSDP) for Bragg Creek Brewery.
“I think it’s going to help Bragg Creek,” said Coun. Crystal Kissel, voicing her support of the development. “When Bragg Creek dies, we all lose.”
While the application was consistent with the Grater Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan (ASP), planner Johnson Kwan said administration recommended it be refused.
Kwan said the land was designated a for commercial use in 2017 to accommodate a restaurant, boutique hotel, micro-brewery and coffee roaster. The Subdivison and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) issued a Board Order to conditionally approve development permits in September 2019, after the original conditional approval was appealed by the applicants and adjacent landowners.
“The development permit was varied to only allow parking on site,” Kwan said. “The SDAB removed the building height relaxations, which only allow for a 10-metre building.”
Following SDAB’s decision, the applicants submitted the latest proposal.
Administration had three main concerns with the proposal, according to Kwan. For one, he said, the property is not large enough to accommodate the number of parking stalls required. While a minimum of 37 stalls were required by the Land Use Bylaw, only 22 are physically possible on the land.
“The applicant proposed off-site parking agreements with other properties in the hamlet,” Kwan said. “However, we should note the agreements are not binding and are not permanent.”
Administration sought a legal opinion, Kwan said, which indicated this could create risks for the County. The legal opinion was considered by council in a confidential in-camera session. Administration further recommended a restrictive covenant and an easement be registered to ensure parking would remain available.
Brian Horton of O2 Planning + Design, on behalf of the brewery group, indicated a signed letter had been secured from the landowner of the off-site parking area outlining their commitment. Horton explained on-site parking would be dedicated to restaurant and brewery visitors, while hotel guests would be directed to the off-site lot, which would be accessed through a valet service.
Building height was another key consideration. Kwan said the proposed building is three storeys, or 12.5 metres in height. At the pre-application stage, administration suggested the scale of the structure be reduced or the building be relocated farther south to reduce negative impact to adjacent landowners. The applicant chose to move forward with its original plan.
Finally, administration was concerned about the proposal’s affect on appeal rights. Kwan noted the applicant requested council be the development authority for the district – under the Municipal Government Act, there is no appeal process if council makes a decision on development permits in a Direct Control District.
The proposal had broad support – a majority of hands in the packed council chambers were raised when co-founder John Jackson asked who was in favour of the project. Twenty-two residents and non-residents spoke positively about the application at the public hearing and another 21 letters of support were included in council’s agenda.
Many residents called the hotel and brewery an investment into a community that was desperately in need of revitalization, suggesting it would serve as a significant draw for visitors to Bragg Creek.
“[The group behind the project] are ready and willing to inject millions of dollars into our local economy, and they know that a tide that is rising will float all our boats,” said area resident Fred Konopaki. “This project provides jobs, much needed accommodations for our residents. It offers our residents choice, variety, a way forward.”
Not everyone favoured the project, however. Jennifer Liddle, the neighbour directly adjacent to the property, was one of three people who spoke against the application, citing parking and height as a major concern.
“It places the only three-storey commercial building in the whole hamlet in a residential neighbourhood,” she said.
Additionally, 19 letters of opposition – many from people who could not attend the meeting – raised concerns with the proposal.
Several councillors, including Kim McKylor, Samanntha Wright and Daniel Henn, expressed difficulty in arriving at a decision on the matter.
“I don’t think there’s a councillor up here that doesn’t believe Bragg Creek needs some help and some revitalization…but the fact is that sometimes, things just don’t work in specific places,” Henn said. “As council, we’re not here to kill projects and be the bureaucrat that stymies any type of development, but we’re here to do the right thing for the residents of RVC.”
Ultimately, Reeve Greg Boehlke was the only councillor who did not support second reading of the bylaw, saying he preferred to see the application tabled until a permanent parking solution was found.
“What do we do if we’ve got a three-storey hotel-slash-brewery-drinking establishment, and they lose the parking?” he said. “I really believe Bragg Creek needs something like this. I think this is a great venture, I’m just not sure it’s in the right spot."
Council voted 6-1 on second reading before granting third reading and approving the MSDP unanimously.
Area Coun. Mark Kamachi was summoned away from the meeting to attend to a family issue, and did not participate in the decision. Coun. Jerry Gautreau was also absent from the meeting.
Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick
