Some owners of units in a Lake Country condo project, along with area residents, say they鈥檝e been misled by the developer about the intended use of the property.
More than 100 people packed into council chambers for a 2.5-hour public hearing on Nov. 5 to speak against a zoning amendment that would allow Zara at Lakestone to become a strata hotel/motel.
Amir Haque, with Dominium, the developer behind Zara, told the hearing that the proposed amendment clarifies a 2020 council decision and the project鈥檚 2012 master plan, which stated that part of the building would be used for short-term rentals (STRs). Haque said Zara was always intended to operate as a strata-titled resort.
鈥淭he zoning that we had was adopted in 2015, subsequent to the master plan approval,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e presented to council in 2020, and now here we are with the zoning clarification, which was prompted in part by provincial legislation.鈥�
Area resident Grant Stevens argued that the amendment is not a clarification.
鈥淭here might have been a master plan in 2012, but legislation has changed since then, and it does not allow short-term rentals,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e asking for a significant change to the zoning allowance for that particular property.鈥�
One man, who owns a condo in Zara, told council he never heard about the zoning change.
鈥淢y wife and I didn鈥檛 spend the amount of money we spent to be part of a hotel,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e against the zoning change bylaw.鈥�
Several speakers suggested that the entire building may end up as short-term rentals once it becomes a strata. Haque said there is no exact number, but added that approximately a third of the owners (86 units) had expressed an interest in short-term rentals.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why there鈥檚 a master plan in place, so that these things are considered for the totality of the community, not just the immediate neighbours,鈥� Haque explained.
Units would not be rented through companies such as Airbnb or Vrbo but would instead be listed on a dedicated website with a minimum seven-day rental. However, several speakers countered that a strata could change that rule in the future.
Other residents also suggested that there are unsold units in the building, and that a zoning change to allow short-term rentals would increase the value of the development and possibly attract investors.
鈥淭he entire project did sell out in a week and we have taken two units back,鈥� Haque said. 鈥淭his is not financially motivated.鈥�
Council had previously given first and second readings to the bylaw changes and requested a staff report providing clarity on the proposed amendment following Tuesday night's meeting.
District CAO Paul Gipps said the report will take some time.
鈥淏ecause there is a lot of uncertainty, there will be conversations with the province, conversations with the developer, and conversations about options council could consider.鈥�
Council will consider the report and the potential third reading of the bylaw amendment at a future open meeting.
