Harrison Park working on short-term rental strategy

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This article was published 17/02/2022 (1318 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Municipality of Harrison Park is working to establish a regulation strategy for short-term rentals in the increasingly popular tourist destination.

The short-term rentals regulation strategy for Residential General Zone under Zoning By-law No. 1311 was adopted by Harrison Park council on Feb. 2. The strategy document will deal with the regulation of short-term rental (STR) accommodations within Harrison Park — including accommodations where the rentals are in a residential dwelling unit for a period of fewer than 30 days and used primarily by visitors or tourists.

The strategy will not and is not seeking to outright ban the units from the municipality.

“We’re not about shutting down all STRs. We want to find a common ground here to keep this market going,” said Harrison Park Coun. Ian Drul. “We’re willing to work through this and figure out the best strategy going forward.”

In October, The Brandon Sun reported the municipality first started receiving complaints regarding STRs from local residents at the start of 2021, and council witnessed an increase in complaints in residential areas throughout the year. Two delegations have appeared before the council regarding STRs: one in favour of some regulations, and one calling for an outright ban of the properties in any residential areas.

At the time of the report, it was estimated around 70 properties in the area would be affected by regulations.

The purpose of the Harrison Park STR regulation strategy is to aid the municipality in developing a more complete understanding of STRs operating in Harrison Park; identifying areas of community concern and of interest to STR owners/operators; creating an administrative and regulatory process to address STR owners and community interests; establishing best practices and an administrative approach for the enforcement of zoning by-laws; forming an STR-specific licensing bylaw; and providing a clear regulatory framework for existing and future STRs.

Drul declined to comment in regards to any bylaws in place that could be leaned on in terms of addressing the emerging economy of STRs.

The ongoing conversation about STRs has been an “eye-opening” experience for the community, Drul said, but the growing number of units and their place in communities is not a unique situation to Harrison Park.

“I think a lot of provinces, cities right across Canada and the U.S. have all been struggling with the best way to regulate them,” Drul said.

He noted the municipality is taking appropriate steps to ensure regulations for STRs are being done in an effective and responsible way. He hopes Harrison Park has the potential to become a model for future communities with STRs because many other areas are experiencing the same struggles.

“It’s right across Canada and the U.S., and I wish they would have had a set of guidelines for everybody, but there isn’t a set of guidelines for everybody.”

STRs are an emerging market and a growing area of interest, and because of this they can create heated conversations in the community. At times, the units have brought neighbours together, he said, but they have also pulled friends apart.

A working group is being established by the municipality to help guide the future of STR regulation in Harrison Park. The working group will provide input, insight, feedback and consultation on the actions being undertaken by the municipality helping inform the strategy taken to regulate STRs.

It will include citizens of the municipality encompassing STR owners, those against STRs, others with experience in business and other stakeholders the municipality can consult with to receive input and feedback on the actions being undertaken.

As part of the strategy, Harrison Park will be working with the planners, Scatliff+Miller+Murray, to establish the working group.

Under the municipality’s zoning bylaw, depending on the unique circumstances and other factors specific to each property, the STR of residential property in the RG Residential Zone may be permitted or permitted after obtaining a conditional use approval or not permitted.

Scatliff+Miller+Murray will also be developing a survey for STR operators to complete as part of the regulation strategies. Once the surveys have been returned, the municipality will review each property’s circumstances and then review with the STR operator the zoning bylaw’s requirements concerning their property.

During the implementation of its regulatory strategy for STRs, the Municipality of Harrison Park will not take enforcement action under the zoning bylaw.

Drul said tourism remains a critical aspect of the municipality’s economy, and STRs are a piece of this puzzle.

“One thing I’ve really noticed is that STRs are I believe a vital part of the economy of our municipality because tourism is, along with agriculture, one of the two driving forces,” Drul said.

Tourism has continued to grow in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic as the “staycation” market has taken off. Clear Lake has become an increasingly popular tourist destination year-round, and the market has allowed the local economy to grow.

“We live beside a national park that pulls in people from all over Canada. That’s been a big driving force,” Drul said. “The last couple of years because of COVID there’s been more tourism to the area, but the big thing with that is also a lot of people have come here once and said ‘I love it here. It’s a beautiful gem. It’s a beautiful area,’ and they’ve bought a house and stayed.”

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

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