Does Lake Cowichan need more bed and breakfasts?
Coun. Bob Day, chair of the town’s economic and sustainable development committee, asked his council colleagues that question at their Jan. 11 meeting.
“I know the province is going to look after Air B&B but there are a number of other thoughts. We don’t have hotels. Could we assist in creating more B&B zones? I know that if you want to change your zoning [in the town of Lake Cowichan] it’s possible with a fee, but we do have one proscribed zone for B&B right now,” he said, kicking off a wide-ranging discussion.
CAO Joe Fernandez said that when it comes to economic development in the area, he doesn’t think that setting up a bed and breakfast “is a prime motivator for people moving here” and suggested councillors take a broader view of what might boost the area.
“We might want to think outside the box,” he said.
Coun. Tim McGonigle had a warning to share.
“Speaking of B&Bs and Air B&B, we have to be careful we don’t saturate the market, for one thing, and that we don’t penalize other businesses, similar to what Tofino and Ucluelet are currently doing, by increasing business licences to all businesses to try and combat Air B&Bs. I think we should leave that to the province for legislation. Trying to recoup additional costs from pet stores and grocery stores to accommodate more bylaw enforcement for Air B&Bs is not doing any good for economic growth in your community. When you’re raising your business licences by $25 or $50 to cover policing of Air B&B, I don’t think that’s fiscally responsible. That’s the avenue that they chose; they chose not to wait for provincial legislation or regulation on that,” he said.
McGonigle said that Air B&Bs can probably be found in many communities.
“If you go on Air B&B right now and type in ‘Lake Cowichan’, you will get a number of hits and you’ll recognize a number of those properties and they do not have business licences. And regardless of the commercials that you see on Air B&B, where the semi-retired couple is supplementing their mortgage, they are also hurting legitimate bed and breakfast businesses that do take out business licences. I think economic growth of that nature negates true, sustainable economic growth. That’s just a cautionary bit of information,” he added.
Day wondered if one way to deal with Air B&B might be to just “open the doors for legitimate bed and breakfasts to operate anywhere because that’s what’s happening with Air B&B. But, that might be something in the future that we don’t want to live with,” he concluded.
Fernandez said, “By opening the flood gates, allowing everyone to have B&Bs, I don’t think that’s economic development. To get business people to come here, it’s got to be something more meaningful than just B&Bs. We’ve got to attract something sustainable; we have to look at other things.”
Coun. Carolyne Austin pointed out, “B&Bs are regulated.” She related that she’d seen what happened when a friend owned one in Youbou.
“They go in and check them out. It has to be done right. There are special things to be done. It’s not easy to own a B&B.”
Austin also said she’d been asked why Point Ideal was the area for B&Bs and had to say that she didn’t know.
“There are other places within the town that have applied for B&Bs and have been successful and paid for the rezoning process,” McGonigle told her. “You can’t just say: Point Ideal. That’s where the majority of them are but there are opportunities to come forward if you have a legitimate business profile and want to implement that, within proper zoning.”
Coun. Lorna Vomacka asked, “Just to clarify for myself and Coun. Austin, was it when Point Ideal was in the planning process that a zone was created for B&Bs?”
Fernandez explained, “It was allowed as a permitted use.”
Vomacka persisted, “So now, when one resident wants to have a B&B, they have to pay $750 for rezoning and it pertains just for their home? I, too, have been asked why Point Ideal was zoned for that and why, if you live outside that area, you have to come and get rezoning.”
Fernandez expanded on the subject.
“When Point Ideal was created, everybody buying property there knew that it was a permitted use and that they could be living next door to a B&B. With other areas, there is a public process and neighbours have input. It’s not every neighbour who wants a B&B next door. Now, if you want to open it up and allow it in different areas, you will have to go through a public process,” he said.
Vomacka still wanted it clear.
“So, you have to pay the $750 fee and go through the public rezoning, and yet somebody who has an Air B&B doesn’t have to? A person with a B&B also pays a business licence while someone with an Air B&B doesn’t?” she said.
Day said, “That is what the provincial government is working a policy for. You can’t even imagine the costs of trying to control Air B&B,” he said.
