Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) is lifting a temporary moratorium, also known as a ban, on new short-term rentals (STRs) in Lookout Ridge.
Council implemented the ban after they received an informal petition from some community members in August. In addition to the temporary moratorium, SPMRM set up a select committee of property owners for and against STRs in the neighbourhood. After the committee met twice, council met to debate the committee’s discussions. The municipality also discussed a community survey of property owners in Lookout Ridge.
The committee did not come to a consensus on how to move forward, with each side disagreeing on whether the neighbourhood should welcome vacationers. Some property owners believed Lookout Ridge should stay residential, and others thought banning vacationers would be problematic for local tourism.
Maureen Walker, one of the petition creators, sat on the committee.
Since 2017, Walker has written to council multiple times requesting the neighbourhood be restored to its residential status either by moratorium or by adherence to the zoning.
Walker and other property members in the neighbourhood believe that because the area is zoned for residential use, temporary use permits (TUPs) shouldn’t be granted in their community.
TUPs were created to deal with properties renting illegally in neighbourhoods zones single-family residential, according to Nicky Johnson, director of corporate services for SPMRM.
Three-year terms were implemented for TUP licenses in 2017, which allows flexibility for approving or denying renewals if there are recurring issues, Johnson told SPIN.
Lookout Ridge has five properties rezoned for tourist accommodation, and two are awaiting approval for TUPs. When a property has been rezoned, they can rent to vacationers indefinitely.
Walker purchased her lot in 2008 after visiting Sun Peaks multiple times.
“At the time, [Lookout Ridge] was a single-family residential area, which appealed to us for many reasons,” Walker said. “We didn’t want the hectic activity you found at the village.”
Walker argued there is little enforcement for noise and parking violations when visitors flock to Sun Peaks, which she described as a “nightmare.”
Randy Hunter, in comparison, sat on the committee in favour of STRs.
After visiting the ski resort, Hunter purchased a property in Lookout Ridge Drive and has applied for a temporary use permit.
“We just fell in love with the community and the vibe of the place, and we decided that we were interested in potentially becoming property owners,” Hunter explained.
He purchased the lot intending to apply for a TUP to rent his property on platforms like Airbnb. But he also knew there was the potential for SPMRM to not move forward with his request through the public consultation process.
The municipality has percentage requirements for the number of STRs within any given neighbourhood, set at 25 per cent of the built occupancy levels.
“With that in mind, we had more or less an expectation that we would be able to apply,” Hunter explained because the percentage limit was not at capacity.
He applied on July 14, but by Aug. 8, the petition came to council requesting a moratorium. His application was put on hold as council decided how to move forward.
Hunter believes issues like noise and parking can be managed by vetting guests who book for the weekend and increasing enforcement of existing bylaws.
Majority favours vacation rentals
While each side of the debate on STRs in Lookout Ridge couldn’t agree, a survey sent to property owners on Lookout Ridge Drive and Place determined the outlook for Lookout.
Out of the 85 per cent of owners who responded to the survey, close to 38 per cent were in favour of banning any future STRs, and more than 62 per cent were opposed to the moratorium.
Council met to discuss the survey’s findings on Nov. 1, where they floated various recommendations, including a temporary moratorium, reducing the percentage of licenses in the neighbourhood, reducing parking, keeping STRs to clustered areas or applying the ban in specific parts of the community.
Council decided they would be hard-pressed to enforce the moratorium when most property owners did not favour the policy.
On Nov. 21 at a regular council meeting, council approved the recommendations in principle and decided to maintain the existing policy, allowing STRs and TUPs to operate with maximum occupancy levels based on business license limits, parking limits and garbage disposal plans enacted this summer. SPMRM aims to review the policy’s impact by April 2025.
Other recommendations include eliminating new TUPs in neighbourhoods once subdivisions specifically zoned for STRs are built, enacting a good neighbour bylaw to encourage better relationships and have stronger bylaw enforcement.
To ensure enforcement is beefed up, SPMRM recently hired a second bylaw officer and increased fees for STR business licenses. The prices would be $375 for properties with two bedrooms or less, and homes with more beds would pay $800 for their business license.
In 2023, business license fees for STRs provided $55,615 of revenue. The increased costs would add $142,085 revenue, which could be used for enforcement and administrative costs related to STRs.
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