Liricon Capital Proposes Train Station Development
Liricon Capital presented Town council with a proposed development of land around the Banff Train Station to add a 2,000 stall visitor parking lot on the north side of the train tracks and develop a gondola to connect to Mt. Norquay. The proposal also encourages council to implement a resident-permit parking pass system to reduce visitor vehicles in the townsite. Liricon holds a lease on the CP Rail land at the train station, including about 20 acres on the north side of the tracks. Liricon also owns the Mt. Norquay resort.
Jan Waterous, co-owner of Liricon Capital, presented the proposal to kick-off to their public consultation for an Area Redevelopment Plan for the train station lands. The proposed gondola that crosses the highway and connects to the Mt. Norquay resort would require approval from Parks Canada after extensive environmental assessment. Liricon proposes closing the road up to Mt. Norquay, if a gondola is approved. In addition, Liricon proposes providing the town with a 2,000 stall intercept parking lot, rent free, for 30 years, on train station lands. The concept would have all day visitors park in the large lot and hotel guests park only in hotel lots. Liricon’s proposal would be linked to the Town implementing a resident parking pass system that would allow only residents to park in downtown Banff.
Liricon Capital is currently building a 500-stall parking lot on the south side of the tracks at the train station on additional land leased from CP Rail.
For more information, visit
Liricon Capital’s Banff Train Station Development.
Cost Split on the Table for Sulphur Sewer Main
A 50/50 cost split between the Town and businesses on Sulphur Mountain is on the table for the replacement of the sewer main in the area. Council passed two readings of an amended Bylaw 410 to share costs for the sewer main. A third reading still needs to take place before it comes into effect. Replacement costs for the sewer line are approximately $2 million. Bylaw 411, a borrowing bylaw, received first reading, and will be advertised for two weeks before returning to council April 23. The borrowing bylaw will be used to fund the sewer replacement work. The sewer line is outside the Town boundary but the Town owns the infrastructure. The sewer line serves three business operations on Sulphur Mountain.
Bear Street Shared Street Public Feedback
Administration presented council with potential modifications to a redesign of the 200 Block of Bear Street, in response to public feedback on the proposed construction of a pedestrian-friendly shared street. Council heard a summary of feedback compiled from three public input sessions on Feb. 28 – March 2. A public feedback report identifies reallocating on-street parking to pedestrian space as the primary issue.
Following four summers of trials with temporary features, the redesign proposes removing on-street parking, adding two accessible stalls for people with disabilities, and replacing on-street parking with features such as street lighting, public seating, landscaping reflecting Banff Refreshing standards implemented on Banff Avenue, permanent patios for restaurants and cafes, and roadway design to slow vehicle traffic. The proposed surface redesign would occur at the same time as renewal of drainage, sewer and water main systems to avoid reconstruction of the same street in different years.
Council also heard presentations from six people at the start of the meeting both for and against reducing parking. Feedback presented from the report and individual presentations at the meeting centred on a need to provide people with close access to businesses on the street that serve residents, such as medical and other professional services. Loading access for retail and rental services was also identified.
Administration provided potential responses to the feedback, including changing the redesign to include more on-street parking, particularly short-term loading stalls, designating stalls in the Bear Street surface parking lot for 1-hour parking and additional accessible stalls. The potential changes also included an option to remove certain features in winter, such as bicycle racks and patio seating, to allow for more winter on-street parking, and daily shifts in the summer to remove cafe seating and replace with parking in off-peak hours.
The project is scheduled to return for council discussion April 23. For more information about the project, including a link to the
What We Heard report, visit
banff.ca/SharedStreet