Council approves Southmore Drive zoning change
Crowsnest Pass council has approved a land use bylaw amendment allowing two planned units in a Southmore Drive development to be redesignated for residential use.
Council gave second and third reading to Bylaw 1269-2026 during its June 23 meeting, following a public hearing earlier the same afternoon.
The amendment redesignates part of the lot from Urban Tourism Accommodation and Recreation to Comprehensive Ski Village. The site is located along Southmore Drive near Pass Powderkeg.
Chief administrative officer Patrick Thomas said the change affects two units that were previously part of an approved tourist accommodation development. The amendment allows those units to be subdivided into individual parcels and developed as homes instead.
“This is not increasing the density along this road,” Thomas said during the public hearing. “It’s just changing the application of how those units are managed going forward.”
Brock Fulkerth, owner of an adjacent lot and one of the owners of Tanrock Homes, told council the overall site already has an approved development permit for three homes and an approved site plan for the broader project.
Fulkerth said one unit in the original development is substantially complete and expected to be finished within two to three weeks. He said parking, water and sewer infrastructure and secondary utilities have also been completed or are nearing completion.
He said the proposed change resulted from discussions with lenders and financing partners.
“Through those discussions, it became clear that creating two standalone residential parcels on the most eastern side of the site would provide more of a straightforward and conventional financing structure for those homes, while also aligning with the existing residential character of the neighbourhood,” Fulkerth said.
The revised plan reduces the short-term accommodation component of the development. Fulkerth said the original concept included nine short-term rental units, while the revised plan includes two full-time residential homes, six short-term residential units and one discovery or booking centre.
He said two additional parking stalls have also been added to the revised site plan.
“I want to emphasize that this proposal is not intended to increase the overall density or impact of the development,” Fulkerth said. “Rather, it represents refinement of the original concept that reduces the number of short-term rental accommodation units while preserving the design quality, character and investment envisioned for the entire project.”
No other members of the public spoke during the public hearing. Thomas said two written submissions had been received before the deadline and were included in council’s agenda package.
When the bylaw returned later in the meeting, Councillor Dean Ward asked for clarification on the number of rental units. Thomas said there would still be nine buildings, but two would be homes, six would be short-term rental units and one would be used as a rental office or discovery centre.
Councillor Tony Vastenhout asked whether a judicial review had any impact on council’s decision. Thomas said the matter would need to be discussed in closed session if council wanted legal advice.
Council then moved into closed session before returning to open session and approving second and third reading. Both votes carried, with no further debate in open session.