One Calgary councillor is taking issue with the proliferation of liquor stores in the city, saying that they’re getting too close together and are creeping closer to schools.
There are strict rules when it comes to setting up shop for liquor stores in the City of Calgary and Andre Chabot, Ward 10 councillor, says more and more owners are asking to bend them.
He thinks there’s a negative impact when too many stores are in one area. “It tends to affect the aesthetics of a community.”
Chabot is looking for stricter enforcement of the rules that determine where stores can be located, which restrict them to more than 150 m from any school and more than 300 m away from any other liquor store.
“There are ten percent more appeals now, specifically on relaxation,” Chabot says. “All I’m looking to do here is clarify the rules and they’re not relaxable.”
Chabot’s proposal would only allow the development authority a very limited amount of wiggle room.
Some are protesting the change, saying it will be bad for business.
“This notice of motion would tie the hands of city officials to not apply the rules as they see fit, as they see reasonable in specific cases,” says Richard Truscott of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
There was even a bit of push back against Chabot’s amendment from city council.
“What the land use bylaw should not do is limit competition,” says Druh Farrell, councillor for Ward 6. “That’s what I’ve been hearing concerns about in Kensington.”
Residents, in the meantime, don’t believe that Calgary needs too many more liquor stores in the first place and they’re packed tight enough already.
“I don’t think it’s that necessary to have liquor stores that close together,” one woman says.
If Chabot’s amendment is approved, it would go into effect in February 2015.
