The Municipality of Jasper is considering an alternative location for the pop-up business village this summer and allowing the climbing wall already there to stay year-round for three years.
Council heard the case for placing the pop-up village in the Patricia Street parking lot rather than the one on Connaught Drive at its Tuesday (March 25) meeting.
“This site is much more embedded into Jasper’s fabric,” said town planner Lucas Sherwin. “Its location further north into town means that during the rebuild especially there will likely be less construction impacts to the site like dust, noise and traffic.”
The pop-up business village is intended to give businesses displaced by the Jasper wildfire a temporary location to operate this summer. Businesses that have expressed interest include Vicious Cycle, Maligne Rafting Adventures, Jasper Motorcycle Tours and Andaaz Indian Cuisine.
The goal is to launch the pop-up village on the May long weekend.
Earlier this month, the federal government pledged another $2 million for Jasper’s recovery, including $1.8 million for the Municipality of Jasper to establish the pop-up village and deliver construction-related initiatives.
The municipality initially proposed placing the pop-up village in the Connaught Drive parking lot adjacent to Hazel Avenue, but administration now says a better location would be the Patricia Street lot next to the Old Firehall.
Sherwin explained the $1.8 million in funding and the early closure of the ice climbing wall were factors in their change of heart. The Connaught Drive site was also too close to the train tracks, whereas the Patricia Street site was closer to in-town destinations and already used for festivals and events.
“The Patricia Street lot has the potential to be an overall nicer space to visit and linger, especially when we factor in the impacts of construction traffic, noise, dust on top of the existing CN rail line,” he said.
As for the climbing wall, which was erected by Rockaboo Mountain Adventures earlier this winter, administration proposed returning to council with recommendations for a fee structure to enable the year-round operation of the climbing facility for a three-year term.
The climbing wall was initially approved as a temporary structure for the winter, but Rockaboo has since requested that the structure remain for the summer so they can offer summer programming. It has also indicated that moving the structure elsewhere would be a significant expense.
“At this time, administration is open to the idea of keeping the structure in place for the summer, pending final operational plans from Rockaboo, summer site design changes, direct engagement with adjacent neighbours, potential integration with the pop-up village and negotiating a reasonable and fair rate for Rockaboo to pay to use those lands,” Sherwin said.
Mike Merilovich, who lives near the Patricia Street lot, spoke against keeping the climbing wall year-round. While initially tolerant of the facility since it was supposed to be temporary, he argued it would ruin his view and potentially hurt the property value of his home.
“I used to have a million-dollar view out of my backyard, and I do not have that anymore,” Merilovich told council.
He advocated finding an alternative location for the climbing wall, such as the old skatepark, and voiced additional concerns about the pop-up village, such as noise from air conditioners and the impact on parking.
Rockaboo owner Lisa Darrah, who also spoke to council, noted last summer’s wildfire not only destroyed their office but also impacted Maligne Canyon, one of their main tour destinations.
“The wall and pop-up village will save many of the business owners,” Darrah said. “We’re really talking about our livelihood, and it’s quite an emotional topic.”
Although able to appreciate Merilovich’s concerns, she argued business owners and their employees were facing a loss of livelihood and potentially having to leave Jasper.
“If the loss of a view can be something those houses can deal with for the next little while, it would be extremely beneficial to many Jasperites whom we employ,” Darrah said.
Although administration planned to conduct public engagement should council move forward with these proposals, the focus would be on noise mitigation concerns, and the municipality would move ahead on that site regardless.
CAO Bill Given warned if council wanted public consultation before deciding on a site, this could delay implementation by a month or more.
Mayor Richard Ireland agreed that there were some unsettled issues, but it was important to give businesses certainty as the summer nears.
“People are going to have to make investments,” Ireland said. “The summer season is almost on us. We cannot kick this down the road indefinitely.”
Coun. Helen Kelleher-Empey said the climbing wall had initially been approved as a seasonal pilot project, and council should get community feedback before deciding whether it should be year-round.
Council is expected to discuss the pop-up village at its next meeting. Administration will also return with recommendations for a fee structure for the climbing wall and other information.
