Bring Back the Corner Store - Responsible Density in Lethbridge

When I served on the Municipal Planning Commission, one of the coolest projects that came across our desks (in my opinion) was a row of 10 units in a medium-density project in Copperwood along Coalbrook Gate. The special consideration for the project was to allow some of the units in this already-medium-density area to include 800 sq ft of commercial space on the side of the unit facing Coalbrook Gate. This was the first iteration of mixed-use planning I’d heard of in Lethbridge in quite a while. While other cities are building medium-density with main-floor commercial in residential areas this seems to be a novel case in Lethbridge.

Naturally there was some push-back from neighbours who were worried about traffic and parking (parking was adequately addressed in the plans as per bylaw, so that was an easy answer), and a few who were worried about what types of businesses would be allowed into the spaces. There were the usual folks as well who insisted that they wanted no commercial in the neighbourhood, despite the fact that these units had a residential unit above, so it was more like a home-based business, which already exists in neighbourhoods across the city. 

The project was approved, and the ruling upheld by the Subdivision Appeal Board, and building commenced. 

This stretch of 10 small commercial units is now home to several salons, a real estate agent, and a florist, with commercial parking where their front yards would have been, and parking for residents in the back of the building. Some folks in these units may choose not to utilize the commercial space, and set it up as a basement instead. That’s completely allowed! It’s your house; do what you want. 

Not all types of business will be appropriate for spaces like these. Businesses are naturally restricted by size (for example, I wouldn’t put my brewery in one of these…) or by type (no, your neighbour can’t open a weed store in their basement - not a legal one anyway), and by what makes sense for your area – in this case 2 salons, a flower shop, and a realtor office. It also provides an income possibility for the residents who live there. 

This is an example of responsible density with beneficial commercial: a place for local people to access, and local businesses to take root. 

Unfortunately, this project has been met with limited success because there is not yet any bus service to this area, so the businesses are reliant on car-traffic and a small number of local residents. As a transit user, I can’t access these businesses easily as the nearest bus stop is almost a kilometer away. Hopefully they will finish the through-road to Simon Fraser Boulevard soon to allow for better connections to the rest of the west-side, which is planned for, but not yet built… 

In fact, because of our outdated zoning code (which is thankfully being worked on by a dedicated team of city planners), opportunities for responsibly built density are often missed or under-utilized. This leaves vast swaths of the city inaccessible except for by car, which creates more drivers and more traffic in Lethbridge. Unfortunately, this has been our building habit for decades, and it is the most expensive outcome publicly for the city (in infrastructure costs and maintenance), personally for residents (in fuel and costs of owning a vehicle), and for local small businesses who instead often have to find expensive commercial space in different parts of the city from where they live. 

Older neighbourhoods, like where I live in Agnes Davidson, also lack integrated responsible density and local-commercial options, but it hasn’t always been this way. Within 5 blocks of my house is a small commercial building on a double lot on 17th st. It is home to 5 local businesses today and started life as a local grocery. The space features local art, and publicly accessible infrastructure like seating and trash cans. Alas, no coffee shop, but it has been home to many small businesses over its existence. Small businesses rely on local patronage. It is surrounded exclusively by single-family lots, with the nearest medium-density lots more than 5 blocks away. There are no grocery stores within 1.5km of my house, and no direct transit route, meaning we are reliant on our car to go get groceries. Like most neighbourhoods in Lethbridge, we live in a food desert - where food is inaccessible in a reasonable amount of time without a personal vehicle. ‍

Small, local, neighbourhood-based commercial spaces are essential to creating community as folks will frequently bump into each other at such places. Small interactions facilitated by these third-places close to where we live strengthens the collective bonds of our community. We are seeing the need for these spaces again, and this comes with the important planning reform being done now at City Hall. 

I fear that without a progressive council with members who are focused on the long-term economic sustainability of the City, many of the stabilizing recommendations of this Land Use Bylaw re-write will be ignored or abandoned for our current status quo, which would be disastrous for our collective long-term viability.