Whistler debates letting London Drugs into the tony town
WHISTLER -- Sheila Dixon doesn't like paying $2 more for a tube of toothpaste in Whistler than she would pay in Vancouver.
The retired travel agent and Whistler resident is happy that London Drugs wants to open a store in the resort town where the median house price is $1.2-million and toilet paper is more than a dollar a roll.
The debate over whether London Drugs should come to Whistler has driven a wedge between small retailers worried about being run out of business and residents hungry for bargains.
Ms. Dixon and others will hear findings at an open house tonight from a recent municipal study that recommends against allowing stores such as London Drugs to open in the ski-resort town.
London Drugs wants to lease a two-level property from Vancouver-based Larco Investments in Whistler village that houses two high-end clothing stores on the main level and a parkade below.
London Drugs president Wynne Powell said the low-profile 1,433-square-metre main level of the proposed store would be less than half the size of other stores and would fit in with the town's West Coast-stylized mix of condos, shops and restaurants.
"We are trying to respect and recognize the ambience of the village," Mr. Powell said. "We worked really hard to build a different look and feel so it will be very much tied back into the village motif."
But the store's proposed 4,250-square-metre lower level requires rezoning to retail from an amended tourist accommodation category.
Shortly after the B.C.-based retailer expressed interest 18 months ago in opening a 5,683-square-metre store steps from gondolas and pricey condos in Whistler's pedestrian-only core of low-rise chichi shops, Whistler's council stalled the rezoning application. It then commissioned a study to poll residents' and tourists' shopping habits to see what shops, if any, need to be added.
Many Whistler businesses suffered in the five years after 9/11 and the resort has a 6-per-cent vacancy rate for commercial space.
Whistler's top planner, Mike Kirkegaard, said the study was in the works and London Drugs' interest put it on the front burner.
"Given the number of years of downturn [in visitor numbers], we were concerned about the economic health of retail as an important component of our overall experience," Mr. Kirkegaard said.
London Drugs' president said a company poll of 219 Whistler residents conducted by Vancouver-based Mustel Group Market Research in late December showed 77 per cent support the opening of a London Drugs in Whistler.
The municipality's study, conducted by Vancouver-based Thomas Consultants and presented to council Dec. 18 and which council will consider for acceptance after gauging open-house feedback, concluded that locals aren't happy with Whistler prices yet prefer locally owned stores over large-format retailers.
"It was hard to find much in the retail strategy that supports the approval of London Drugs," Mayor Ken Melamed said.
Rick Clare owns two photo-finishing shops in Whistler and doesn't support rezoning that would let in London Drugs. He said high overhead costs means he can't compete with the retailer.
"I would have to give notice on my lease and close the doors," said Mr. Clare, who has been in business for 22 years.
Ms. Dixon doesn't have a lot of sympathy for his view.
"Groups of merchants that have been here forever don't want London Drugs because they don't want competition," she said. "They have had a free ride for a long, long time . . . they need to face reality and realize that Whistler people can't subsidize their inefficiencies forever."
Whistler educator Sara Jennings is not in favour of the idea. Last year, Ms. Jennings helped organize a successful drive opposing the municipality's plan to convert the local wastewater treatment plant to a public-private partnership, but she sides with its planners on London Drugs.
"I do agree that we have some problems in Whistler around issues like affordability and that there is a lack of necessities for locals to purchase but there are better ways to fix these problems," she said, adding that there needs to be fewer chain stores, not more, in Whistler.
Realtor Bob Hamilton said it's too late to complain about large corporations moving in, pointing out that Intrawest holds 7,500 square metres of retail space within 15 shops in the town. (Intrawest says it is opposed to London Drugs opening at that location.) And although Nike is opening a 1,066-square-metre store in June, Mr. Hamilton said it doesn't mean big-box stores will want to also.
"There is an economic decision that big business has to make and the volume of potential business is just not in Whistler," Mr. Hamilton said.
The municipality has booked a 500-seat ballroom in the Telus Conference Centre to present study findings to the public at tonight's open house.
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