A St. Albert high school graduate who was dreaming big about his small business has hit a major roadblock. He was told his licence could be revoked if he doesn't change his operations. But he says the reasons behind the decision don't make sense. Kabi Moulitharan reports.A wrench has been thrown in a young St. Albert, Alta., man’s business due to licensing issues with city hall.
“I just enjoy the satisfaction of going from a super dirty car to a super clean, showroom-shiny car. It’s a really rewarding job and it really makes people happy.Wanting to do the right thing and make a real go of it, Grant applied last fall for a business licence.“I had to get a business licence just to abide by all the rules,” he said.
“They said, ‘Hey, you can’t be operating out of your own home,'” Grant said. “They said it’s too disruptive, it’ll cause parking issues, traffic issues. St. Albert Coun. Wes Brodhead said while the community encourages young entrepreneurs like Grant, he reiterated the current Land Use Bylaw doesn’t allow automotive-type businesses to be run within a home.
“You have to apply the bylaw equitably across the community. So what works for one person has to work for the other.”Grant said the emails from the city about his business licence came as a surprise. He said he’s lost about 30 per cent of his business, not being able to do the work at his house.