Infill housing decision causes division among Kelowna city council

The province's new infill housing rules have Kelowna city councillors in a tizzy.

A re-zoning application on Homer Road to convert a large lot housing zone to townhouse zoning for a townhouse development, had councillors divided at a meeting, March 4.

Three single-family dwellings would be demolished to allow for future development which would facilitate 33 three-bedroom units and six townhouses.

READ MORE: Kelowna city councillors not happy about provincial infill rules

The subsequent properties are located near the Rutland Urban Centre, close to Highway 33 and some city parks, including Ben Lee Park, making it ideal for redevelopment, according to city staff.

Councillor Charlie Hodge said the prospect of so many units was “incredibly exciting."

However, he was suspicious of what form the development would ultimately take.

“I love the idea of what’s going on. I love the idea of 33 bedrooms and the project, but I’m kind of left in limbo on what that really means at the end of the day,” Hodge said.

READ MORE: No public hearing needed for infill housing in Okanagan, Kamloops

Hodge expressed concern that the development would not be going to a public hearing and that council has not being given a clear picture of what the development will look like.

“I’m glad that staff think we should assume that they're going to do the right thing, but I don’t,” Hodge said. “I don’t assume anything when it comes to developments being made.”

Councillor Ron Cannan also had reservations, noting that even if the land is re-zoned the developer would ultimately have final say on what the project looks like.

"If this land is re-zoned, the developer could sell it and somebody else could come along and build a project within the MF2 Zone guidelines which could be two-bedrooms or one-bedrooms. There’s no guarantee,” Cannan said.

READ MORE: More than 27,000 Kelowna lots targeted for more crowding with infill housing

On the other side, councillor Loyal Wooldridge showed complete support, stating that developments such as this are directly in line with the province’s new infill housing rules.

“This is a prime example of what the new housing legislation is meant to do,” Woolridge said. “Which is to remove barriers to build infill housing, without cumbersome processes.”

Councillor Luke Stack was in agreement saying that the proposed re-zoning aligned with "natural infill" for the area. 

Despite the hesitation shown by Hodge and Cannan, the re-zoning was passed unanimously.

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