Residents voice objections to Churchill Avenue rezoning

PENTICTON – Churchill Avenue residents opposed to a proposed rezoning at 451 Churchill Avenue took to the microphone at a public hearing Monday night, Feb. 1 to express their displeasure.

Concerns about excess traffic and parking issues dominated the conversation; one neighbour went so far as to call the development  the "ruin of the neighbourhood for money.”

The rezoning of the property from small lot residential to duplex housing would include a variance for smaller lots sizes.

A single family house currently on the property would be demolished and the property subdivided to allow front-to-back duplexes to be constructed on the two new lots.

Parking concerns were also voiced. It was noted parking on Churchill was already chaotic in the summertime, as the street’s close proximity to the beach made it an overflow for beach parking. Densification of the street would make the problem worse, council was told.

Developer Rob Linder also took to the microphone, telling council he was following city bylaws with respect to parking, adding he planned to have the development blend into the neighbourhood through planting of trees.

Council later advanced the zoning proposal to second and third reading but said before they gave final approval they wanted to revisit previous commitments given to residents there and more information about who is parking in the area.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.