Not all on council agree with plans for new downtown Kelowna gas station

KELOWNA – A car wash, gas station and convenience store will stretch for a full block at the north end of Kelowna’s downtown.

Kelowna city council issued a development permit for the project today, June 24.

Some councillors didn't like the idea that there are no electric charging provisions at the station and Coun. Loyal Wooldridge said he would not support "putting oil tanks in the ground."

For that comment, he was chastised by Coun. Luke Stack.

"I don’t think those are appropriate types of comments," Stack said, adding council had to decide on the form and character of the buildings, not what business they provided. "I don’t think we should be approving something philosophically. If that’s the case, we should change our bylaws and say they should not build gas stations in Kelowna."

Wooldridge countered that his comments were on form and character because it lacked electrical charging facilities.

Coun. Mohini Singh joined in that criticism and joined with Wooldridge in voting against the permit. The rest of council supported it so the project can go ahead.

The car wash will be in the centre of the site that stretches from Ethel Street to Graham Street on the north side of Clement Avenue.

Clement is the boundary between the North End industrial area and residential on the south, although some residential units are being built across Ethel from this project.

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