Proposal revised for controversial Naramata Bench subdivision

Proponents of a controversial subdivision for Spiller Road in northeast Penticton have come up with a revised proposal after listening to concerns of area residents.

Canada Horizons Development Group vice president, development Nathan Hildebrand says the company came up with a revised proposal following several months’ consultation with city staff and after reaching out to those voicing concerns about the project.

Canada Horizons released details of the updated plans earlier this week.The proposal has been reduced from 355 lots to 307, and no longer includes townhomes.

READ MORE: Canadian Horizons subdivision proposal on Spiller Road 

Hildebrand says 45 per cent of the development’s land base is being set aside for animal corridors, conservation lands, parks and buffer zones.

Canadian Horizons plans to build the subdivision, known as “Vinterra,” at a cost of $100 million.

Roughly 1,000 jobs will be created over the ten-year period of construction.

Hildebrand says all development costs, including water and sewer systems, reservoir and roads will be built at the developer’s expense. Residences will be built to conform with existing architecture in the area, on land that is at least 220 m from the Agriculture Land Reserve boundary. He says most of the land to be developed is not suitable for growing.

He says the company also did a traffic study in advance of project approval due to the many concerns expressed about congestion on Naramata Road as a result of the subdivision.

“The study was done with a local contractor, who concluded the road has sufficient capacity for the next 20 to 30 years. The subdivision will have no great impact on traffic flows on Naramata Road,” Hildebrand says.

Calling it a compromise, Hildebrand says the new proposal is a response based on concerns heard about the initial proposal while at the same time fulfilling a need for more single family residential housing in Penticton.

“Opponents to the project would like us to build under the existing zoning, but one or two acre lots with large housing on the hillside is not what Penticton needs. It’s a tough balance, but this proposal isn’t new. It’s been talked about since 2005,” he says.

The company’s rezoning proposal is scheduled to come before Penticton City Council on Feb. 16, following which information will be posted by the city. A city consultation process will follow over the next four to six weeks, and following that, a public hearing will be held.

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