Photo: Zeidler
Several residents in the Glenmore Drive area across from Kelowna Golf and Country Club are disappointed that a proposed development has received tentative support from both the planning staff and the city council.
They plan to have their voices heard loud and clear when the council holds a public hearing on development on Tuesday evening.
The proposal is for a three-and-a-half story, 50-unit home to be built on three single-family lots on the corner of Glenmore and Highland Drive.
The chiropractor Dr. Brian Banman from Kelowna is behind the project, which was first approved by the city council last month.
Montana Morin-Dutil, a neighborhood resident, says residents expressed themselves out of luck during an open house. They plan to do this again in the hope that the city councils will hear their requests.
Morin-Dutil says Castanet’s neighbors are concerned about the size of the project and the additional density it will create, as well as traffic and safety concerns.
“The developer is taking away three single-family homes to create a 50-unit rental that doesn’t seem to fit into the context of the neighborhood,” Morin-Dutil told Castanet News.
“From a family perspective, 37 of these units will be a bedroom and the remaining 13 will be a bedroom and den. None of these are really conducive to families, which is a little worrying given their proximity to the school.”
Banman disproved those numbers, saying a final decision on the composition of the suites has not yet been finalized.
He says there will be some two bedroom units but the final configuration won’t be released until they apply for development approval.
In order for the project to move forward, the council would need to approve changes to the zoning and official community plan to allow for greater density.
Lot size and parking deviations are also required.
Morin-Dutil believes the development is too large for the size of the property, which extends the project to the property.
She is concerned about the impact on the rear lane.
“It’s a main route for kids going to school.
“I have to cross this alley very slowly because there are so many children and it breaks my heart to believe that they will have an underground parkade right there that will really increase the flow of traffic.”
There are also concerns about the number of parking spaces being made available, although the 61 that will be built meet city requirements for rental properties, according to Banman.
“I fully understand the need for the City of Kelowna to develop and add more housing options, but it seems like they’ve found a more comfortable size for something that doesn’t have such a negative impact on the neighborhood,” he told Morin-Dutil.
Banman says he heard a lot about these concerns at an open house last summer.
But he says he spoke to residents before the open house and one of the biggest worries he heard was about being oversized. On three and a half floors, he believes the development will fit the area.
“Also, I think what the city is trying to do with its healthy living strategy and protecting and renting out people is important,” said Banman.
“A lot of people will want to move to Kelowna in the future and they will need places to live. We just see ourselves supporting that.”
The council is expected to take a decision after Tuesday’s public hearing.
