Photo: City of West Kelowna
Suggested location for emergency shelter in a gravel pit on Bartley Road.
The city of West Kelowna is considering building a new shelter for the homeless in a gravel pit.
In a motion that the city’s advisory planning commission will consider next Wednesday, city officials are proposing a shelter on the city’s industrial estate at 2515 Bartley Road, near the intersection of Bartley Road and Stevens / Shannon Lake Road to be built with 40 beds. The site is currently used by the municipal building authority for storage and operation as well as for gravel extraction.
The United Church Animal Shelter on Brown Road, which has been in operation since 2018, will close this summer following its recent sale. Since the property went up for sale last summer, the City of West Kelowna and BC Housing have been looking for a new permanent shelter location.
And while they couldn’t secure a permanent location, they identified the industrial area on Bartley Road as a temporary solution for three years.
“Without other funded housing options for these West Kelowna residents, 38 people will have to seek outdoor shelter,” said Jen Kanters, a specialist in assistance to the city of West Kelowna, in the latest application.
“This means that many people will not see their daily support and care team that is currently operating and visiting on Brown Rd.”
However, the report found some obvious problems with the location, including “potential negative effects” for local residents.
“There are plans to resume gravel mining activities in the immediate vicinity of the planned protection area,” wrote Kanters. “It is not known how these activities will affect the shelter’s guests and staff in terms of noise, dust, and the operation of heavy machinery during active suction.”
If the shelter is built on the gravel pit location, a 2.2 meter wall will be built around the facility to reduce dust and noise, while water mist will be used to solve the dust problem.
She notes that because of their proximity to the services they need, accommodation is best suited to residential environments, but “this has proven to be a challenge due to the lack of available land”.
The proposed modular shelter is operated by the Turning Points Collaborative Society, an organization that also operates animal shelters in Kelowna and Vernon. Turning Points and BC Housing have sent letters to others in the neighborhood about the proposed shelter, and if approved, they will set up a community advisory board to ensure neighbors have a chance to voice their concerns.
“These commitments include 24/7 staffing, perimeter controls and clean-up work several times a day, as well as direct contact with the site manager,” said a letter from BC Housing. “Access control including cameras, restricted FOB access, gates and fences to the site will also be included. Limited landscaping is planned to provide an element of privacy for both guests and the community. “
The city’s advisory planning commission will examine the application next Wednesday. The proposal will be presented to the city council at a later date.
West Kelowna also currently has temporary COVID-19 accommodation for 40 people at the Super 8 Motel on Westgate Road, also operated by Turning Points. But Kanters says the place is always at full capacity. The financing of BC housing for this location is expected to expire in March 2022.
