City Council decision on the project

[CRCP]

Member comments follow:

[John Zeger]

They met, they discussed, they approved. But then that's the way things usually go with this council regarding most development proposals, isn't it? Despite the fact that a majority of speakers living in the neighbourhood and directly affected by the project and the application for a variance that would increase the height of the building from 16 to 26 storeys were opposed to it going ahead with that additional height, council voted to approve it anyway. Speaking against the height variance were Kevin Ade from Friends of Brandts Creek and representatives from the North End Residents Association, the Rotary Club, the Dolphins strata council, and the Lagoons strata council.

The most cutting statement came from the representative of the Lagoons strata council who lambasted city council for its disregard of city plans and for the ease and frequency with which they grant variances. Calling these public hearings and subsequent council decisions a "charade", the representative said that the pattern is that once a developer gets his foot in the door then an approval typically follows.

In making their ruling several members of city council made noteworthy remarks. Councillors Barrie Clark and Colin Day moved and seconded that the development application and the height variance be approved. With his typical arrogance Clark defended council's playing fast and loose with city plans saying that the OCP shouldn't be "embedded in stone." Robert ("density, density, density") Hobson commented that if the single highrise tower wasn't 26 storeys then the other buildings on the site would have to be higher as the OCP and Zoning Bylaw specifies the allowable density. Hobson, for all of his intelligence, keeps misinterpreting the Zoning Bylaw which only allows densities to a maximum amount and does not say that all developments approved under a certain zoning have to have a particular density. But in his mind if a certain density is allowed in the Zoning Bylaw then it should always be maxed out as anything less would be an inefficient use of land. Talk about rigid thinking! Mayor Sharon Shepherd also seemed uncomfortable with the continued criticism that city council finds itself under for failing to follow the city's plans and asked the planning department to come up with some way that city council could go on violating them by granting height variances without making it appear that the plans weren't being followed.

In the end council voted unanimously to approve the development proposal and the height variance. When it's constructed, the new highrise in the North End will appear as a 26 storey finger given to the residents of the city by Kelowna city council.

[Rick Shea]

This of course will lead to even more highrises being built in the surrounding area, as typically happens. Just as developers love profits, misery really does love company.