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Post by CRCP on Mar 9, 2008 16:21:46 GMT -5
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Post by John Zeger on Mar 9, 2008 16:23:12 GMT -5
It is undeniable that Kelowna needs more affordable housing especially rental housing, but is the proposal by Ledingham-McAllister to assist in building some rental units in exchange for permission to construct a 30 storey highrise at Springfield Avenue and Benvoulin Road the best or only way to accomplish this?
This is not the first nor will it be the last time that developers have offered to provide amenities such as affordable housing to the City in exchange for allowing taller buildings and higher densities. A similar offer is presently being made by Westcorp in the downtown redevelopment area. But Kelowna residents should be made aware that there is nothing less at stake in such bargaining than our community character which has been established in part through the livable atmosphere created by our human scale buildings.
Erecting a 30 storey building at that site will establish a new standard for building heights in Kelowna, and if this project is approved every developer will subsequently be asking the City for the right to build to that height. While one tall building seems like a small price to pay for getting an amenity like affordable housing, each concession amounts to an incremental weakening of our standards and an erosion of our community character until the day in the not too distant future at which time Kelowna will cease to be the livable city it once was. Although this is not a problem for some such as Councillor Brian Given to whom preserving our community character ranks near the bottom on their list of priorities, it should be a concern for the rest of us.
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