This month’s public hearing will be one of the busiest of the year so far with six items on the agenda.
On Tuesday, May 14, Kelowna City Council will consider giving support for a liquor licence amendment, a development variance permit, “fixes” to a map under theOfficial Community Plan (OCP), amendments to buildings heights in the South Pandosy and Rutland neighbourhoods and OCP amendments to implement new provincial housing legislation.
Below is a breakdown of each item on the agenda.
The owners of the downtown cocktail lounge submitted an application in February to make changes to their Liquor Primary Licence. They are looking to operate seven days a week and to extend their hours of operation.
The applicants want the patio to be open from 1 pm to 11 pm Monday to Saturday and 11 am to 11 pm on Sunday. The indoor lounge would be open from 1 pm to 2 am Monday to Saturday and from 11 am until 2 am on Sunday. Staff recommend support, saying there is no concern about an increase for noise or negative impact to the area.
Kelowna council will be asked to show support for the licence amendment, but the provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch will have the final say.
Kelowna council gave initial rezoning approval to an application for a proposed six-storey, 144-unit building in Rutland in February. This month, they will be asked to adopt a site-specific text amendment to allow for 0% of commercial use along Highway 33 and the rezoning, which will turn the property to rental only.
Council will be asked to issue a development permit (DP) and development variance permit.
The variance to to reduce the front and and western flanking side yard stepbacks from the required three metres down to zero metres. Staff recommend support for the DP because the proposal is in line with the OCP design guidelines, provides a variety of housing tenures and they say the variances are expected to have a minimum impact on the neighbourhood.
This item focuses on more housekeeping fixes for the future land use designation for 29 properties in Kelowna. According to the staff report, many of the “fixes” are adjustments to fix and/or errors identified in the OCP. The report says eight of the properties are park lots missing the correct OCP future land use “park’ category. The other 21 properties include “minor” map boundary adjustments.
Council will give a final review of a variety of housing legislation changes that were introduced provincially in December and to the city earlier this year.
Some of those changes include allowing a minimum of one secondary suite or detached accessory dwelling in all single-family zones, a minimum of three to four units in select zones used exclusively for single-family homes if the lot is intended to be 280 square metres and a minimum of six units on larger lots that are close to transit corridors.
Additionally, the changes would see a minimum of six units on larger lots close to transit corridors. Earlier this year, city staff recommended a height allowance of 10 storeys for all lots within a 200 metre radius, excerpt for the hospital transit exchange. Near the hospital buildings would be limited to six storeys.
City council will be asked to give second and third readings and formally adopt the OCP amendments to implement the legislation for SSMUH and Transit-oriented areas.
City council was introduced to these changes in early March. The changes in the Pandosy neighbourhood could see building heights map limited to 14-storeys in two small areas between Lakeshore Road and Watt Road and Pandosy Street and Abbott Street, which is currently allowed.
However, the new map shows the maximum building height around Okanagan College and the area across KLO Road could go up to 12 storeys.
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As for Rutland, the maximum height of 12 storeys remains in place between Rutland Road North and Dougall Road North, and Shepherd Road to Hwy 33.
Under the proposed changes, that area expands significantly to include areas to the south of Hwy 33 but north of Gray Road.
The increased area to allow for taller buildings is due to the Rutland bus exchange.
Council will be asked to give second and third readings and adopt the amendments.
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