Strata project given approval
A downtown development that promises to cater to residents who don’t own vehicles received overwhelming support from Penticton city council.
A series of development permits and variances were approved Tuesday for 135 Front St. Local developer Bruce Schoenne proposed a five-storey strata, multi-family project consisting of 14 residential units and one commercial unit at street level.
The only stumbling block was a lack of parking, which Schoenne acknowledged.
The property can accommodate only two parking stalls, but six other spots are available next door at 143 Front St., a lot also owned by Schoenne. The building will have 15 indoor stalls for bicycles, and more intriguing is the promise of a “car share” program.
“We’ve come up with the opportunity to bring car share into Penticton,” Schoenne told council. “This is not my car, this isn’t exclusive to the development, it’s available for the entire community to use. We’ve identified the location, and Car Share is willing to take a chance on Penticton and we will pay for the first two years.”
Schoenne offered to pay $30,000 to bring the Kelowna-based OGO Car Share Co-op to Penticton for two years, the identical fee he’d be required to pay the city for five parking stalls. The co-op is a non-profit organization.
He said the building is also close to public transportation.
“We can just as easily write a cheque to the city, but let’s take that money and let’s try something with it. The program beyond the two years depends on the acceptance of the community for this vehicle. If it’s used, the vehicle will stay and the experiment worked. We can be front-runners.”
The development received endorsements from the Downtown Penticton Association, the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce and the city’s transportation advisory committee.
Councillors also liked what they heard.
“The developer is taking the risk to try something different,” Coun. Andre Martin said. “We need our empty downtown lots filled up and this is a start.”
“He (Schoenne) has a vision for creating a walkable community in close proximity to amenities,” Coun. Max Picton said. “This is not necessarily affordable housing, but it is affordable living where you don’t need to own a vehicle.”
During a public hearing, two local residents spoke in opposition. Dr. Carl Peters, owner of Front Street Laser and Skincare, addressed concerns about where his clients will park, and nearby resident Frank Regehr noted Penticton recently lost 250 parking spaces in the downtown core.
Council voted unanimously in approving a series of zoning amendments.