No more than 4 storeys allowed

Dear editor: Consider “quality of life” first: The developer’s view of city planning is to estimate the number of people who will want to move into a community and then build to accommodate that demand. I have the opposite view.

We have a special quality of life that deserves to be protected. We should look at how much development can be allowed and still protect our positive way of life. If the planners miscalculate or ignore the value placed on quality of life, the negative impact of overdevelopment cannot be reversed.

These include clogged traffic arteries, pollution, increased taxes to pay for major work upgrades like new water and sewer treatment facilities, and heavy demand on services (try finding a family doctor in Penticton).

If anyone argues that traffic will not be a problem because people will walk and take the bus, ask them how often they take the bus. This is not Vancouver – 70 per cent of the people coming to Penticton will be retirees and they will use their cars. A cautionary tale – Kelowna.

Medium density housing is now a 6 1/2storey apartment building. That is a tower and should be considered high density. This is the type of building that will be prominent in the next Official Community Plan and, if allowed, will dot the landscape in the future.

If you want to see what the typical 6 1/2storey tower looks like check out the Valley View project next to Parkway Elementary on Kinney

I maintain we should have a policy of allowing only four storeys for the next 10 years and see what impact that density will have on the community. A four-storey building fits the landscape of Penticton better and can be hidden behind trees.

Kathy Corbett

Penticton