Twice as much land offered for lakeview housing project
City of West Kelowna staff recommend against proposal that would see 2.4 hectares of farmland taken out of reserve
A landowner’s offer to sweeten the deal in a plan to build near-waterfront houses on agricultural property should still be rejected, West Kelowna city staff say.
Twice as much land is now being offered in Glenrosa in exchange for the right to develop a 2.4-hectare site at the corner of Gellatly Road and Boucherie Road.
“The revised amount of land proposed to be included in the Agricultural Land Reserve is double the amount previously offered,” reads part of a new letter from the would-be developer’s agent.
However, staff still recommend council oppose the landowner’s request to get the Boucherie-Gellatly property excluded from the land freeze.
The 2.9 hectares of Glenrosa property that’s being offered for farming designation in exchange is of uncertain agricultural capacity, staff say. Much of the offered land has a slope of more than 40 per cent, and the property is currently foreseen as being best suitable for a public park, staff say.
Tuesday’s meeting will be the third time council has considered whether to oppose or support the development of the Boucherie-Gellatly corner. Two previous votes have ended in ties.
Coun. Rosalind Neis, who voted against the proposed development in November, suggested at that meeting the property owner should increase the land being offered in exchange. The applicant should consider “sweetening the pot,” Neis said, suggesting she might change her vote should they do so.
The property, with a sweeping view of Okanagan Lake, has never been actively farmed, according to the owners, who’ve had it for more than 60 years.
Members of West Kelowna’s planning staff acknowledge the site has its challenges, but they still say it could be converted into productive farmland.
“The land is primarily arable and potentially productive farmland,” staff say in their report to council. “The lack of any historical agricultural use on the property should not be a consideration.”
Permitting residential development on farmland runs counter to West Kelowna’s efforts to preserve and protect properties within the Agricultural Land Reserve, city staff say.