Mayor: West Kelowna is booming
Citing increased housing starts and a larger population, West Kelowna mayor Doug Findlater says the city is in a boom phase. His remarks came at a state of the city address last week. For more information,
West Kelowna is booming, said Mayor Doug Findlater in his West Kelowna Strategic Priorities State of the City address at a Greater Westside Board of Trade luncheon at the Cove Lakeside Resort Thursday afternoon.
The city’s development services handled a record-breaking number of building permits for single family homes in 2016, and Findlater said all signs are pointing to an even better year in 2017. West Kelowna Single Family Housing Starts increased 112 per cent from 2015 to 2016.
Despite the increase in demand, the average processing time for a West Kelowna single family home building permit dramatically improved decreasing 75 per cent from an average eight weeks in spring 2016 to an average two weeks now.
According to a Statistics Canada Census, West Kelowna’s population increased almost six per cent from 2011 to 2016, the labour force increased 1.9 per cent. While there was an increase in the population from birth to 14 year-olds as well as 55 years and older, there was an over-all decrease in the number of people from birth to 54 year olds.
“As we design and build our community we have to give some attention to making a community that’s a good place for folks who are little younger than those us who are getting on, “said Findlater.
Another bright spot, Findlater said, was the six per cent increase in the number of West Kelowna from 2015 to 2016 with over 2000 West Kelowna business licences in 2016.
West Kelowna has set strategic priorities for the coming year in Àve categories: infrastructure, economic and Ànancial environment; sustainability; governance and protective services.
Highlights from the infrastructure priorities include the construction of the new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.
With Okanagan Lake at unprecedented high levels, it seems ironic that council will be establishing a drought plan in case the reservoirs become depleted following three or four years without adequate precipitation.
Not to be confused with a conservation plan, Findlater said the drought plan would deal with the decisions the city would have to make in a slowmoving state of emergency as water becomes tighter and tighter.
“Some industries or businesses or residents may not get water if things ever get really tight,” said Findlater.
Creating a pedestrian friendly community is a priority with plans to upgrade around Glenrosa Elementary School.
Following a failed referendum, the city hall issue hasn’t gone away.
“In terms of housing our staff, it’s become more critical than ever,” said Findlater. “We’re truly out of space in the facility we’re in.”
The city is looking at renting space elsewhere or putting in more portables as well as looking at putting in a public works facility on its land behind Bylands and relocating some staff out of city hall as well as from the two satellite ofÀces in the former Lakeview and Westbank Irrigation ofÀces.
A second evacuation route out of Glenrosa for its 6500 residents has become more urgent. In the past, people could take the Jackpine Lake Road up past Crystal Mountain. However, Áooding has made the Jackpine Lake Road up past Crystal Mountain nonviable.
“If there’s a Àre by Gorman’s, people are stuck in the neighbourhood,” he said.