Energyfriendly housing proposed

50-home development in Lake Country would produce as much energy as it used

A proposed waterfront development in Lake Country is hailed as being 14 years ahead of its time.

The 50-home redevelopment of the former Owl’s Nest Campground on Kalamalka Lake would have a “netzero” profile in terms of its energy use, town staff say.

Partly because of that, staff recommend council approve the project even though it is outside Lake Country’s identified growth area, in the 4100 block of Evans Road in Oyama.

“Net-zero requirements are not expected to be required by the province until 2032. Therefore, this project is over a decade ahead of proposed building changes for energy efficiency,” reads part of report from municipal planning staffer Paul Dupuis to town council.

As well, the developer proposes to remove five existing docks from the 2.4-hectare property, take out a gas tank and restore the foreshore to a more natural state.

“(This) will be a net environmental benefit to the area,” Dupuis writes.

In a net-zero housing project, few of which have yet been built, residences produce as much energy as they consume, generating little or no greenhouse gases over the course of a year.

Typically, the homes may have solar panels, geothermal heating, increased insulation, high-efficiency appliances, triple-glazed windows and other energy-reducing features.

The family-owned Owl’s Nest Campground had been in business for more than 40 years. But a steep rise in waterfront property taxes reduced the viability of the 70-site campground, its owners say. It did not open this year.

“Reuse of the property to a form that can better suit today’s reality is needed,” reads part of a package submitted to the municipality by New Town Planning, a Kelowna-based firm, on behalf of the property owner.

“People want to minimize their impact on the environment to ensure the world they grew up with — the open space, wildlife and clean water — can still be enjoyed by their children and grandchildren,” reads part of the package.

“The goal for the redevelopment of the Owl’s Nest is to create an industry-leading net-zero energy residential community designed around best practices for green development and independence of creating a burden on off-site resources,” it reads.

On July 30, Lake Country’s agricultural advisory commission endorsed the redevelopment proposal, with members noting the site is rocky and unsuitable for agriculture.

It’s expected Lake Country town council will consider the necessary rezoning application, changing the former campground’s designation from a mix of agriculture and tourist commercial to urban residential at a meeting on Aug. 21.

If the site were to remain under the tourist commercial classification, it could be redeveloped with as many as 148 housing units.