Shops, restaurants now planned for site of Kelowna car dealership
A moratorium on rezoning applications in Kelowna’s Landmark area won’t affect plans to convert an old car dealership into a new commercial centre.
City council on Monday approved a development permit for the transformation of a former Volkswagen dealership at 1717 Harvey Ave. into a building with six commercial units.
“A mix of retail and restaurant uses will be provided,” city staff wrote in a report to council. “These modest changes will increase the pedestrian experience in the area, including access to the Highway 97 pedestrian overpass.”
Coun. Ryan Donn wondered if the project didn’t run counter to the city’s development moratorium around the Landmark centre.
No new rezoning applications are being accepted until council decides the fate of a somewhat controversial long-range redevelopment plan for the area.
However, Terry Barton, a city planner, told council the reconfiguration of the old car dealership did not involve a rezoning, but only a building form and character permit.
Council heard the CapriLandmark master plan, put on hold before last fall’s election, will come back for reconsideration within a few weeks.
Contentious elements of that $96million plan include a realignment and extension of Sutherland Road east of Burtch Road to connect with Spall Road rather than Harvey Avenue, and new parks.
The overall goal of the plan, city officials say, is to make CapriLandmark a dynamic new urban centre, with a population of 10,000 people compared to the 2,000 that live in the area today.
But critics say the Sutherland Road realignment is poorly devised and would impact too many properties.
There is also concern about the possible dislocation of many existing industrial businesses to areas farther out, which would increase urban sprawl and put extra demands on the road network.