Housing project for disabled gets break

Kelowna city council has waived a requirement that builders of a downtown housing project contribute nearly $1 million to the municipal parking reserve.

Members of council agreed this week the charge would be excessive for a 68-suite project at 555 Fuller Ave. being undertaken by the Pathways Abilities Society.

Given the size of the six-storey building, a total of 88 parking stalls would normally be required. The society asked for, and was granted, a variance so only 44 stalls will be included.

Such a sizeable reduction would normally trigger a requirement the builder put $990,000 into the city’s parking reserve.

But council agreed with planning staff’s support to waive the contribution given the non-profit nature of the project, which is designed to house people with developmental disabilities.

“It’s not the first time a variance of this type has been granted,” community planning manager Ryan Smith said Wednesday.

“Parking regulations are set at a general level, and it’s hard to write a policy that captures every type of project that comes along,” Smith said.

Many of the residents who will eventually move into the Pathways building are unlikely to require a parking stall, and the building is close to a variety of downtown shops and services.

Funding for the project comes from BC Housing. Pathways directors said the group didn’t have the money to make the nearly $1-million contribution to the parking reserve.

Council’s approval of the variance clears the way for construction of the building to begin.

Pathways has been providing vocational training and personal skills development to people with cognitive challenges for more than 60 years in Kelowna. It was previously known as the Society for Community Living and, before that, as Sunnyvale.