Signs of support for duplex development
Brian Wyatt, centre left, and other sign-carrying supporters of a proposed duplex on Churchill Avenue turned out to a public hearing before Penticton council Monday night. A roughly equal number of opponents also attended. In the end, council voted to approve the rezoning application.
A pair of duplexes might not seem like highdensity housing, but many nearby residents feared the impact they could have on their neighourhood during a lengthy public hearing before Penticton city council.
An overflow crowd jammed into City Hall council chambers Monday night, and into an adjoining room where a live web-stream broadcast of the meeting was shown.
At issue was an application by local developer Bruce Schoenne to rezone a single-family property at 701 Churchill Ave. to allow for two duplexes on the lot. A variance was also required to allow the property to be subdivided into two 9.1-metre-wide lots — narrower than normally permitted under city zoning bylaws.
With the gallery about evenly split between opponents and supporters of the project during a one-hour 40-minute public hearing, council voted to allow the development to proceed.
Schoenne said he purchased the property for $388,000 and intends to sell each duplex unit for about $400,000 — much less than the estimated price if only one duplex was developed on the site.
“We’re able to maintain the original price point that it took to get into this neighbourhood,” he said. “So this property now permits three other families to get into this neighbourhood at the same price as what we got in for.”
Secondary suites and vacation rentals will not be allowed, he added.
However, several nearby residents claimed the duplexes would have a negative impact on their neighbourhood, already facing heavy traffic and a lack of parking, especially in summer.
Blair Bosscher said the rezoning could set a precedent for up to seven more duplex developments along Churchill.
“I was born and raised on (nearby) Alexander Avenue, and I appreciate the uniqueness and charisma of this downtown core community,” he said. “It cannot fall victim to senseless density increases.”
Council voted 5-1 to approve the rezoning, with Coun. Katie Robinson the only one opposed.
Robinson said although she doesn’t question the quality of the proposed development, it’s obvious most neighbours don’t want it.
“We’re not talking about a small variance on a side yard here,” she said. “We’re talking about a massive change to a neighbourhood and the character of the neighbourhood.”
Mayor Garry Litke countered that several highrise developments were proposed for the Churchill-Lakeshore Drive area when the Official Community Plan (OCP) was reviewed a few years ago.
“At that time, we resisted that kind of development for our waterfront because we wanted to preserve our waterfront for the people of Penticton,” Litke said. “So the intent of the OCP is to maintain the residential quality of that neighbourhood, and I believe the intent of this particular application is true to the intent of that OCP.”