Mixed-use Lower Mission project too big for council
Editor’s Note: The Daily Courier presents another story in its How They Voted pre-election series looking at how city councillors voted on key issues during the past four years.
It's unusual for Kelowna city council not to advance a development proposal that's made it through the initial planning process to a public hearing.
Even if they really, really don’t like something, councillors will often see the merit in at least listening to what neighbours say about a project before turning their own thumbs up or down.
Not so on May 7 of this year.
For many years, the Minstrel Cafe in the Lower Mission, at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Collett Road, was a popular gathering place.
This past spring, a major re-development of the site was proposed.
Plans called for nine homes and 10,000 square feet of commercial space, in a fourstorey building.
The current height limit for the location is 2.5 storeys.
Council was divided on the wisdom of the proposal, which the developer called modest in scale.
“It’s a maximum-scaled proposal,” Coun. Luke Stack responded. “It’s triple the density that should be permitted on this site.”
But other councillors noted the site’s current zoning would allow for a gasbar, which they said would probably draw even more traffic and be even less well-received by neighbours.
Mayor Colin Basran said the housing and commercial proposal was a "really great concept".
Council voted 5-4 not to even send the development plan to a public hearing, essentially closing the file for at least six months. Here's how they voted: Against sending it to a public hearing: Luke Stack, Mohini Singh, Brad Sieben, Maxine DeHart and Charlie Hodge.
In favour of a public hearing: Basran, and councillors Tracy Gray Ryan Donn, and Gail Given.