UPDATE: Kelowna city council votes unanimously in favour of the controversial project. It was standing room only at Council Chambers for Tuesday evening’s public hearing which went on until the wee hours of the morning.
There was a large crowd at Kelowna City Hall Tuesday night as council considered a zoning change and an amendment to the Official Community Plan to allow a development near the hospital.
Dr. Heather Martin wants to build a 3.5 story building on the corner of Abbott Street and Strathcona Avenue encompassing medical offices, residential suites and a restaurant.
A group called Citizens for a Better Kelowna opposes the project, saying it’s too big and boxy and doesn’t fit in with the character of the neighbourhood which is a heritage conservation area.
But a CBK spokesperson says their main concern is decreased safety stemming from increased traffic.
“This area is so congested already. There are five intersections within 200 meters. Why are we looking at putting a commercial development in a residential neighbourhood on the corner of a hospital? It makes no sense,” says Jacquie Jones.
But Martin doesn’t believe her development will generate much additional traffic and says it does fit in with the neighbourhood’s character.
“We have done quite a few modifications as far as being sure the scale does fit in with the neighbourhood. We’ve brought it back from Abbott Street so there’s quite a lot of setback and lots of green space,” says Martin.
At the public hearing, Kelowna council will considered zoning and Official Community Plan changes necessary for the project to proceed.
City planners support those changes.
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