Proposed Summerland senior housing development gets pushback

Summerland mayor, council and the developer are hearing many concerns from residents about a proposed 380-unit seniors housing development.

The land where the development would go is not Agricultural Land Reserve land, but it is zoned for agriculture.

The idea of constructing the development on that land isn’t sitting well with those like longtime Summerland resident Jill Patton.

“This isn’t suitable for Summerland,” Patton said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This isn't suitable for Summerland," Patton said.

Patton has many concerns, including the stability of nearby slopes.

“This is all clay banks. Everything is already shifting,” Patton said.

The developer, Surrey-based Lark Group, said the complex would include various types of housing, from assisted to independent living care to complex and dementia care.

Another resident, Diana Smith, is worried about how seniors living there would access the community.

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“In the winter these people will be isolated, there’s nowhere to go, unless they can drive to the community or take a bus,” Smith said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In the winter these people will be isolated, there's nowhere to go, unless they can drive to the community or take a bus," Smith said.

Senior Vice-President of the Lark Group, Kirk Fisher, told Global News a bus program would help seniors living there access other parts of the community, adding much of what they need will be right on site.

Fisher said the plan includes many other amenities such a restaurant, a drug store, a wood shop, a garden, a spa and a performing arts venue.

It’s basically a mini village in a bowl-shaped site.

Council voted 5-2 in favour during the first reading of the project at a packed meeting Monday night.

Mayor Peter Waterman said the $150-million project would bring as many as 100 decent-paying jobs.

He voted in favour of it.

“You have to look at the whole picture. Summerland is just like any other community where we are having a difficult time upgrading infrastructure and so on,” Waterman said.

“This particular situation would actually bring in roughly $600,000 worth of various kinds of taxes to the community every year. That’s getting to be like a three or four per cent tax increase.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This particular situation would actually bring in roughly $600,000 worth of various kinds of taxes to the community every year. That's getting to be like a three or four per cent tax increase."

Waterman said ultimately, the community will decide.

Public consultation is planned for January before council makes a second reading of the plan.