Aqua development in Kelowna celebrated for vision, panned for addition to traffic problems on Lakeshore Rd.

The Mission Group rolled out its final design of the Aqua project on Lakeshore Road during an open house for neighbours Thursday night.

While some believe the three-tower development at Lakeshore Road and Truswell Road will create a vibrant atmosphere to an already bustling neighbourhood, others are concerned traffic and parking issues have not been thought out.

The towers have been scaled back from 13, 16 and 19 storeys to 12, 14 and 16 storeys following concern over the height that forced council to defer approval in May 2017.

“We’ve made numerous design improvements both on the residential towers as well as around the public sidewalk areas and we’ve added some pretty significant community benefits as well,” Luke Turri, VP of development for Mission Group, said.

Turri said they looked to redesign to strike a balance between height and density.

Residents from around the proposed development site expressed excitement over the project, but they also expressed concern over parking and traffic issues that will increase if Aqua is built.

Mission Group will present their revised plan for Aqua at the Jan. 23 Kelowna city council meeting, seeking a development permit and development variance permits.