Armstrong, B.C., rezones parkland for potential affordable housing project

The rezoning of parkland in Armstrong, B.C. to make way for a possible affordable housing project is creating controversy.

Critics are concerned about the loss of green space and the lack of information about the type of project that could go ahead on the rezoned property.

However, the city’s mayor said cheaper housing options are badly needed in the North Okanagan city and there is no other suitable location.

On Monday night, Armstrong city council approved the rezoning of a 0.835-ha forested parcel of parkland south of NorVal Arena for up to 80 units of affordable housing.

That was not what some residents who value the natural space wanted to see.

Speaking Monday morning before the council decision was made, resident Debra Holley said she was concerned about the loss of the well-used park space and wildfire corridor.

“Nobody on this street or in this general area is against affordable housing. We need it. It’s the place. It’s the taking of the parkland that we can never get back,” Holley said.

However, Armstrong’s mayor said the wooded natural area is a good site for an affordable housing project for Armstrong residents.

“The city does not own any other suitable property, within our boundary, for affordable housing,” Mayor Chris Pieper said.

“This particular part of property…has not been used to the (same) extent as Memorial Park (and) it is completely wooded. Do we provide housing for people that are in desperate need or do we provide housing for deer?”

However, the rezoning decision did proceed without a plan for exactly what an affordable housing project might look like.

Speaking ahead of the council decision, resident David McLean said he would have liked to see more information about the final project and the costs before the rezoning went ahead.

“My main concern is that the city is moving too fast in this development,” McLean said.

The mayor is defending the process of going ahead with the rezoning without publishing a plan for the site development.

Councillor Jim Wright voted against the rezoning on Monday night.

He believes the parkland near the arena is the wrong place for the affordable housing project and the city is overlooking other smaller parcels of land that could be better for housing.

Wright would like to see the city issue a request for proposals to possibly identify an alternate site.

The mayor is defending the city’s process and the decision to go ahead with the rezoning without a final plan in-place.

“Rezoning is always the first stage of any project. We’ve looked at this property for many years as council,” Pieper said.

“The need for affordable housing everywhere is desperate. A lot of the emails I’ve got are from people that are in desperate need….We have to remember that we all moved here to enjoy a fantastic community and we can’t close the gate behind us.”

The city said details of any development on the rezoned land would still need to be approved by council through a development permit process.

The mayor acknowledged the city has supported Anhart Community Housing’s application to a federal grant program for an affordable housing project on the rezoned site.

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However, Pieper said the city still has leeway to decide whether or not to move ahead with the project with that organization as a developer even if the grant is approved.

That grant program, the Rapid House Initiative, was announced in October and has a tight timeline.

Applications needed to be made by the end of 2020.

A decision on whether Anhart will get the grant is expected by the end of March and a condition of the grant is that the housing is available within a year.