The proponent behind a controversial mega subdivision in B.C.’s wine country is trying to rally public support ahead of the proposal going before Penticton’s mayor and council on Feb. 16.
Surrey-based real estate developer Canadian Horizons said it’s revised its project in response to community concerns raised by residents, farmers, business owners, and Indigenous leaders in the area.
Vice-president Nathan Hildebrand told Global News it’s reduced the project from 355 to 307 single-family homes. All multi-family units have been removed.
The developer has launched a new website detailing its development proposal, which it’s calling Vinterra.
“Vinterra residential neighbourhood is a 51-hectare, non-ALR (agricultural land reserve) site nestled on the east bench of Penticton, providing a foreground view of rolling orchards, vineyards, and the magnificent backdrop and view of Okanagan Lake,” the website boasts.
“Canadian Horizons developed a plan for a complete community that is nestled in the benchlands in sunny Penticton in the heart of wine country and overlooking Okanagan Lake,” the proponent adds.
Opponents argue it is an inappropriate location for an urban subdivision given the Naramata Bench is a world-renowned agri-tourism region.
Critics are also concerned about increased traffic congestion, stormwater runoff, impact on the environment and wildlife, proximity to the landfill, and First Nation concerns.
In September, a convoy of tractors made its way through Penticton to city hall as farmers protested the proposed development.
An ad-hoc community group called the Society for the Preservation of the Naramata Bench has since been formed to fight the proposal.
“We want to ensure that decisions that will impact the future of Penticton and the Naramata Bench are made with eyes wide open to what is at stake. If this proposal is accepted, it may open the door for further development towards the Three Blind Mice recreational area,” the society’s David Kozier said in a December media statement.
The Penticton Indian Band (PIB) has come out against the project and Maclean’s magazine wrote that it’s the second-most significant First Nations rights dispute to watch in 2021.
Hildebrand said the company has increased the amount of open space and habitat protection to approximately 45 per cent of the overall property.
“That works out to approximately 56.7 acres of the 126-acre property will be permanently protected in either buffer areas, habitat corridors, parkland, or environmentally sensitive lands,” he said in an email.
Hildebrand added the project is an example of “cluster” development to ensure maximum protection of land.
In response to traffic concerns, the developer said a study determined the traffic generated from the proposed development can be accommodated by Naramata Road.
Two intersection upgrades are proposed to mitigate any congestion which may occur at peak hours; McMillan Avenue and Naramata Road and an off-site improvement at Government Street and Eckhardt Avenue.
A new intersection and access road are proposed at 880 Naramata Rd. which will provide access to the proposed Vinterra neighbourhood, the proponent said.
Hildebrand said the requirement for setbacks to existing landfills is 300 metres, but the developer plans to take is a step further and will expand the buffer to 400 metres from the landfill.
“The proposed residential lots between 400 and 500m is approximately 27 lots. We have agreed to delay the creation of these lots until the last phase of development,” he said.
“Further, we have drafted an Easement that will be registered on title ensuring that all future homeowners acknowledge the adjacent operation thus protecting the future operation of the landfill.”
In response to First Nations opposition, he said the company undertook an archaeology impact assessment, which concluded that “no further assessment or work is required.”
Canadian Horizons touted the economic benefits of the proposal: $100 million investment in the City of Penticton, $64 million in fees paid to the city and more than 1,000 construction jobs.
The developer added that the proposal includes several acres of new parks, over 6.5 km of new trails, wildfire protection, and new housing supply for the next five-10 years.
All the required servicing upgrades will be 100 per cent paid by Canadian Horizons, it said.
The site is currently zoned for country residential and mobile home park, so the developer must submit a rezoning application to the city for permission to build higher density.
The proposal will go before Penticton mayor and council for the first reading of the rezoning bylaw on Feb. 16. A public hearing is expected to follow.
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