Photo: Colin Dacre

Lark Group addressing council Monday night

Summerland council directed staff to get the ball rolling and figure out a date for a long-awaited public hearing on controversial Banks Crescent development, but only after they are satisfied they have all the information needed to make a decision.

The resolution came Monday evening, following a request from the Lark Group, who visited council chambers in front of a standing-room only crowd to request a public hearing on their 404-unit seniors housing project.

“We are ready, whenever you are ready, we are ready for a public hearing,” Lark Group senior vice president Kirk Fisher told council, noting the 10 day request put forward to council in the agenda was “just a minimum” and a starting point to move forward.

Fisher also spoke about an outreach campaign and survey carried out by themselves, which purported to show “double digit support” for the plan, with “single digit” opposition.

“We got a wonderful feel from the community for support of the project, of people who are really happy and excited,” he said, drawing a cacophony of sarcastic coughs and groans from the gallery.

Director of development services Dean Strachan reiterated the staff recommendation that council hold off on setting an actual date for the hearing, stating additional study is still needed on sewer and road infrastructure and the proposed deep-water intake contingency water source for the local hatchery.

He added that once a public hearing is closed, council would not be able to accept further information on the development.

A Lark Group traffic study also hit councillors desk’s as a part of the package, which concluded the proposed development would actually generate less traffic than if the same property was developed into low-rise condos.

Coun. Doug Holmes called the report “frankly, quite unbelievable,” calling into question the methods used in the study. The city’s engineering department is already in the process of reviewing the data.

Coun. Erin Carlson urged council to attach a deadline to setting a public hearing date, “people would like to know, is how many more weeks or months until there is a time that is actually set.”

Mayor Peter Waterman offered a ballpark estimate of some time in September, but cautioned against setting a firm date, “what we are doing here is providing the intent to move to a public hearing.”

The project passed second reading on Jan. 23. 

Staff were eventually directed to present a series of options for a public hearing date once they have determined how long it will take to complete the review process.

Councillors Holmes and Boot voted against the motion, with Holmes calling it presumptuous, stating council could decide to kill the project without moving to a public hearing once all information is received.

Photo: Lark Group

Render of completed project