Photo: District of Peachland

Development site

A 22-unit subdivision planned for a vacant lot on Princeton Avenue area provides the community with family-friendly housing it needs, Peachland councillors said on Tuesday.

Council gave third reading to a rezoning application that will allow the project to be built at 4607 Princeton Ave.

The new zone would allow up to 49 units to be built on the 2.1-acre property, but in response to concerns raised at a public hearing last month, developers Geoff Hoffman and Robinson Puche agreed to a 26-unit cap.

Under Peachland regulations, at least 10 per cent of the units will be required to have secondary suites – or flex units as Peachland likes to call them.

Hoffman and Puche also agreed to a maximum building height of 13 metres, even though 16.8 metres would be allowed under the new zoning.

The smaller units are “going to open up opportunities for younger families to come in,” said Coun. Alena Glasman.

“I really like to see a diversity of housing in Peachland,” said Coun. Keith Thom. “I know it’s difficult in single-family neighbourhoods to accept different styles of housing, but it’s got to start somewhere because otherwise we’ll have no young people in this town living in attainable housing.”

The developers have agreed to make various off-site infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to Princeton Avenue and its multi-use pathway.

Fourth and final reading is usually automatic as long as the developers have kept all their promises.