Photo: District of Peachland

A 71-unit development proposed on a rural road in Peachland got the official go-ahead on Tuesday.

Peachland council gave final approval to the project on an 18.1-acre parcel of land on Renfrew Road, near Hardy Falls.

The state of Renfrew Road and the intersection with Highway 97 caused a lot of concern during the approval process, but promises by the developers to upgrade roads, create new accesses and improve other infrastructure convinced councillors the project should go ahead.

A final compromise in June saw the project reduced from 72 units to 71 with the additional land added to a park. Coun. Rick Ingram was disappointed when he learned on Tuesday which park in the development was going to grow as a result of the deal.

Coun. Randey Brophy voted against third reading in June because he felt the project should have been reduced to 60 units, but said on Tuesday he would now support the project.

Brophy and others on council noted the developers did everything council and the municipality had asked.

“The applicant worked very well with our planning department and did give a lot of things that we asked for – pretty much everything,” said Mayor Patrick Van Minsel.

The project is to include 32 townhomes, “six orchard cottage homes, 13 neighbourhood hillside homes, 17 executive hillside homes” and “four executive lakeview homes,” according to an earlier presentation.

Council is lobbying the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to make improving the Renfrew Road-Highway 97 intersection a priority.

Renfrew Road improvements will also be a priority for the municipality, Van Minsel said.

Referring to council’s approval of a large seniors building at its last meeting Van Minsel said “we will now be concentrating more on families.”

Photo: Pat Bulmer

Renfrew Road