Plan for new Sikh temple proceed to hearing after council overrides staff objection

Photo: Contributed

Site of a proposed new Kelowna Sikh temple, or gurdwara, on Benvoulin Road.

Despite a recommendation from city planning staff not to allow an application to change the zoning of land on Benvoulin Road to create a site for a new Kelowna Sikh temple, or gurdwara, city council has decided to send the issue to a public hearing.

Before a gallery in council chambers filled with supporters of the project Monday, council voted 8-1 to proceed with the rezoning application, which would change the land designation to public assembly from agricultural.

“We are very happy and plan to move forward,” said Parmjeet Singh, a member of the society that operates the existing Kelowna gurdwara on Davie Road in the Rutland area following the council decision.

He said he feels confident supporters can make the case for the rezoning to the council during the upcoming public hearing.

If successful, he said the aim is to have the two-storey, 2,335-square-metre gurdwara built and open by 2026.

In discussing the motion to proceed to a public hearing, council members noted the importance of gurdwara to the local Sikh community.

Coun. Mohini Singh said the gurdwara will meet the spiritual needs of its growing congregation. But, she added, there are also many homes near the site and the concerns of their residents must also be heard.

“That’s why I am happy to see this go to a public hearing,” she said.

“It’s critical the people of the neighbourhood and the people of the faith community be heard.”

Prior to Monday’s meeting, several attempts were made to notify and communicate with area residents, including open houses, doors to door visits letters left at residences where someone was not home and invitations to the existing gurdwara to see how it operates.

The site was described as “ideal” for the new, larger gurdwara.

Coun. Charlie Hodge said he voted in favour of sending the issue to a public hearing but added the proponents will have to work hard to convince him that the site is the right place for the gurdwara.

The only councillor who voted against overriding the staff recommendation was Luke Stack, who said he did so not because he was opposed to the new gurdwara but because the location is outside the city’s urban growth boundary and is proposed for land that is currently zoned agricultural (but not in the Agricultural Land Reserve). The city he said has repeatedly tried to protect agricultural land outside its urban growth boundary.

Stack said the last three city councils have worked hard to protect the Benvoulin Road corridor for agriculture and the city should “hold the line” on its growth boundary.

“I wish I could bend on this, but I can’t,” he said.

City staff recommended not proceeding with the application because it went against several Official Community Plan policies that previous councils had put in place.

The project would not only see the construction of the new gurdwara but also use a large portion of the site for agriculture. Fruit and vegetables would be grown and donated to community organizations.

The staff report said access to the 2.5-acre site would be from the rear of the property on Boyd Road. But at Monday’s council meeting, staff said it would support a “right-in, right-out” entrance and egress off of Benvoulin Road if the rezoning is approved following the public hearing.

Originally traffic on Benvoulin Road was noted as a concern, but the spokesperson for the application said the heaviest traffic using the site would be on Sundays, for religious services. Sunday is the day traffic is lightest on Benvoulin Road council was told.

In addition to being a place of worship, the new building would also contain classrooms, office space and washrooms. There will also be parking on site.

A 151-name petition opposing the rezoning was submitted to the city on Friday which will become part of the record at the upcoming public hearing.

No date has yet been set for the public hearing.