Opposed to development

I wish to express significant concerns with the proposed redevelopment in front of Kelowna city council for 350 Doyle Avenue.

The first concern is with the proposed height of the building, which would be more than twice the allowed height under the existing zoning bylaw for that area of the city. Such a significant difference is no longer a variance to the zoning limit but a total redefinition of the zoning for that area. It would create a dangerous precedent for all future variance requests throughout the city. For that reason alone, the application must be denied.

A second concern is whether the proposed development actually meets the longer-term development objectives for the city’s Cultural District.

City-owned prime development land is scarce in that area and, as the city grows, so will the need for more and larger public space and buildings to house cultural activities. The proposed development primarily favours private-sector real estate and does not provide significant public indoor space for large cultural events.

(The site) is an ideal location for such venues and it would be premature to lose that site to yet another high rise.

A third concern is whether Kelowna actually needs 25 stories of high-density housing in that specific location. There are many large-scale, multi-family housing developments being built throughout the city, which will become available before this one and at a time when economic uncertainty may curtail the demand.

At this point, I urge council to take a step back and carry out a comprehensive, open and transparent review of the objective and the needs of the Cultural District, in light of the many economic, demographic and societal changes that have taken place around us in the past months and years.

Jean-Claude Gavrel, Kelowna