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Kelowna council considers shorter buildings for parts of downtown

“I am concerned about the number of high-rises”
29752713_web1_220712-KCN-downtown-building-heights-mapping-_1
Looking north up Ellis Street from Bernard Avenue. (Google Maps)

Proposed amendments to Kelowna’s 2040 Official Community Plan (OCP) could mean shorter buildings in parts of the downtown.

Staff told council at Monday’s meeting (Jul. 11) that public feedback in October last year on the draft OCP raised concerns about proposed building heights in the downtown generally, with minimal feedback related to specific streets, including Ellis Street. As part of revisions to the draft, building heights along the east side of Ellis between Bernard and Clement were lowered to 20 storeys. The draft proposed 13 storeys and above, while the repealed 2030 OCP proposed building heights of 26 storeys.

Over the past few months, the city has received several development applications for taller buildings downtown. Staff told council that given the shifting height profile of those projects, the 20-storey height along Ellis Street would result in a more sudden height transition than anticipated when the 2040 OCP was being developed. It was adopted by council in January.

Staff also noted the changing landscape for tower construction in the city may require refinement of height policies.

“The Official Community Plan is a living document that provides direction on how Kelowna will evolve to 2040. While policies and decisions should be consistent with the Pillars, Growth Strategy, objectives and policies of the Plan, the Official Community Plan should be recognized as a flexible and adaptable document. Amendments to the plan from time to time are expected during its 20 year life to ensure that it adapts to a changing context.”

Coun. Mohini Singh said she would like to see where all the high-rises in the city are going.

“So we have a visual idea as to how many we’ve approved. Because I am concerned about the number of high-rises that are on books, in-stream, already built, just so we don’t over approve.”

Council has directed staff to bring forward proposed amendments to the downtown building height policy and mapping in the OCP.

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@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Recently joined Kelowna Capital News and WestK News as a multimedia journalist in January 2022. With almost 30 years of experience in news reporting and radio broadcasting...
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