On Monday, Kelowna City Council voted in favour of three rezoning applications.
The proposed housing projects could introduce more than 500 units and/or homes to Kelowna.
The first approved application included the rezoning of 1055 Frost Rd. to make way for the next part of The Ponds development.
This proposal will also be forwarded to the May 31 public hearing.
Highstreet Ventures Inc. is proposing four apartment buildings near Canyon Falls Middle School that would act as a “village centre” for The Ponds.
The buildings would consist of a mix of two and three-bedrooms with a total of 298-units.
Councillor Luke Stack said that when this proposal moved to the development permit stage, he would like to see some new and unique designs for the neighbourhood.
“I’d like to see rentals that are aesthetically pleasing and not all the same,” said Stack.
Councillor Loyal Wooldridge wondered if council would be reviewing the transit services for the area, given the increase in population.
City staff confirmed that they would be reviewing the service in this area and would continue to do so regularly.
Councillor Charlie Hodge said he hoped the developer would add some green space to the area after city staff said many of the trees were lost in a wildfire.
A second rezoning application that was approved by city council was for a property on Benvoulin Court, near Orchard Park Mall.
The proposed development would include 187 residential units in two five-storey buildings at 2165 Benvoulin Court. The applicant is proposing a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units.
Although the applicant is not pursuing a residential rental tenure only, the intention would be for the property to be operated as a “rental community.”
The property is currently under the agricultural zone and the applicant was looking to rezone to medium density housing, which staff said is consistent with the Official Community Plan’s (OCP) future land use designation.
The third and final application that was approved by council was for the rezoning of three properties on Lawson Avenue to allow for a 22-unit project.
The applicant proposed the rezoning of 959, 961 and 971 Lawson Ave. from the infill housing zone to the low density multiple housing zone.
Design plans indicate that the building would be split into one and two-bedroom units with parking off the laneway.
Two existing dwellings on the lot will have to be removed.
The application did not indicate if this would be a rental or market development. However, city staff say that the proposal meets the future land use designations under the OCP.
City staff say the next steps for this application will include city staff bringing forth the development permit and development variance permits.
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