Kelowna city planners support large mixed-use project in Glenmore

Kelowna City Council will be getting its first look at a series of amendments for a large mixed-use development in the Glenmore area.

On Monday, Kelowna planners will be recommending support for an Official Community Plan (OCP) Amendment, Text Amendment and rezoning application for 1490 Cara Glen Way.

The developer is looking to construct the second phase of development in the area.

In order to do that, they will need council’s approval to do the following:

• OCP amendment to change future land use for portions of the property from Core Area Neighbourhood to Natural Areas.

• Amend the zoning bylaw to create the CD29 – Cara Glen Way Comprehensive Development zone

• Rezone the property from the Large Lot Rural Residential zone to the Parks and Open space zone and the new CD zone

If successful, that would see a multi-dwelling residential housing project built with commercial uses and the dedication of 5.64 acres of natural parkland adjoining Knox Mountain Park.

City staff say the CD29 zone will allow for those uses.

A development plan was submitted to the city in April and indicated that there would be three subzones for housing and about 60% of the site would be dedicated to the expansion of parkland.

Sub-area A would see five-storey, mixed-use apartments. There would be ground-level commercial at the corner of Clifton Rd. N and Cara Glen Way.

Sub-area B would see three-storey townhouses and Sub-area C would see five-storey apartments. Both those subzones would be residential only.

City planners recommend support for the project because, according to a report, the project meets the OCP several policy requirements for strategic density.

That includes building on a site larger than one hectare, having a sensitive transition of taller buildings while including ground-oriented units, including a public park component and not exceeding a floor area ratio of about 1.2 for the whole site.

Normally, the policy requires an affordable and/or rental component but the developer is proposing a $188,000 payment to the city’s Housing Opportunities Reserve Fund instead.

Besides that strategic density policy, city planners say the proposal meets the intended growth strategy of the Core Area Neighbourhood future land use designation while protecting natural areas on the site.

Although the project has a 17-minute walk to the nearest transit stop, 25-minute walks to commercial uses off Summit Drive and local schools, staff are recommending support for th project.

If city council gives initial approval to the project, the proposal would be forward to a public hearing for further consideration.

This large project is up for reviewed on Monday at 1:30 pm.