Kelowna council gives first reading to rezoning for major apartment complex

A major rental project is one step closer to becoming a reality.

On Monday, Kelowna City Council agreed to give first reading to a rezoning application for six properties on Harvey Avenue and Saucier Avenue.

The developer, Westrich Saucier Developments, is proposing 171 units in a six storey building.

Terry Barton, the city’s development planning department manager, said that this application was submitted to the city in April 2021, however, the developer was advised to wait until Kelowna’s 2040 Official Community Plan was completed.

Barton explained that the developer was advised their project would benefit more from the 2040 OCP and the new MF3r – Apartment Housing Rental Only zone.

The large apartment complex would include a two-storey parkade with 189 stalls with amenity space on top of the podium and vehicle access on Saucier Avenue.

City staff stressed the fact that this was only a rezoning application and city council was not considering the form and character. The renderings were only meant to give council an idea of the types of buildings that are permitted under the new MF3r zone.

Councillor Charlie Hodge asked if the rental only project was the developer’s idea or city staffs.

“My concern is that we seem to be quite regularly, as of recent, approving rental onlys in scenarios like this and not allowing much in the way for the public to buy, to purchase,” stated councillor Hodge.

However, Barton confirmed that the decision to have the rental only subzone was made by the developer. Regardless, councillor Hodge requested a tally of the number of recently approved rentals and market projects.

City staff said they would be preparing a presentation about the statistics for rental housing in the new year.

Councillor Loyal Wooldridge asked if there would be a review of below market rentals and argued that rental only subzones were beneficial to the community. City staff said more data would have to be collected and compiled into some sort of report.

“We know we’re in a deficit, our vacancy is 0.06% across the city. So from my perspective, we have to keep our foot on the pedal here in terms of building more rental tenure only zoning,” stated councillor Wooldridge.

Councillor Luke Stack said he could support the proposal as is, without the rending.

“We’re not talking about the building today. The developer could come back with a completely different vision. We’re talking about zoning,” stated councillor Stack.

He also praised the proposal for including a rental only tenure, being on a transportation corridor, being located in the urban core and being a low rise building.

Next steps for this project will be for Kelowna City Council to review and consider the development permit and any development variance permits that are submitted.