VIDEO: Neighbourhood association says new official community plan threatens heritage

Heritage protectionists claim the City of Kelowna is poised to make a big mistake.

The Kelowna South Central Association of Neighborhoods believes the Official Community Plan, which goes to a public hearing tonight, poses a threat to designated heritage areas.

"It opens it up to development for apartment buildings, rowhouses, commercial through the heritage conservation area," said KSAN spokesperson Susan Ames.

At issue is an area of the city that is described as 'core area neighbourhood' where multi-family housing is encouraged.

The map of that area in the OCP includes the Abbott Street and Marshall Street Heritage Conservation Areas.

"We'll start to lose houses," said Ames. "And we'll start to have apartment buildings in the middle of a heritage conservation area."

Ames and her group have planted signs along Abbott St in an effort to boost public interest in the issue.

The project planner behind Kelowna's new OCP told KelownaNow the concerns are unfounded.

"Those statements are untrue," said Robert Miles. "The Official Community Plan continues to honour the heritage conservation area. It contains the same guidelines as the current OCP."

Miles admits the 'core area neighbourhood' area can include fourplexes, townhomes and in some cases apartment buildings, but that policy guidance is always there to protect heritage areas.

"We have a specific policy that says 'we do not support apartment housing in that area or stacked housing in that area'," he said.

Miles said staff would support single-family homes, perhaps some duplexes and smaller, less dense forms of infill.

But Ames remains uneasy with the heritage conservation areas considered part of that core area and all that comes with it.

"Once a home is gone it's gone. We don't want to have our heritage houses in a museum," she said.

The public hearing is scheduled for 6 pm this evening at City Hall.

There is also an option to participate electronically.