Kelowna developer says it's 'common' to pay people to speak at public hearings
Appelt Properties is fighting back after a report by City of Kelowna staff attacked them for paying students to speak at a public hearing last year.
Because of those payments, staff is recommending the development permit for Appelt’s proposed 25-storey highrise at 350 Doyle Ave. be rejected by city council on Monday and call for a new application.
It was a stunning allegation, but one she didn't deny.
“A group of students who expressed strong views on the housing crisis in Kelowna spoke before council, presenting independent concerns,” Rebecca Waring, vice-president of development and construction for Appelt Properties, said in an email to iNFOnews.ca after it published an article about the staff recommendation.
READ MORE: 'Tainted' process for former RCMP building in Kelowna lets developer start over
“We understand that they missed work shifts, in some cases travelled long distances (since the council meeting took place in July) and had many long hours of involvement in the process. A public relations vendor engaged by Appelt supported a group of these students with information on the project, communications advice and a per diem reimbursement of $250 CAD that would offset missed work shifts, travel and inconvenience.
“To suggest that the students did not care about these issues is insulting to those who participated and serves to detract from the very valid concerns raised on behalf of students broadly, as well as others who struggle to find viable housing solutions in this city.
“To be clear, no policies or rules were broken nor did anything untoward take place and to suggest otherwise is not credible.”
Waring declined a phone interview but did respond to follow-up email questions.
One of those asked whether paying people to speak at public hearings has happened in BC before.
“We understand that it is commonplace for opponents of projects to do so, or to provide transportation to and from meetings, food and refreshments, encourage employees to attend and not deduct their wages, etc.,” she wrote. “It is also common that participants in other public processes are provided with various types of stipends to promote or recognize participation."
Waring stressed that this is the first and only time Appelt has worked with a vendor in this manner.
“The project’s proximity to UBC Okanagan’s planned downtown campus meant it held particular importance to local students, and we felt that a practical way to ensure that students could attend to present views Council probably would not have heard in support of vital rental housing was to pay a per diem to cover their effort and expenses," she added.
“It is well documented that negative voices in community planning processes are much louder than positive ones. A general attendance stipend by the City to promote participation in public aspects of development processes by less financially advantaged individuals who are always disproportionately impacted by the lack of housing would certainly balance the typical majority voice of nearby homeowners seeking to avoid densification.”
At issue is the redevelopment of part of the former RCMP site. The city put out a request for proposals in 2018 for a long-term lease of the land in order to provide rental housing as well as things like an arts hub within the building.
Appelt won that bid and initially proposed a 13-storey tower. That was opposed by neighbours who argued it blocked views.
The company came back with a revised proposal for 25 storeys and, at the July 26 hearing, promised to make 10% of the units affordable.
At that public hearing, 23 people spoke, according to the minutes published by the City.
Six were identified as speaking against the project while 17 were in favour. Of those, seven were either identified as students or spoke in favour of student housing.
READ MORE: Controversial downtown Kelowna rental highrise developer painted himself into a corner
Waring did not answer directly when asked how many students were paid per diems by JDH Naturals, a “public relations vender” hired by Appelt.
They were UBCO students and they were not an organized group, unlike some of the opponents, Waring wrote.
“They were individual students who held views based on their own lived experiences,” she wrote. “Many of them brought forward their own stories about housing affordability and attainability in the area and made personal pleas for council to consider the interests of future residents, as opposed to just existing residents in a neighbouring building.
“We are disappointed that the City is choosing to make their participation an issue and can only imagine that doing so will have a chilling effect on the involvement of young people in the future.”
At the July 26 meeting, Appelt was told it would need a housing agreement bylaw before the development permit was issued.
That proposed agreement went to council in November and was rejected when council learned that the rents on the “affordable” studio suites (which were to be 325-350 square feet each) would be $2,050 a month.
Staff is now recommending that the development permit be rejected but, also, that the requirement for an affordable housing bylaw be dropped.
Appelt doesn’t want that to happen.
“When we returned in spring 2023 with a new plan, council refused to even look at it, despite it being the only private market rental project in the City of Kelowna proposing such a robust commitment to the inclusion of affordable housing, going so far as to provide deeper discounts against market rents, including a variety of unit types, creating an income test for renters, as well as having the overall housing agreement secured on title,” Waring wrote.
“Frankly, we believe today's news is the result of advocacy from a self-interested anti-housing group that has opposed this project since the original request for proposals. We are hopeful that Council will decline to rescind the current approval so that we can move on with the project.”
iNFOnews.ca requested an interview with Mayor Tom Dyas to get his view on the latest development in this long-running controversial project.
“(The) Mayor says Council will be discussing the report about the 350 Doyle property at the Council meeting on Monday,” the city’s communications department said in an email. “Until council has discussed the report, it is premature for council or staff to speculate on the outcome.”
- This article was updated at 7:15 a.m. on Aug 14, 2023 to clarify that this is the first time Appelt has used a vendor who has paid speakers.
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