More than 27,000 Kelowna lots targeted for more crowding with infill housing
The details are coming out on how the City of Kelowna is going to comply with provincial rules to crowd more housing onto most single-family lots.
More than 27,000 properties will be impacted by new provincial infill housing rules to allow up to four or six units on these lots, depending on size and/or location.
In a report going to Kelowna city council on Monday, Feb. 5, city staff are pushing back on a few thousand other lots for a variety of reasons, including garbage collection, tree canopies and air ambulances.
Outside the existing highrise zones, there are three categories of infill housing properties: core, suburban and rural/agriculture.
There are roughly 11,100 lots in the more densely populated core areas that based on provincial rules could take up to six housing units.
“Most core area lots in Kelowna will not be able to achieve five or six infill housing units,” the city report says. “This is due to several site planning requirements and restrictions, such as lot size, lot dimensions, on-site parking requirements, on-site garbage and recycling collection areas and new updated landscaping requirements.”
New landscaping rules, for example, call for more space for trees to grow and be healthy so the city doesn’t lose its tree canopy to the infill housing. That means only about 2,160 of the 11,100 lots would qualify for up to six infill units.
But like 13,400 “suburban” lots, they might be able to take four units.
READ MORE: No public hearing needed for infill housing in Okanagan, Kamloops
Any property with three or more units will have to get what’s called a form and character development permit “to ensure site planning is adequately provided in relation to parking, garbage/recycling, and landscaping in compliance with updated Official Community Plan design guidelines,” the report says.
While the province calls for the elimination of on-site parking, the city is pushing back.
“According to the (provincial) guide, the City of Kelowna is exempt from this clause due to snow removal,” the report says. “Staff are recommending that a minimum of 1.25 stalls per residential dwelling unit is required. This is to ensure an availability of onsite parking in suburban neighbourhoods to allow for snow clearing.”
Another 2,657 rural and agricultural lots also now qualify for additional housing, but only for secondary suites or carriage houses if there is enough room for off-road parking.
The fourplexes and sixplexes can be up to three storeys tall.
There are other rules affecting properties within 200 metres of transit exchanges where, in a few specified locations, the province is saying 10 storeys have to be allowed. Since the city doesn’t have a 10-storey zone, it will allow up to 12 storeys near three transit exchanges in Rutland, at Okanagan College and the Orchard Park mall.
A fourth exchange is listed by the province at Kelowna General Hospital but since such heights would interfere with the airspace needed for air ambulances, those heights will be limited to six stories near the hospital.
Setbacks will be required by the city along major transit routes. That, along with the need for more garbage and recycling carts as well as room for trucks to maneuver, means the city will discourage fourplexes or sixplexes along these roads. Instead, lot consolidation will be encouraged so larger projects can be built.
Given the need for more or bigger garbage and recycling containers, even at fourplexes, the city will also bring in regulations to require storage of the bins either inside the buildings, garages or within enclosures.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
