Stop This Tower! Campaign launched against UBCO’s downtown Kelowna highrise
Calling it a “pretend university,” Kelowna resident Susan Ames is launching a campaign against the proposed 46-storey UBC Okanagan downtown “vertical campus.”
Ames is president of the Kelowna South Central Association of Neighbourhoods but is not speaking on behalf of that group. She is, however, planning to run for city council this fall.
“I’m trying to get people aware of what’s going on down there and, hopefully, they’ll speak up and write some letters,” Ames told iNFonews.ca. “What happens is city council says: ‘Nobody is interested. We didn’t get anything so we’ll just go ahead.’ But this is such a serious one. It’s really a monstrosity. It’s really excessively high and it doesn’t fit into Kelowna at all.”
The original proposal was for a 34-storey tower.
The Mission Group has proposed a 17-storey office tower and 30-storey residential tower next to it on land that was formerly the Kelowna Daily Courier property.
READ MORE: UBCO’s downtown Kelowna campus to be the tallest in city at 46 storeys
The city recently adopted a plan that calls for a maximum height of 26 storeys. Ames thinks it should stick to that plan.
UBCO is asking the city to adopt a special zone for what it calls a vertical campus that will allow the increased height. That goes to council today, July 26.
Ten storeys are planned to be part of the university but most of the rest will be residential, some of which will be for students.
“They say they’re allowing 46 storeys because it’s UBCO,” Ames said. “Well, it’s a UBCO apartment building. Call it what it is.”
In fact, the report that’s going to a public hearing next week, does say just that.
“This type of height and density would not normally be supported for private development,” city planner Trisa Atwood wrote in her report to council. “As such, the creation of a CD zone was deemed most appropriate to creatively and collaboratively meet the unique project objectives.”
Ames will be across from City Hall today, July 21, at 7 p.m. trying to rally support.
Already the city has approved a number of buildings that exceed its maximum height guidelines, including the newly-finished One Water Street at 35 storeys and a 42-storey tower now under construction for the Water Street by the Park development on Leon Avenue.
At some point, Ames argued, city council has to start following its own plans and limit how high these downtown towers are built.
She’s also opposed to the nearby tower proposed for the old RCMP site just a couple of blocks away, also on Doyle Avenue.
That’s going to council on Tuesday for a development permit, the final stage before a building permit allows for construction to start.
It was proposed for 13 storeys but was redesigned at 25 storeys after neighbours complained it was too wide and would block views
READ MORE: Redesign of tower on former Kelowna RCMP site grows to 25 storeys
“It really is a community amenity,” Ames said of that site. “It’s better, really, to start in putting community centres and things for the people.”
That project includes a 6,000 square foot public space, will extend the city’s downtown art walk and build a civic plaza.
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