After five years of controversy, the threat of development on Spiller Road off the Naramata Bench is over.
On June 4, Penticton city councillors voted to remove the Naramata Bench as a future growth area from the Official Community Plan and to put in place rural zoning in any part of the region not already rurally zoned.
Coun. Amelia Boultbee recused herself due to a conflict of interest over the Spiller Road area.
The changes mean no lots will be allowed that are smaller than a hectare, with one large exception under the OCP. Lots that are connected to city water will be allowed to be shrunk down to 0.4 hectares, or one acre in size.
Staff stated the o.4-hectare size limit would allow for conservation when developing areas by reducing the amount of space taken up by the same number of developments on larger lots.
Coun. Isaac Gilbert used an example of a subdivision on Reservoir Road, where the developer donated a large chunk of the land to be preserved while using smaller lots for the developed properties.
“I understand that people want to protect the bench and that people want to be able to have the trees up there, I do have a concern that if it is the one-hectare minimum size that we lost the ability to protect a lot of it,” said Gilbert.
“In my opinion, once it becomes private property then they can remove the trees, remove the nature that is there because it’s their property. If we keep the 0.4, it allows us to negotiate like we did with Reservoir Road.”
Coun. Helena Konanz echoed that, saying otherwise the community might see huge “McMansions” on large plots of land.
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Mayor Julius Bloomfield noted that the 0.4 hectare limit already existed in the zoning bylaw and the proposed changes simply bring the OCP and zoning in line with each other.
“I think there are a lot of changes that will satisfy a lot of people here,” said Bloomfield.
Multiple residents of the bench area spoke out against that exception at the packed public hearing on June 3.
Coun. Campbell Watt proposed an amendment that would remove that exception from the rural residential zoning, but after a lengthy debate among councillors, it was voted down.
The vote was split 3-3, with Boutlbee’s recusal, and councillors Miller, Watt and Ryan Graham supporting the motion. Councillors Konanz and Gilbert and Mayor Bloomfield voted against the amendment.
Due to the tie, the amendment failed.
Miller voted against the OCP changes as a whole over the 0.4-hectare exception for rural residential properties. Graham also voted against the OCP changes.
Coun. Watt noted that even though his amendment had failed, he supported the rest of the OCP changes.
Changes to the city zoning bylaw, including incorporating provincial mandates such as removing single-family zoning and transit-oriented areas for higher density, passed unanimously with little debate.
