After five years of controversy, the threat of development on Spiller Road off the Naramata Bench came to an end in 2024.
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 rural-zoned.
The land had been the subject of years of controversy over proposed developments, including the large Canadian Horizons proposal on Spiller Road that drove protests down Penticton's Main Street in the previous year.
A community group comprised of dozens of residents in the area formed the Preserve Naramata Bench advocacy group to push for changes to prevent future Canadian Horizons-style proposals coming forward, and in June, they mostly got their wish.
With the removal of the area as a future growth area and the rural zoning change, 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.
Back in June, city staff said the 0.4-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.
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.
Coun. James Miller voted against the OCP changes as a whole over the 0.4-hectare exception for rural residential properties. Coun. Ryan Graham also voted against the changes.
Watt noted that even though his amendment had failed, he supported the rest of the OCP changes.
With Coun. Amelia Boultbee's recusal due to a potential conflict over Spiller Road, the changes were successfully passed.