After an unanticipated one-month regulatory delay, renovation work on a Kaleden property can finally get underway.
The board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen voted earlier this month to grant a pair of variances on the Alder Avenue site, which generated considerable debate the last time it was up for discussion.
At the July 3 meeting, owners Kathy and David Hobbs sought a variance to reduce the front yard setback along Alder Avenue from 7.5 to 1.5 metres to allow for a new garage. The board heard the garage needed to be pushed close to the road to allow for a new septic field in the middle of the property.
Kaleden-Okanagan Falls Director Tom Siddon opposed the variance at the time because he worried it would set a problematic precedent because buildings too close to the road could interfere if the street has to be realigned or excavated in the future.
The board then referred the matter to the area’s advisory planning committee, which studied the issue and recommended in favour of the variance.
The board also agreed to a second, side yard setback to allow for an addition on the new structure that will replace the cabin currently on site.
The owners, who also gained permission from the Transportation Ministry to use a public road end to access their driveway, began discussing the project with the RDOS in January. The RDOS has yet to issue building permits, but work is expected to begin in the fall.