Big changes in store for Pandosy?

Development proposals being considered could lock Pandosy into one of two different paths:

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1. High-rise buildings greater than 7 stories, or

2. Low-midrise buildings of 2 to 6 stories

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The City of Kelowna is currently developing the “Official Community Plan 2020 – 2040” (also known as the “OCP”). A road map of how our city will develop in the next 20 years. 

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That plan is assigning a significant portion of Kelowna’s future growth to South Pandosy, between 1,000 and 1,200 units.

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The existing OCP recognizes the uniqueness of South Pandosy accommodating a mix of housing types from ground-oriented housing up to size story buildings stepping down from Pandosy to the lake. This is a significant scale up from the area's predominant single-family land use and if developed in a thoughtful way the existing land use designations could accommodate the expected growth without the need for towers.  Research shows that the greatest land-use efficiency occurs in the transition from row houses to walk-up apartment units -- buildings that are 4 - 5 stories tall. This density is enough to justify transit service that's good enough to attract drivers reducing congestion in our city, household transportation costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.

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The Residences at 3340 Lakeshore will be experienced (primarily) at a human scale from the sidewalk, through its podium or base. The podium is of key importance and, in response, has been highly detailed and articulated into smaller elements. It varies in height between 2 and 3 stories and is activated, depending on the surrounding context, by ground-oriented townhomes, restaurants with patios as well as retail, commercial and residential lobby areas. The podium is also interrupted by interesting ‘pocket parks’ along Lakeshore and Watt roads as well as generous corner setbacks that will include community elements such as art, landscape, bench seating, bike parking and patio areas.

A rezoning of the property from C1 (local Commercial) and C9 (tourist Commercial) to C4 (Urban Centre Commercial) is sought to allow the detailed design of a proposed mixed-use development that will include ground-oriented townhouses and live-work studios, residential condominiums and pedestrian-oriented retail, restaurant and community use spaces. The development is also to include generous sidewalk areas large public outdoor amenity areas.

We will be requesting the approval of residential condominium heights above the eight-storey limit currently permitted in the C4 zone for gateway locations. Previous height variances within the Mission/Pandosy Urban Centre have been approved when community benefits and high-quality architectural design have been demonstrated. The Residences at 3340 are proposed to be terraced upward from three stories along Watt Road up to 10 and 14 stories respectively facing Lakeshore rd.

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 Development proposals are challenging this land-use proposing 7 to as high as 15 stories by the lake. Approving such variances and changing zoning to allow such developments will have several negative impacts including: 

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• Preventing housing diversity and eroding affordability. Developers seek to maximize the number of units on a parcel. Variances that make it possible to build more than what's in the zoning increase development potential and in turn land value. The increase in land value could make it economically prohibitive to build smaller-scale projects that create more housing suitable for families.

• Larger projects mean fewer projects to accommodate the 1,200 unit 2040 growth target. Either fewer human-scale projects will be built or significantly more units than the OCP projects will be approved straining infrastructure and amenities in the area.

• Loss of mountain views, character, and large above-ground parking structures. This is needless given that missing middle housing can provide sufficient density and avoid the negative consequences.

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The issue is not anti-density, it is right density to ensure the right outcomes for the the community. 

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December, 2019, we Development will be reworked and more effort will be made to discuss future development with neighbours. 

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Time line for this development is summer of 2021.

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These paths lead in two very different directions.

As a community, we need a unified and consistent vision for our future.

Take our survey and get engaged in the future Pandosy

Towers by the lake?

Community by the lake?

Join the KLO Neighborhood Association