Besides being unsightly, Penticton City Council is concerned that vacant lots in the downtown core may be painting a poor picture of economic conditions in the city.
According to Mitch Moroziuk, the city’s director of operations, there are 24 vacant lots in downtown Penticton.
Some of these lots have been vacant for years, he said, despite the best efforts of planners to encourage development, including the downtown and major economic investment zone bylaws, as well as reductions in development cost charges.
“Despite the incentives in place, existence of vacant lots in the downtown core persists,” said Moroziuk.
But carrots, rather than sticks, seem to be the only way for city hall to deal with unsightly vacant lots.
After consulting with the city’s legal consultant, the city doesn’t have many legal tools to spur development of vacant lots. For example, these lots can’t be taxed at a higher rate than others in the same property class.
Penticton does have the ability to order basic clean up of a property — removing weeds, cleaning graffiti — under the “Good Neighbour” bylaw, but it can’t require owners to install landscaping or plant gardens on vacant lots to beautify them.
“The authority to regulate the use of land does not include the authority to require that a property owner actively use his or her land for any specific purpose,” said Moroziuk, adding that nothing prevents a property owner from holding land for investment purposes without developing it.
Moroziuk’s first recommendation, that the city provide additional incentives, did not go over well with council, nor did a suggestion the city lease the vacant lots to create pocket parks themselves.
“We have tried, but this is like giving a kid a lollipop when he does something wrong,” said Coun. Tarik Sayeed.
Coun. Judy Sentes said she also struggled with the idea of giving additional incentives when council had already been generous.
“I think that would be an affront to other developers in town because these chose to hang back and allow their properties to remain dormant. And then we come back and gift them even more,” said Sentes.
Sentes was also concerned that leasing the lots would be a cost the city couldn’t sustain. Leasing did get some support from Coun. Helena Konanz, who suggested the city could lease a few of the high-profile lots, including the former Three Gables and Lloyd Gallery lots on Main Street.
“There are really only a couple of lots that really are a stain on our downtown,” said Konanz. “I think there is something we could do, at least temporarily, and make them into small pocket parks. Possibly we could get some community groups to help us.”
A motion to consider leasing the lots was defeated 4-3, with Konanz, Sentes and Coun. Andre Martin in support and Mayor Andre Jakubeit and Couns. Sayeed, Campbell Watt and Max Picton in opposition.
