Penticton city council has sent B.C. Housing and city staff back to the drawing board on one of four major affordable housing projects currently in the works.
Council was set to vote on second and third reading for a zoning amendment bylaw that would amend a lot zoned for duplexes to fit a modular project with 52 units of supported housing. The 52 units are part of the 2,000-unit commitment from the B.C. government, all built by modular construction, allowing more of an expedited process.
However, after the project went to council earlier this month, it was sent to a public hearing this Tuesday, where it was met with a mix of resistance and support.
After a public hearing that lasted more than two hours, including the introductory remarks from B.C. Housing, ASK Wellness and Metric Modular representatives, council bowed to pressure from local residents who spoke largely to the location of the proposal.
If it were approved, the project would have gone up at the corner of Main Street and Green Avenue, joining another B.C. Housing supportive housing project. That location, however, is about a block away from Princess Margaret Secondary School and Skaha Lake Middle School, which many speakers said was a major issue.
Council ultimately sided with a crowd of nearby residents and voted to send staff back to the drawing board with B.C. Housing to find a new plan, which councillors suggested should be a drastic change from the current plan.
More to come…
