Penticton residents looking to give their input about turning the property at 955 Timmins Street into a new multi-family residential development, will now be able to.
The City of Penticton has received an application to develop the property into two, five-storey apartment buildings and 81 townhouse units, for a total of 229 units.
Council voted unanimously to take the project to public consultation, after which they’ll decide on whether to approve or reject the development.
This proposal will require an amendment to the Official Community Plan (OCP) to change the future land use designation for the property from industrial and urban residential to urban residential.
The initial development plans for 955 Timmins Street propose the following:
- Two, five-storey apartment buildings
- 81 townhouse units
- Outdoor shared amenity areas including community gardens, playground, pool and sports courts
- Pedestrian connections to the Okanagan College property to the south.
The project had previously gone to council in 2018, but concerns from the Ministry of the Environment over site contamination delayed the project until the process began for the new Official Community Plan, after which the original proposal was cancelled.
Since then, the developer has made adjustments to their plan, including getting the support of the Ministry of the Environment.
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City director of development services Blake Laven said the city has expanded the opportunities for residents to learn about and share their views on proposals to amend the Official Community Plan before they are considered by council.
“Council must balance many factors when making decisions and early feedback from the community helps inform their decisions. These are important opportunities to share your views and ensure all issues are understood,” explained Laven.
Paper copies of the information and the feedback form are available at the Shape Your City kiosk at City Hall, Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Feedback will be collected through to Aug. 29.
Two events are also planned for those who would like to learn more or ask questions about the proposal. Residents can drop by the city’s booth at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, Aug. 14, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., or, participate in an online information session on Thursday, August 19, between 7 pm and 8:30 p.m. Interested residents can register for the online session at shapeyourcitypenticton.ca.
Once the feedback is collected it will be shared with council, the community, as well as the applicant in preparation for council to consider giving the first reading to the amendments. If first reading is given to the amendment bylaws, the community will have another opportunity to provide input as part of the statutory public hearing for the OCP amendment and rezoning application.
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