A housing development, proposed for 13610 Banks Cres., will not carry the same concerns as an earlier seniors care facility concept at the same site, one of the property owners says.
Gary Tamblyn, co-owner of the property, said the proposed 38-lot subdivision will not have the same impact as the 424-unit seniors facility would have had.
“This is a totally different presentation,” he said. “This is the best we can deliver for what Summerlanders are wanting in this area.”
The development proposal comes from Lark Enterprises Ltd., the same development firm behind the earlier seniors care facility.
The seniors care facility had been presented to Summerland council in late 2016 and it quickly met with opposition from the public.
A petition to reject the proposed development was quickly circulated and grew to more than 3,000 signatures.
Those opposed to the facility said the facility would be too large, would cause traffic problems on Solly Road and would affect the water supply for the trout hatchery.
In February, 2018, Summerland council voted 5-2 to reject the proposal. All five of the council members who rejected the proposal are still on council. Toni Boot is now the mayor while Richard Barkwill, Erin Carlson, Doug Holmes and Erin Trainer were all re-elected in the October election.
However, Tamblyn does not believe the development proposal now will have the same fate as the earlier proposal.
He said the concerns raised during the earlier development proposal have now been addressed.
Tamblyn said the 38-unit subdivision will not generate as much traffic as the earlier seniors care facility would have had and the single-family residential homes will not be as noticeable as the larger buildings proposed for the care facility.
In addition, Lark Enterprises Ltd. has been conducting tests on water supplies in the area, which Tamblyn says will alleviate the concerns about the impact on the trout hatchery.
At the last municipal council meeting on Jan. 14, a short introductory report on the development proposal was presented to council.
In order to construct the development, the Official Community Plan and zoning for the property must both be amended.
Municipal staff will now begin processing the application for further consideration.
