A five-storey, 60-unit building has been proposed for 8709 Jubilee Rd. E., Summerland. The proposal will be the subject of a public hearing on March 22. (Image by GTA Architecture)

Summerland affordable housing project still in negotiations

Zoning and Official Community Plan have been changed to allow for multi-family project

There might be a For Sale sign on a property considered for an affordable housing development in Summerland, but the project has not been abandoned.

Graham Statt, Summerland’s chief administrative officer, said the parties involved in the affordable housing proposal are still in protracted negotiations.

In the spring of 2021, Summerland council adopted bylaws to amend the zoning and Official Community Plan for the property at 8709 Jubilee Rd. E., although the proposed housing development was not approved at that time.

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The bylaw changes were to allow for the construction of a proposed 60-unit multi-family affordable housing development.

At the time the zoning and community plan changes came before council, the proposal was controversial, with significant opposition from people living in the surrounding area.

However, council will be called on to make decisions before the project can become a reality.

A variance would be required for the building to go to a five-storey height as proposed, since the present regulations only allow four-storey buildings in downtown Summerland.

Additionally, the number of parking stalls proposed for the unit is fewer than what would normally be required for a 60-unit development.

Summerland council has been working to address housing issues within the community, including a lack of housing diversity, a lack of rental homes and a lack of subsidized housing.

Plans for affordable housing at the location had been discussed since at least 2012.

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