To the editor:
On Dec. 11, the distrrict council for West Kelowna approved a rezoning for 3700 Inverness Rd.
The vote was 4-3.
This is allowing a high density compact housing (27 to 40 homes) on five acres of land at the end of a dead-end street.
A majority of the discussion at that meeting was how to allocate and spend the $45,000 donation from the developer as part of the rezoning application submission, and not about the concerns we have.
This is a heart-breaking decision. We have petitioned and attended meetings to express our concerns and make it clear that we do not want the zoning change to RC1.
This will add an additional some 60+ vehicles traveling in and out of this one entry/exit street.
The Glenrosa fire was a nightmare for our community.
The only exit from Inverness is onto Dunbarton. With the number of houses currently on our street, that proved to be a challenge.
I can’t imagine what will happen in the event of another fire or other act of nature.
The canyon that runs along Inverness is a huge fire risk as in the summer time as the canyon is so dry.
If there was a fire in the canyon I can only imagine the difficulty getting out with the residents of those additional 27 to 40 homes all trying to evacuate.
Is the district council going to be held responsible for lives lost due to people unable to get out of Inverness?
The council also mentioned that we currently have four access points to Inverness. That is false, we have Dunbarton Road.
The council said they had done a survey of the traffic to see the impact.
My question is how did they perform the survey? What time of year?
We have not seen anyone or any equipment on Inverness to see traffic patterns.
During the spring through to fall, there are sporting activities on the sportsfields.
On those sport days, there are cars parked all over Inverness Road and the junction of Inverness and Dunbarton.
At the meeting on Dec. 11, the survey found lower traffic volumes on the weekend. If that survey was done when sports activities are going on, that conclusion would prove to be false.
I am concerned deeply about what is to come for our neighbourhood.
The council members that voted to have the rezoning pass have made it clear they do not care for the current residents on Inverness Road.
They have completely ignored the concerns we have and are more interested, in my opinion, about the $45,000 donation.
I have no objections if they approved a zone change to reflect the current housing density on Inverness. I believe it is R1.
Liza Tough, West Kelowna
