Listed as one of B.C.’s fastest growing municipalities, Lake Country hopes to contain development in an urban boundary.
A draft of the district’s new OCP outlines a containment boundary to keep urban sprawl in check.
New growth in purpose-built residential developments is occurring in the communities of The Lakes, Copper Hills and Lakestone. Growth is also being directed to the existing Town Centres in Winfield, such as the Winfield Town Centre and the Woodsdale area to better accommodate new development.
Major development housing projects are ongoing in the district, and include: Lakestone on Tyndall Road, a 28 unit multi-family site and 109 single family lots, a 76 unit townhouse on Lake Hill Drive, a 65 unit townhouse on Oceola Road, 16 single family lots of Okanagan Centre Road East, 10 unit townhouse on Rogers Road, an 84 unit townhome on Shoreline Way and 10 unit townhomes on Stillwater Court.
READ MORE: Row housing development up for approval in Lake Country
“The district’s focus on industrial and commercial growth provides for the anticipation of a higher amount of square footage for these types of economic activities as well,” according to the draft OCP, which has yet to be fully approved by council.
A report detailing the OCP also identifies the Main Street town centre as a key commercial and residential hub.
It also helps to have an efficient sewer model for a community with clearly identified growth areas, said Mark Koch, director of community services with the district.
With no speculation tax and Airbnb regulations already in place, developers have been eyeing up Lake Country.
“As a developer, we’re of a size and nature that we’re going to be in multiple municipalities at one time, but we’re going to go where the risk factors are taken out for us and where we see the potential,” said Renee Wasylyk, CEO of Troika.
“They’ve got almost 7,000 jobs on the north end of Kelowna with very little housing of any nature.”
READ MORE: Developers looking for opportunities outside of Kelowna
In 2016 the municipality reached a population size of 12,922, an increase of 10.4 per cent from the previous census of 11,708 in 2011, according to census data.
The district is moving towards reaching a population of more than 20,000 by 2030.
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