Calls to Action
Focus on managed growth that accounts for water, sewage, social, and environmental impacts. Call for ending 10-year developer tax breaks for rental buildings, preserving “missing middle” and heritage housing (such as the Abbott and Marshall Conservation Areas), setting taller developments further back from the lake, and establishing volunteer Architectural and Heritage Advisory Committees.
Why It Matters
Growth should be managed to ensure the livability of Kelowna and consider the impacts on water resources, on sewage and water management and the corresponding infrastructure, as well as the social and environmental impacts of developments.
The city has an excess of new rental buildings resulting in high vacancies incentivized by 10-year tax breaks to developers to provide market rentals. This program needs to be terminated. Such buildings can be constructed as needed.
New construction should fit into the neighbourhoods with considerations of height, density, surface coverage, and the livability of adjacent neighbours. The striking of volunteer Architectural Advisory and Heritage Advisory Committees would be beneficial.
Higher buildings should be constructed as needed and be located farther back from the lake to allow for viewscapes important to the livability of the city.
The city is rapidly losing the existing missing middle properties which provide affordable housing. These need to be maintained.
The city needs to return the protection of the Abbott and Marshall Heritage Conservation Areas and to further protect heritage buildings in the city.