Rezoning Application and Public Hearing Update

Hello ... on May 9th, the City of Kelowna had the 1st, 2nd and 3rd readings to rezone the subject property from RM6/C4 (High Rise Apartment Housing with Urban Centre Commercial) to C7 (Central Business Commercial Zone.  Readings are the term used by the city for approvals. 

When asked about the rezoning application, the City Planning Department provided the following information: 

What are 1st, 2nd and 3rd readings about?  This is the standard procedure as outlined in the Local Government Act (provincial act that governs local governments). Our typical procedure is for Council to give 3 readings in one meeting. Essentially, it is their ability to give approvals for the rezoning. The bylaw is not adopted until it has had 4th and final reading. The 4th is typically scheduled at the same time as consideration of the Development Permit and any variances, and after the applicant has met any engineering requirements.   

When the rezoning application is consistent with the Future Land Use does it generally pass?  Usually, and the C7 zone is our downtown mixed use zone, so it is consistent with the Future Land Use of Urban Centre.

Do rezoning applications go to Public hearings? If a rezoning is consistent with the Future Land Use, it does not require a Public Hearing. This is legislated by the Local Government Act.

When will the Final (4th) Reading take place regarding the rezoning?  The opportunity for Public Input on the Development Permit and any variances will be held once the City and the applicant are ready to move forward. At this time, our department works with the applicant on design elements, variances, landscaping, public benefit – many of the items you also flagged from the OCP design considerations. It typically takes about 6 months for a project to move from 3rd reading to Development Permit consideration and 4th and final adoption of the rezoning. With that in mind, I would anticipate the Public Hearing for the Development Permit to be in October.

Our next steps are to now prepare for the Public Hearing.  It will be important to have a number of concerned residents attend and share our concerns with City Council.  If you 're willing to attend or speak at the upcoming Public Hearing, can you please send an email to:  rethinkWS2@outlook.com  and provide us with i) your full name, ii) your phone number and iii) if you're willing to speak or attend as support.  We hope to arrange a face to face meeting in mid to late September with  everyone that can attend / speak and put our "ducks in order" as they say. 

As always, we will continue to provide updates if / as things change.