Council Highlights - May 24, 2022

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Watch for 2022 property tax notices in the mail

Council received an update on this year’s property tax notices, which staff will mail out by the end of May. More than 1,300 property owners, who receive bills electronically, already have their tax notices. Learn how to claim your Home Owner Grant, through the Province of BC, and find options for paying your property taxes to the City at westkelownacity.ca/taxes. The City will apply a statutory, irreversible 10 per cent penalty to taxes not paid and Home Owner Grants not claimed before the 4:30 p.m. July 4 due date.

Council approves development permit with variance for home construction at Sailview Bay

Council authorized a development permit with variance, reducing the minimum setback on a private access easement from 4.5 metres to 0.63 metres, to accommodate construction of a single-family lakeside residence at Lot 2 - 901 Westside Road in the Sailview Bay subdivision. The house will replace an existing accessory building and patio, but an on-site staircase and dock will remain.

Council postpones consideration of multi-family development in Boucherie Centre

Council requested changes to a development variance permit that proposed a three-story, nine-unit housing complex at 2700 Riffington Place, located between the Boucherie Transit Exchange and Mt. Boucherie Secondary School. Council supported the concept of the infill housing, given its proximity to many existing services in the Boucherie Centre neighbourhood; however, they postponed consideration, asking the proponent to rework the proposal to better fit with the scale of adjacent residences.

Zoning Bylaw amendments go to public hearing

Council gave second reading to Zoning Bylaw amendments that propose revisions to on-site gravel processing, greater square footage for carriage houses and revisions to the W2 Waterfront Zone to allow the upland property to have either a dock or swim platform, but not both. Other changes include permitting larger setbacks between driveways and buildings to better accommodate the average length of most modern, light duty trucks. Also proposed are stepped setbacks between alcohol production facilities on agricultural land and neighbouring properties. View a summary of the proposals on the City’s website. Staff will schedule a public hearing for a future Council meeting.

Council receives progress report on West Kelowna’s Official Community Plan Update

West Kelowna’s Official Community Plan Update will now move into its final phase. The third phase, on the Growth Concept, took place between December and April and involved public consultation, including in-person pop-up engagement events and an open house, meetings with stakeholders in the identified growth areas, and referrals to community partners. Council and staff thank the public and stakeholders who have provided feedback as part of the process to date. View the full What We Heard Report on OurWK.ca/OCP or view a presentation to Council on webcast archives. The planning team will use the feedback to develop a new draft of the Official Community Plan, including mapping revisions to the Land Use Plan. Additional Council feedback and public consultation will occur this fall.

Council will consider updated Development Cost Charge Bylaw for adoption

Council gave first, second and third readings to an amended Development Cost Charge Bylaw that accounts for inflation and establishes the investments that growth must contribute towards building the City’s active transportation and roads, parks and recreation, sanitary and storm sewer and water distribution and treatment infrastructure. View a summary presentation on Council’s webcast archives. The bylaw has received Council, community and stakeholder input. The BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs must now give its approval before Council can consider adoption.