Penticton residents will be able to have their voice heard on a proposed five-storey affordable housing project on Dec. 7.
Council approved a motion to move the request for an exception to have five-stories instead of three to the next step in the process in their session on Nov. 17.
The M’akola Housing Society is looking for an exception to the official community plan and the zoning bylaw in order to build two additional stories for their proposed housing development on 603 Main Street.
The housing development would provide 24 residential units, with a mix of “subsidized and affordable housing” including one, two and three bedroom units.
READ MORE: Penticton council to weigh allowing five-storey affordable housing development
Coun. Katie Robinson opposed the motion, and Mayor John Vassilaki recused himself for a potential conflict of interest as he is a partial owner of the property across the street from the proposed location.
“I think it’s a great project, but I think it’s the wrong location,” said Robinson. “I am adamantly opposed to the height being five-stories.”
Other members of the council supported the increased height, seeing it as one of the routes of future development for the downtown.
“We speak often about trying to make our community more usable without a vehicle, to densify downtown, we really only have the ability to go up,” said Coun. Watt. “I think to really serve what we preach quite often as our priorities, this is something we’re going to do in the future.”
One of the concerns about the property was about the initially proposed 15 tuck-under parking stalls, which was noted during the presentation to be proposed ahead of the full design-phase of the project and subject to revision.
A location and whether the hearing will be held virtually has not yet been announced.
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