Excavating for residential foundations has started at the Southeast Meadowlark Subdivision. The first phase of the new housing development, called the Richter Property development, will see 26 new homes built, including several designated as ‘near market affordable housing.’ (Richard McGuire photo)

Construction on what will become the largest subdivision to be constructed in the Town of Osoyoos in decades is now underway and that brings a giant smile to the face of Alain Cunningham.

Cunningham is the town’s director of planning and development and he’s been working for more than five years to ensure the Southeast Meadowlark subdivision becomes a reality.

“It’s like a dream come true,” said Cunningham in relation to a construction project that will continue for years to come.

When completed in the next 15 to 20 years, it’s expected the Southeast Meadlowlark subdivision will cover 40 hectares and include more than 250 single-family homes and dozens of townhouses, row houses, condominiums and apartment units, with the final tally of new units expected to be in the range of 400, said Cunningham.

The first phase of development started last week and includes the building of 26 new homes in what is being called the Richter Property Remainder, located behind the new Osoyoos Fire Hall off of 74th Street.

The foundations for the first two homes to be built on the Richter Property were dug up last week by crews working for Ellcar Construction out of Kelowna, which is owned by respected homebuilding contractor Hart Buckendahl.

“Mr. Buckendahl is a very respected home builder in the Okanagan and he has built more than 1,600 homes from Osoyoos all the way up to Vernon,” said Cunningham.

All 26 homes that will be built on the Richter Property development should be completed by the middle of 2020, he said.

Four of the 26 and two of the first four single-family homes being built will be classified near market affordable units.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Richter Property development and Southeast Meadowlark subdivision is the fact 15 per cent of the units developed, sold and rented will be directed to “near market affordable housing,” he said.

The town has formed an Affordable Housing Authority and they will review applications from local residents wishing to purchase new homes at near market pricing, he said.

“The housing authority will be completely independent from council or town staff and will have the final say on which residents qualify,” he said. “There are many criteria that will have to be followed, but having young children will be a prominent one.”

The homes being built on the Richter Property will all be lower in price than comparable units in Osoyoos, he said.

“The average house price will be in the $400,000 range and the town has agreed to gift $60,000 of that price if it is used towards the down payment,” he said. “The town has been absolutely fantastic in their support of this program.

“We’re the first community in the region to offer this kind of affordable housing component … and it will continue through all construction phases as the Southeast Meadowlark subdivision develops.”

It has taken a lot of time and effort to ensure the land for this development could be removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), said Cunningham.

Offering mixed housing types and changing the zoning to medium density residential, while also including the affordable housing component, are the biggest reasons this project was approved by the ALC, he said.

“There were very careful provisions to get the maximum use for the property,” he said. “They didn’t want any overcrowding and they wanted houses that were all unique, yet complimented each other.”

There are many subdivisions where many of the houses are identical in design and layout, but that won’t be the case with the Richter Property development or Southeast Meadowlark subdivision, he said.

The Town of Osoyoos is the official developer of this project after a call out for a private development company to step in didn’t generate any response, said Cunningham.

Having a respected builder like Ellcar Construction involved is crucial to ensuring the Richter Property development will be a huge success, said Cunningham.

“To have a home in the range of $400,000 that is architecturally designed, fully equipped with town services, three bedrooms, two bathrooms is simply unheard of in this area,” he said. “There are also no strata fees … you own your own home.

“Needless to say, we’re very, very excited about this project. It is the largest housing development project in this town in  many years and we’re all excited about it.”

This is the largest housing development project in Osoyoos since the Sonora Ridge housing development began just over 10 years ago, he said.

The Southeast Meadowlark subdivision is one of the largest home construction projects in this town’s history, he said.

The first homes built by Ellcar Construction should be completed within six or seven months, he said.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times