Council adopted a zoning amendment bylaw that would allow construction of a 15 home subdivision on Lobelia Drive. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)
By Vanessa Broadbent
Osoyoos Times
An amendment to a zoning bylaw that will allow for 15 homes on a Lobelia Drive property has been adopted by council.
At their regular meeting on Nov. 4, town council adopted the bylaw, changing the zoning at 3810 Lobelia Drive from single family residential to single family residential small lot.
At a public hearing in February, residents cited concerns of increased traffic, as well as the environmental impact the development would have on Sonora Pond on the property.
The pond has been identified as a habitat for endangered, threatened and special concern species, director of planning and development services Gina MacKay said in a report to council.
• Read more: Town hoping to reunite found bikes with owners
To protect the species the developer must leave a 12 to 27 metre covenant area, and install a physical separation between the subdivision and the covenant area on lots backing on the area.
To prevent amphibians from going under the wall, it will be sunk into the ground with a portion extending up, and a chain link fence on top.
Because the pond is not open to the public, the area is classified as an environmentally sensitive area (ESA) instead of park space, a designation MacKay said is proposed to be included in the town’s zoning bylaw and Official Community Plan.
“The definition of an ESA will further denote that it is an area to be maintained for the long term protection of habitat and the species that live there,” MacKay said.
Town staff are currently working with the applicant on finalizing subdivision plans and requirements, and final approval is required to make sure all debris is removed from the ESA and the habitat barrier wall is in place.
