There are still many hurdles to cross, but members of Town of Osoyoos council appeared pleased with progress made over the past five months relating to a proposed housing development on Lakeshore Drive that could see up to 275 dwelling units built over the next 15 to 20 years.

The proposed development would see 88 single-family houses built and another 150 or so “resort dwellings” that could be rented out for tourists and multiple family dwellings in terraced townhouses and apartments, as well as commercial space, walking trails and a public park.

The proposed development would be located across the street from the Walnut Beach Resort on a former par three golf course.

Alain Cunningham, the town’s director of planning and development services, told council on Monday that Chris Moradian has applied as agent for developer Richard Coglon of West Vancouver to obtain Official Community Plan (OCP) and bylaw amendments to enable its comprehensive residential development, along with a small amount of commercial space.

Moradian previously presented an overview of this proposed development to council in the middle of April.

“The subject property is an irregular-shaped 14.2-acre lot situated on the east side of Lakeshore Drive opposite Walnut Beach Resort,” said Cunningham. “It lies within the town’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), but is presently unused.

“Previous uses include growing vegetables in the early 1960s and an apple orchard in the late 1970s, followed by a par three golf course in the early 1990s.”

The property contains a level area with standing water along Lakeshore Drive and behind that, it slopes up to the town’s eastern boundary with gradients ranging between 10 and 20 per cent, he said.

The developer and staff have collaborated closely to finalize the building plan and have increased certainty by reducing building options that better balances the respective shares of residential and tourist units, said Cunningham.

“The total build out of the property will include 234-274 dwelling units, of which 88 single-family dwellings and terraced townhomes will be reserved for resident owner occupation or long-term residential leasing,” he said. “The remainder will be made up of 146-164 resort dwellings, resort two-family dwellings and resort multiple family dwellings in terraced townhouse and apartment formats. Some commercial space may be included on the ground floors of the apartment buildings depending on the market.’

To avoid unfair competition with the local hotel and motel industry, the resort units will be restricted to minimum stays of at least one week and will have to be part of a strata-operated and licensed council in accordance with an approved rental pool scheme, along with provincially required guest registration, payment of room taxes and applicable municipal bylaws, said Cunningham.

“Our zoning bylaw already includes such requirements in its definition of a resort multiple family dwelling, but a companion amendment bylaw is required to add similar definitions for a resort secondary dwelling and resort two family dwelling,” he said. “Because of enforcement problems we have experienced keeping short term rentals out of dwellings supposedly reserved for regular owner occupation, which will be exacerbated by the growth of online rental companies like Airbnb, we will seek legal advice prior to a public hearing on how best to enforce restrictions such as through housing agreements or convenants.”

The mixed residential, tourist accommodation and commercial uses proposed fit well with the surrounding developments in this part of town, he said.

“These include the Sonora Ridge Estates and Chardonnay Court single-family residential subdivisions bordering on the subject property’s southern boundary, and Walton’s RV Park south of 36th Avenue.

“Walnut Beach Resort on the west side of Lakeshore Drive contains a mix of hotel rooms and residential and resort multiple family dwellings. Village on the Lake to the north is a multi-family residential development.”

Moradian has completed due diligence by supporting this application with an environmental site assessment report, geotechnical assessment report and servicing design report, he said.

All of those reports have been reviewed by town staff and True Consulting, the town’s engineering consultant, for servicing issues, he said.

The environmental assessment report concluded no unsafe chemical residuals remain from past agricultural uses of this land, he said.

The geotechnical report evaluated the suitability of the site for development and the presence and extent of any geotechnical constraints, he said.

Extensive field and lab testing didn’t reveal any concerns with slope stability, but many construction safeguards were recommended for managing the property’s extensive surface and groundwater conditions, said Cunningham.

“These recommendations were taken into consideration in the servicing design report, which after thorough review by True Consulting, was modified so that all systems for storm water, roads and sidewalks and sewer and water will meet town quality standards and will safeguard us from any onerous obligations for undue maintenance and premature repairs and replacement,” he said.

The developer is proposing using two small ponds on the level area between the two apartment blocks for storm water attenuation and purification before discharging into Osoyoos Lake through a pipe along Lakeshore Drive, he said.

“The pond surrounds will be carefully landscaped to enhance their ecological benefits and recreational values,” he said. “The applicant will gift the whole area as a public amenity for parkland, which will be accessible from both within the property and an adjoining public sidewalk the applicant will be constructing along the eastern side of the Lakeshore Drive right of way. The applicant is also working with staff on the possibility of developing a dock for use by their patrons to be accessed through the town’s lakeside sewage lift station property north of Walnut Beach.”

The proposed development would create considerable additional traffic, so the applicant will commission a traffic impact study with the terms of reference and consultant selection to be approved by the town, said Cunningham.

The traffic study may identify needed improvements to the local street system and any potential cost-sharing agreements with the town and other partners, he said.

To contain the applicant’s front end costs, this impact study is not required until just before any public hearing is held, he said.

Coun. C. J. Rhodes said his only concern at this point is he would like the traffic impact study to be completed as quickly as possible because many residents are sure to have concerns about traffic issues should this large development be given the green light to proceed.

Council passed first and second readings of a motion to change the zoning bylaw to allow for this development to move forward. Any public hearing relating to this development isn’t expected to take place until sometime in 2017 at the earliest.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times