A brief and informal summary of the latest decisions made by Penticton City Council.
OCP, Zoning changes heads to public hearing
Council gave first reading to planned changes to the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw and sent the proposal public hearing.
The hearing will be held Monday, June 3 at 6p.m. at City Hall.
For more on the proposed changes that are designed to accelerate the creation of affordable and attainable housing, click here
Council also directed staff to:
· allocate unused funds budgeted for the OCP Housing Update to the upcoming Social Housing Plan ($10,000) and OCP Indigenization Project ($30,000);
· transfer up to $50,000 from the Off-Street Parking Reserve to complete a Downtown Parking Utilization and Needs Study to assess the current and future public parking needs, including opportunities and costs for a downtown parkade;
· review the form and function of the streets within the designated Transit-Oriented Areas, and along the Skaha Lake Road corridor, to support residents and businesses in existing and new developments in those areas; and,
· send a letter to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure requesting additional transit expansions funding for BC Transit to support Penticton’s Network Restructure Plan, which will directly support the designation of Transit-Oriented Areas in Penticton.
Plan development, costs next step for community safety buildings
Plans to create new public safety buildings are moving to the next planning stage.
Council approved more detailed planning – including costing - for development a new main fire hall, a public safety building housing Bylaw Services and Community Policing that would be part of a mixed-used development and a satellite fire hall.
For more details on the plan, click here
In-year community grants approved
Council approved a variety of groups for in-year community grants.
Groups approved were:
· $500 cash and $102 in-kind to the Community Recreational Initiatives Society;
· $1,000 cash to the Conseil Jeunesse Francophone de la C.-B.: BC Francophone Games;
· $5,000 cash and $1,100 in-kind to the Penticton Paddle Sports Association Canadian Outrigger Racing Association (CORA) Distance Championships;
· $1,658.25 in-kind and $2,500 cash to The Penticton Peach Festival Society Royalty/Ambassador Program;
· $1,230 in-kind to the Ukraine Nightingale Project;
· $2,000 cash to the Wine Country Writers’ Festival
· $5,000 cash to the Throwdown Series
The City allows two in-year intakes for community grants, outside of the main budget period. The second intake will be July 2024.
Taking steps to slow traffic and improve safety around schools
The City is rolling out new traffic safety measures surrounding schools and playgrounds, geared to slow down traffic and make streets safer for kids walking, wheeling or playing.
After the success of the first two Safer Routes to School initiatives, the program is being expanded to include Columbia Elementary as well as Skaha Elementary for completion in 2024/2025. Skaha Elementary will include working with the existing Parkway Elementary families and explore support for their transition to Skaha Elementary.
Council also heard school and playground zones will be converting to permanent 30km/h limits 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These changes will be in place ahead of the new school year, with signs being updated in late summer.
For more on the safety projects, click here
New housing project moves forward
Council approved a Development Variance Permit that will allow for the creation of a five-storey, 48 residential unit, mixed-use apartment building at 123 Front Street.
These highlights are intended to provide a brief summary of recent Council proceedings. The summary is not inclusive of all agenda items. For a detailed account of the full agenda, including staff reports, other supporting documents and official meeting minutes, click here. For a full video of the Council meeting, click here.