REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Ponderosa Development

Council gave third reading to OCP and Zoning Amendment Bylaws intended to provide the legislative framework to support the Ponderosa Development Phasing Strategy, endorsed by Council at its meeting September 27, 2022. The former development project, which included a proposed 18-hole championship golf course, was not completed and ownership of the lands passed to different ownership groups. After the original phased development agreement expired in 2021, the District began working with one of the owners, Romspen, to develop a revised phasing strategy to accommodate a new development concept.

The proposed bylaws make up the CD7 Ponderosa Zone, which requires the construction of an 18-hole golf course on the lands covered by the zone, approximately half of which is owned by Romspen. The Ponderosa Development Phasing Strategy is focussed on the Romspen-owned lands and involves the development of approximately 1,020 residential units, conditional on the construction of a 9-hole championship golf course and other amenities. The envisioned Romspen phasing strategy would require the golf course to be operational by November 2025, payment of $5,000 per residential unit towards the District’s affordable housing strategies and construction of a road connection between Somerset Road and Ponderosa Drive.

The proposed bylaws were the subject of a Public Hearing on August 29, 2023.

Clarification from Council on Public Hearing Feedback

Mayor Patrick Van Minsel read a statement of clarification on behalf of Council regarding feedback heard at the Public Hearing on August 29 regarding the proposed Ponderosa Development noted above.

At the Public Hearing, representatives of the owners of other lands within the CD7 Ponderosa Zone indicated concerns with lack of consultation and procedural fairness. Council clarified for the record that staff met with representatives of the other ownership groups on 12 different occasions since August 2021. The District also held multiple discussions with legal counsel regarding its public notification requirements and was advised there was no legal obligation to consult with adjacent landowners. Despite this, the District continued to extend consultation opportunities, going above and beyond required notification.

The District has also expressed its readiness for further consultation with other ownership groups impacted by the proposed CD7 Ponderosa Zone.

OTHER COUNCIL NEWS:

UBCM

Mayor and Council will schedule a Committee of the Whole meeting next month to discuss this year’s Union of BC Municipalities conference they attended last week in Vancouver. At the meeting, Council will discuss the outcomes of the District’s meetings with provincial cabinet ministers, the educational sessions and action items stemming from the conference.

Next Council Meeting

Peachland Council’s next regular meeting is Tuesday, October 10, 2023 beginning at 6:00 pm. Keep informed; subscribe to get news and event information emailed directly to you at www.peachland.ca/newsletter. Find webcasts of past meetings at www.peachland.ca/watch.