Council Highlights Oct. 22, 2024

Council Highlights October 22, 2024

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Rise and Report – BCAT Grant Application

Mayor Van Minsel rose and reported that, at its In-Camera meeting on October 22, 2024, Peachland Council passed the following motion:
  • That Council amend this year’s 2024 budget in the amount of $1,176,636 million dollars for grant and reserve funding and corresponding project expenditures, including $400,000 from the Community Growth Fund and $776,636 in Provincial and Federal Grant funding for the Westside Trail project, and
  • Council approves applying for an additional “Phase 2” top-up grant for the Westside Trail Project through the BC Active Transportation Grant for up to $500,000; and directs administration to include funding within the 2025 budget to support the District's share of the project cost.

2025 Council Meeting Dates

Council approved its meeting dates for 2025 as follows:
  • January 14 and 28
  • February 11 and 25
  • March 11 and 25
  • April 8 and 22
  • May 6 and 20
  • June 10 and 24
  • July 8
  • August 26
  • September 9
  • October 7 and 21
  • November 4 and 18
  • December 2

New Childcare Centre in 2024 Budget

Council agreed to amend the 2024 budget to include the Childcare BC New Spaces grant funding and associated Childcare Centre project expenditures in the amount of $12,256,665. The funding will be used to design, construct and equip a fully operational childcare centre on District-owned property near Peachland Elementary School. The funding will be used to pay for professional design, engineering and construction of an all-new, fully functional 104-space accessible childcare centre with specialized equipment for children of all ages and needs. The project grant also includes a new dedicated playground, parking lot and landscaping, along with designing and constructing project-related off-site services and adjacent roadway/sidewalk improvements. A condition of the Provincial grant agreement was to partner with a highly experienced non-profit childcare provider. Okanagan Boys and Girls Club (BGC), a long-standing community partner delivering local programming for children and youth, has been identified as the proposed non-profit operator for the new District of Peachland Childcare Centre.

Notice of Motion – Lower Princeton Zoning Amendment

Council discussed a Motion put forward by Councillor Rick Ingram proposing new zoning specifically for the Lower Princeton area. On October 8, Councillor Ingram introduced a Notice of Motion to amend the Zoning Bylaw to add neighbourhood specific parameters to the RM4 zoning in the Lower Princeton neighbourhood with the following explanation:
  • Lower Princeton Area is zoned “Medium Density Residential” and the only zone that qualifies as RM4, which allows a maximum height of 16.8 metres and up to 24 units per acre.
  • Two recent rezoning applications in the area have covenants attached to reduce height and density to RM3 levels (height of 12.5 metres and up to 10.25 units per acres). A third instream rezoning application includes a proposed covenant as well; all three have different terms in the covenants for height and density.
  • Establishing Lower Princeton neighbourhood specific parameters for the RM4 zoning would eliminate the time and cost of negotiations and would provide certainty to developers.
The proposed draft amendment for the Zoning Bylaw is to add the following neighbourhood specific parameters for the RM4 zoning for the Lower Princeton neighbourhood:
  • Medium Density at approximately 15 units per acre;
  • Maximum principal building height of 13 metres and 11 metres within 60 metres of Princeton Avenue, Lipsett Avenue and Heighway Lane; and
  • Minimum front yard setback for all buildings of 6 metres.

Planning staff advised that this type of rezoning is typically considered during Official Community Plan reviews which the District will embark on in 2025. Peachland will be completing its Provincially mandated Housing Needs Assessment Report by the end of the year and will immediately begin its OCP review, also Provincially mandated but listed in Council’s Strategic Plan as well.

Council agreed to defer the motion until the District can receive more information on potential legal impacts from this proposed rezoning.

Next Council Meeting

The next Regular Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12, 2024, beginning at 6 pm. Council meetings are open to the public and webcast live. Find the full schedule by visiting www.peachland.ca/council. Find webcasts of past meetings at www.peachland.ca/watch. Keep informed; subscribe to get news and event information emailed directly to you at www.peachland.ca/subscribe.