By ROY WOOD
A proposal to allow single-family homes on a one-acre waterfront parcel just north of Haynes Point was rejected by Osoyoos council this afternoon after planning staff deemed the idea inappropriate.
In his application to the town to change the zoning from multi-family to single-family, developer Dennis Turco wrote that he has owned the parcel along Oleander Drive for 11 years. He said two previous ideas to develop the land as multi-family homes turned out to not be viable in the marketplace.
The earlier attempts – a 2009 proposal for a 29-unit apartment building and another in 2013 for an eight-unit cottage development – didn’t proceed beyond the permit stage because there was insufficient demand.
“The market is still not there for multi-family redevelopment as we have been unsuccessful in selling the property (below assessed value) to other developers,” Turco wrote.
He is seeking to be allowed to subdivide the parcel into three lots, two for single-family homes and one for a possible duplex. He noted that the land is adjacent to low-density residential zoning.
In fact, there are single-family homes across Oleander to the west and multi-family developments to the north along the lake.
In his report to council, senior planner Don McArthur said that “(taking) into consideration the needs of the community as a hole,” staff cannot support the application.
“Removal of the subject property from the stock of multi-family residential parcels may impact the community’s ability to meet its future housing needs,” said the report.
Asked by Councillor CJ Rhodes whether the town has a deficit of multi-family zoned land, McArthur said the planning staff is required to worry about the long term.
Council voted unanimously to reject the proposal