Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 Transit Supportive Corridor Pilot Project (TSC) prompted plenty of debate at city council on Monday (Mar. 3).

The project looks at pre-zoning certain corridors to allow up to six-storey buildings, as part of the city乌鸦传媒檚 Housing Action Plan and the federally funded Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). Kelowna received more than $31 million from the HAF in 2023, and six-storey buildings are already permitted along these corridors under the Official Community Plan.

But not everyone on council is sold on the idea.

Councillor Ron Cannan argued that pre-zoning takes away the council乌鸦传媒檚 ability to carefully plan development along these corridors.

乌鸦传媒淥nce we've given up that ability乌鸦传媒� we can't turn down an application because we only want four storeys there, or we want townhomes,乌鸦传媒� he said.

He also raised concerns about public input, questioning whether residents would have a say as these corridors are developed.

乌鸦传媒淚s there an affordable component to this? I know one developer who乌鸦传媒檚 already bought 12 properties on one of these corridors, so we乌鸦传媒檙e just rezoning the land and doing the work for the developer. I乌鸦传媒檓 elected to vote and represent all of the citizens, not just the developer. I don't support moving forward and rezoning all these (properties)乌鸦传媒� I don乌鸦传媒檛 see the benefit to the community.乌鸦传媒�

Some councillors worried about creating long stretches of high-rises and condo walls along these corridors. Ryan Smith, divisional director of planning and development services, acknowledged their concerns.

乌鸦传媒�(We乌鸦传媒檙e) trying to make sure that we put the guidelines and regulations in place at the beginning to get that right,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Cannan also argued that Kelowna currently doesn乌鸦传媒檛 have enough transit buses to support the expected growth. The Hardy Road transit yard is already at capacity, and it could be another five years before a new bus facility near UBC Okanagan is ready, he said.

Mac Logan, General Manager of Infrastructure, confirmed the transit limitations.

乌鸦传媒淲e have some incremental improvements coming with BC Transit on the Hardy yards where we will be able to add some new vehicles, but only a handful. We're also able to add hours of service. Beyond that, we are working diligently towards a new garage.乌鸦传媒�

Councillor Rick Webber wasn乌鸦传媒檛 convinced the timing of the pilot project made sense.

乌鸦传媒淭he one thing our staff can乌鸦传媒檛 say is we乌鸦传媒檙e going to move faster on getting more service or more buses. We know for sure it isn乌鸦传媒檛 going to happen in any major way for at least five years. Timing is everything.乌鸦传媒�

But Coun. Loyal Wooldridge pushed back, saying it was unrealistic to expect to have everything all at once.

乌鸦传媒淎s much as I think we乌鸦传媒檇 like to see everything match up perfectly, that we have the infrastructure, bus service, and housing all at the exact same time and we乌鸦传媒檒l all sing Kumbaya, it乌鸦传媒檚 just not the way the world works.乌鸦传媒�

He emphasized that the work being done is necessary and will take time. 乌鸦传媒淗opefully we乌鸦传媒檒l see this through.乌鸦传媒�

Deputy Mayor Luke Stack reminded everyone that this is just a pilot project.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of longer transit-supportive corridors that are not included in this. It gives us an opportunity, if this goes all the way through the process, to try to see what pre-zoning looks like.乌鸦传媒�

Kelowna needs to build 18,000 new housing units by 2031, but how many of those will be along these transit corridors remains to be seen.

In the end, council voted to move ahead to the next phase of the pilot乌鸦传媒攑ublic engagement乌鸦传媒攚ith Cannan opposed.