Citizens will be weighing in on what’s so far been a controversial rezoning application for Canoe.
Canoe Beach Properties Ltd. and a B.C. numbered company, represented by applicants T. and K. Tarnow, propose to rezone 3.5 hectares of land (8.8 acres) at 4400 and 4600 Canoe Beach Dr. from R4, medium density residential, to R6, mobile home park zone.
At the west end, the property is adjacent to Camp Elkcanoe and the ball diamonds and, to the south, sits the Lakeside Pines residential subdivision. The applicants propose a 60-unit mobile home park on the site.
On Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Salmon Arm City Hall, the public will have a chance to provide input to council on the rezoning proposal.
Read more: Manufactured home park proposed as affordable housing
Along with the rezoning, the application includes amending the new zone so that the area for a mobile home park could be reduced to one hectare when land is provided for road widening. It would also allow an increase in maximum density higher than 17 units per hectare, but not exceeding the maximum allowed in the official community plan.
One stipulation is that the applicant would sign a covenant allowing a 20-metre wide road covenant connecting 45th Street NE to Canoe Beach Drive, as well as land needed for widening along Canoe Beach Drive.
Residents opposed to the plan would like to see the zoning remain at R4, medium density, as that zone could allow 140 units as opposed to the 60-unit mobile home park being proposed under the R6 zoning. They have said Canoe needs more people paying taxes toward needed infrastructure, and not another mobile home park.
Council has received letters and a petition opposing the development.
Read more: Canoe mobile home park prompts opposition
Kevin Pearson, the city’s director of development services, told council on Feb. 11 that the applicant has worked on refining the plan since October, changing it several times to meet city requirements.
Also on Monday night, March 11, the applicants will be requesting a development permit variance.
The variance would include: waiving the requirement to upgrade the Canoe Beach Drive frontage of Lot 1; reducing the minimum mobile home space; waiving the requirement to provide a minimum 7.5 metres in buffer width; waiving the requirement for perimeter fencing and waiving the requirement to provide a recreation area.
A city staff report states the variances would provide a mobile home park “that would be more or less consistent with most R4-zoned, residential strata layouts…”
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