Plans underway for 27-lot subdivision on Salmon Arm’s 10th Street SW

A proposal to turn two single-family parcels on 10th Street SW in Salmon Arm into a 27-lot subdivision has received preliminary approval.

The two lots, 1830 and 1860 10th St. SW, are just north of Foothill Road. The parcels are designated medium density residential in the city’s official community plan. Both properties currently contain a single family home as well as accessory buildings.

At council’s July 5 development and planning services committee meeting, staff supported the proposal for the 27 bare land strata lots. Council voiced support but had a few questions.

Coun. Chad Eliason asked if the city is missing out on an opportunity to have a high-density development with the potential of 70 more units on a piece of flat land close to town.

“I just want to throw it out there, I have no problems with it, I support the zoning change, but these are opportunities when we look at our housing deficits, we could be making changes,” Eliason said.

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Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said she recently spoke to someone from the Lower Mainland who said the trend there is to try to build higher on a smaller footprint to preserve more green space and park-like spaces around developments.

Samantha Mitchell, attending on behalf of applicant Franklin Engineering, said from a personal perspective she thinks there’s a market for it and the ability to do it in a lot of areas. However, she said she doesn’t know if this is the correct area.

She said she loves the what the Shuswap Trail Alliance does in terms of creating “really outdoorsy” spaces. Mitchell added that she moved to Salmon Arm a few years ago from Vancouver and hasn’t noticed the green space trend, with the neighbourhood of 1930s bungalows where she lived converting to sky rises with parking lots.

Lindgren said she would like to see, in general, taller buildings with more trees left for shade and buffering.

Mayor Alan Harrison pointed out there’s a sidewalk on one side of the development but not both sides. He asked if the long-term plan is for a sidewalk on both sides.

Staff told Harrison there would eventually be a multi-use path on the side that doesn’t have the sidewalk.

Harrison thanked staff, adding that with a large piece of the agricultural land reserve at the end of the road, a multi-use path on one side makes sense.

The rezoning application will go to the July 12 meeting of council and, if it passes first and second readings, a public hearing will be held July 26.