– Huge housing project needs changes to OCP & zoning –

(OSOYOOS TIMES — July 18, 2007) –

It seems the large Willow Beach housing development planned for the north tip of Osoyoos Lake is making progress, slowly but steadily.
The developers have submitted their application to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) for amendments to the area's Official Community Plan and zoning bylaw, and they are now getting ready to go through the planning and approval process with RDOS.
In what has been called the biggest real-estate deal in South Okanagan history, former owner Pearl Quintal sold the 70-acre property to Willow Beach (GLD) Developments for the sum of $23 million.
The sale was finalized June 30.
We're happy with the treatment we've been getting from RDOS (Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen), said project manager Len Chaston. So far, so good.rnThe site falls outside the boundaries of the Town of Osoyoos, and is therefore under RDOS jurisdiction.
They have put in an application to RDOS, said Mark Pendergraft, Area 'A' director for the regional district. It was similar to ¦ almost exactly what they'd said on the paper.rnAt information sessions in Osoyoos and Oliver earlier this year, the developer provided members of the public with its vision for the land use, distributing surveys to residents.
We were happily surprised, Chaston said. There's not a lot of negative feedback. There seems to be quite broad support.rnThe proposed project includes the construction of 800 housing units, a combination of roughly 540 condos, 150 single-family homes, 50 duplexes and 60 townhouses.
The developers hope the mixed land use will attract a wide variety of buyers.
It's going to be an integrated community, Chaston said. There'll be kids running around, seniors walking their dogs ¦ maybe a young couple wants a duplex.rnThe project manager said Willow Beach will also feature a commercial area, where you can buy fruit, a quart of milk, rent your DVDs.rnThe next step in what could be a lengthy bureaucratic process is for a review of the application by the RDOS Area 'A' Advisory Planning Committee (APC). Chaston hopes this meeting will be able to take place Aug. 13, but as of yet, nothing is set.
Pendergraft said that before then, likely later this month, the district will hold an open house in Osoyoos.
It'll allow residents to get a look, take some snap shots, or whatever they need to do, he said.
If there's a demand for modification, we'll know.rnChaston, in the meantime, has provided APC members with 80-page booklets detailing the project.
He said ideally he would like to see construction begin in the spring of 2008.