With a population of nearly 40,000, West Kelowna, B.C., is a rapidly growing community.
That growth may be heading upwards as the city considers a major update to its building height restriction bylaws.
Darrell Kendall is a longtime West Kelowna resident who has watched the community change and grow for the past six decades.
“A little one-horse town into the highway-splitting the community and of course they are building all these condos everywhere,” Kendall told Global News.
Those condo buildings could be getting taller as the city works on updating its zoning bylaws.
Right now, the highest buildings in the city are six storeys but future development may include ones as tall as 19 storeys in the heart of Westbank, the community’s downtown core, 15 just outside that core and 12 farther out.
“No idea that they were even considering something like that,” Kendall said. “Just seems like way too much, way too much.”
Council has shied away from building way up in the past but with densification needed, a change in direction could be on the horizon.
City spokesperson Jason Luciw said council is expected to receive a report at its regular meeting next week.
Luciw added that the city will comment further once council has had a chance to deliberate on the proposed changes and provide direction to staff.
“I feel like it’s going to block all of this, no, I’ve been here forever, my whole life. I like it like this,” West Kelowna resident Krissy Smith said.
“If it is going to help with the homeless issue and cost of living then you got to do what you got to do,” said Patti Winslow, also a West Kelowna resident.
The matter will be before council on Oct. 8.
