Kelowna city council delays decision on Capri-Landmark plan

KELOWNA – Kelowna city council has put a temporary hold on a plan to add 8,000 new residents to the Capri-Landmark area over concerns about the proposed extension of Sutherland Avenue.

“When asking business owners to lose their businesses, lose their customers, run a road through them without their support. I just don’t think it will work,” Coun. Luke Stack said, suggesting the redevelopment plan should be tabled to review the road extension portion.

Stack called the part of the plan that calls for the redevelopment of the Capri Shopping Centre in the area from Gordon to Burtch as “wonderful” but he sees no need to extend Sutherland through to Spall Road.

Other councillors objected to the $96 million price tag for roads and parks. Many talked about the commercial property owners who provide cost effective shops and don’t want to sell or redevelop, and have no affordable sites to relocate to in other areas of the city.

Planner Ross Soward pointed out that future development of the area is possible without the Sutherland extension.

There is a development freeze on the area pending the adoption of a plan.

“I love this plan,” Mayor Colin Basran said. “This plan for me – the presentation you (staff) gave answered every concern in a lot of detail. What I’m finding perplexing – people are coming to our city. Like it or not we’re going to have some tough infrastructure decisions to make. No matter what happens we’re going to have to have road realignments and somebody is going to be upset with that.”

He went on to criticize what he called “shrewd politicking” by Coun. Luke Stack who earlier compared the Capri-Landmark plan to a downtown revitalization plan made 10 years ago that failed because of opposition from landowners.

Luke responded that he was not being shrewd or politicking since he opposed the Sutherland Avenue extension from the beginning.

The motion was to defer a decision on the plan and have staff reconsider the transportation and parks portions of the plan.

Council passed the motion by a vote with Coun. Gail Given and Coun. Ryan Donn opposed.

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