Despite critical feedback from residents, Kelowna city council has decided to move the proposed Costco relocation forward.

After nearly two-and-a-half hours of presentations, public input and deliberation, council approved an OCP amendment and rezoning application on Tuesday evening (Jan. 12) that will allow the big box store to move to the corner of Leckie, Baron and Springfield roads. The new location is 770 metres away from Costco乌鸦传媒檚 current location along highways 33 and 97 but will allow for more parking, a larger warehouse and a gas bar. Councillors Loyal Wooldridge and Charlie Hodge were the lone votes against the rezoning as council passed the items by a 7乌鸦传媒�2 vote.

Kelowna city council has approved the rezoning and OCP amendment to allow for the relocation of Costco to the corner of Leckie, Baron and Springfield roads.

The application will now move to the development permit phase. Couns Hodge and Wooldridge in opposition.

乌鸦传媒� Michael Rodriguez (@MichaelRdrguez)

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The primary concerns expressed by residents during the public hearing were traffic-related 乌鸦传媒� as they have been since Costco announced its intentions for the site in 2019.

The area is abutted by several residential complexes 乌鸦传媒� townhouses, apartment buildings and seniors homes 乌鸦传媒� the residents of which say an already busy traffic situation in the area will only be exacerbated by the introduction of a Costco.

Council ultimately decided Costco had made a sufficient effort to remedy potential issues, with plans to invest around $2.5 million to partially fund upgrades for neighbouring roads. Those upgrades will include new turning lanes onto Leckie Road off Highway 97 and Springfield Road, widening Leckie to have four through lanes and one middle turning lane, and the implementation of a signalized intersection at Leckie and Parkview Crescent, among other improvements. Council was particularly excited by plans for a multi-use corridor along Leckie Road, improving cyclist and pedestrian access in the area, which was another concern expressed by residents.

乌鸦传媒淎lthough Costco and staff have worked hard to improve traffic flow, I still think it乌鸦传媒檚 going to be a bit of a nightmare in that particular location,乌鸦传媒� said Coun. Charlie Hodge, adding the location is prime land for a different kind of development.

乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 find much land that large in our city anymore乌鸦传媒� This is not the best use of that land in a community that is rapidly running out of land for housing.乌鸦传媒�

Through the course of the public hearing, residents suggested more suitable locations for a new Costco, pointing north to a previously-discussed location near the airport. However, the location of developments is out of council乌鸦传媒檚 hands.

乌鸦传媒淎s councillors, you don乌鸦传媒檛 get to choose what comes to council; you get to choose how you vote when it comes to council,乌鸦传媒� said Coun. Ryan Donn.

As the city continues to vie for more densification and overall compactness throughout the city in a residential context, resident Jean-Claude Gavrel suggested commercial developments need to be held to the same requirements. He said council needs to ask whether Costco needs more land or more space. Costco has maintained throughout the proceedings with the city that building either a parkade or a second floor to decrease the store乌鸦传媒檚 footprint is not feasible.

乌鸦传媒淭he current trend in urban development throughout the world is more compactness乌鸦传媒� If you乌鸦传媒檙e going to apply compactness to residential you need to apply compactness to commercial as well,乌鸦传媒� Gavrel said, citing Ikea as a warehouse-style store that has successfully built 乌鸦传媒渦pwards instead of outwards.乌鸦传媒�

Those comments echoed with Mayor Colin Basran, who has long championed densification in the city, specifically within urban cores. But he also said the city needs balance within those core areas.

乌鸦传媒淪prawl isn乌鸦传媒檛 just residential, it乌鸦传媒檚 also commercial,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding that moving the project to the outskirts of town would have been 乌鸦传媒渏ust as detrimental乌鸦传媒� in different ways.

Basran maintained the growth lost by building a Costco instead of more residential units could be accommodated in other areas, both nearby and in other town centres.

The developers expressed an intention to have the new store open by Fall 2021, but shovels won乌鸦传媒檛 hit the ground quite yet. Costco will now need to apply for a development permit, which will require council to take one more look at the proposal before it乌鸦传媒檚 finalized.

For that, Basran outlined a few things he hopes will be addressed. He乌鸦传媒榣l be looking for a good cycling and pedestrian experience in the area, showers and other end-of-trip facilities for Costco employees who want to bike to work and a strong landscaping plan to ensure that the facility integrates into the community.

The mayor also suggested future plans for a connection between the Okanagan Rail Trail and the Mission Park Greenway could be expedited as part of the planned improvements to the area. Currently, that plan is not scheduled to be set in motion until 2024.

READ MORE: Contentious Kelowna Costco relocation moved to public hearing

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