What is the total of new Townhomes in Glenmore 1000+??

[Grandan]

One of the problems we have in our town is people thinking it's a much bigger city than it actually is. A vibrant urban area with a lot of high rises works in bigger cities. There's more retail in bigger cities. There's more road infrastructure and more effective public transit in bigger cities. Why don't we be like bigger cities? Because we're not a big city, or even a moderately big city, we're a small to medium sized city. We're not Spokane (which is almost twice the size of Kelowna and in another country) and we're not Greater Vancouver (10+ times the size of Kelowna). We're not perfect and things could be improved, but it pains me whenever someone points to a completely incomparable place and suggests that we should be that. We are comparable to Red Deer and to Kamloops. I say instead of aspiring to be something we're not (and won't be for the foreseeable future) we should be forging our own unique future as Kelowna.

Neither Kamloops nor Red Deer have the topographical restrictions that Kelowna has.
Growth in Kelowna has been 8.4% from 2011- 2016
Kamloops was only 5.4% over the same period and yes Red Deere was over 10% but look at the unlimited room for expansion.

Red Deer has thousands acres of flat land and grid roads surrounding it set out decades ago.
Kamloops and Red Deer do not have other communities on their doorstep such as Lake Country and West Kelowna who either shop or work in Kelowna and for whom commuting by car is the only way to get around due to the far flung subdivisions they inhabit.

While the crush of new construction has severely impacted Glenmore Road, Valley Road and Sexmith Rd, what amazes me is the volume of traffic which travels over Dilworth to Longhill in order to avoid Hwy 97.

The new Hwy 97 widening is the nicest streetscape improvement I have seen for quite some time. Once all the barriers are removed it will be a delight to drive. Following that, the opening next year of John Hindle Drive will be a fantastic relief valve for all north end Kelowna traffic.

[GordonH]

One of the problems we have in our town is people thinking it's a much bigger city than it actually is. A vibrant urban area with a lot of high rises works in bigger cities. There's more retail in bigger cities. There's more road infrastructure and more effective public transit in bigger cities. Why don't we be like bigger cities? Because we're not a big city, or even a moderately big city, we're a small to medium sized city. We're not Spokane (which is almost twice the size of Kelowna and in another country) and we're not Greater Vancouver (10+ times the size of Kelowna). We're not perfect and things could be improved, but it pains me whenever someone points to a completely incomparable place and suggests that we should be that. We are comparable to Red Deer and to Kamloops. I say instead of aspiring to be something we're not (and won't be for the foreseeable future) we should be forging our own unique future as Kelowna.

Neither Kamloops or Red Deer has the gongshow of peak traffic congestion that Kelowna has.

Main reason for that is the main route threw town has overpasses & off/on ramps, not a whole lot of traffic lights slowing traffic flow in & out of cities.
(its true both Kamloops & Red Deer have bigger main routes threw there cities, Hwy 97 is our main route)

[dirtybiker]

My commute takes me exactly 8 minutes.
!

Gives you good reason to not complain about traffic as you spend no time in it.

Good on you.

Some of us though spend our lives being in it (traffic) for you.

[lightspeed]

If the desire and planning was there, Clement and another route parallel to it out of town would alleviate traffic flow.

Poor planning is the key downfall.

[Grandan]

If the desire and planning was there, Clement and another route parallel to it out of town would alleviate traffic flow.

Poor planning is the key downfall.

Under funding by previous city councils is the downfall of planning in Kelowna.
The old guard ran Kelowna for decades.
Development was ok as long as it favoured the good guys.
Outsiders paid a steep price for development.
Keeping taxes low was the mantra.
They kept the brakes on development and wisely looked for outside help for major roads.

There are multiple studies suggesting many different routes through Kelowna.

Kamloops had a bypass in the 60's thanks to "Flying Phil". The old route into Kamloops from the north was down a steep decline and was the scene of many tragic accidents.

Any new traffic lights on the new 6 lane section will make the highway safer and in the end make it faster by reducing crashes.

[GordonH]

^^^ that's funny Grandan, I would suspect a vast majority of crashes/accidents happen at intersections.

[Grandan]

^^^ that's funny Grandan, I would suspect a vast majority of crashes/accidents happen at intersections.

Findley Road was an uncontrolled intersection, trying to get onto the Hwy at that point across 4 lanes was bad enough, 6 would be suicide, laugh it up.

[lightspeed]

^^^ that's funny Grandan, I would suspect a vast majority of crashes/accidents happen at intersections.

Generally, across various jurisdictions -

- 40% of crashes at intersections. 50% of fatalities at intersections.

Intersections: not safe.

[GordonH]

^^^ that's funny Grandan, I would suspect a vast majority of crashes/accidents happen at intersections.

Findley Road was an uncontrolled intersection, trying to get onto the Hwy at that point across 4 lanes was bad enough, 6 would be suicide, laugh it up.

Well, how about this as a solution.
If heading north (on Hwy97) off Finlay continue as usual.
If heading south (on Hwy97) go to Stremel Rd then Mayfair to McCurdy & a set of traffic lights already installed.

Heading north from Loyd or Totom would be a different story I'd rather see them be connected, then connect Totom to Cambro. Instead of installing another traffic light on Hwy 97, there is already 19 traffic lights from the Bridge to the airport.

[Queen K]

My commute takes me exactly 8 minutes.
!

Gives you good reason to not complain about traffic as you spend no time in it.

Good on you.

Some of us though spend our lives being in it (traffic) for you.

And like me. Getting to the Kettle Valley Estates area at 8 am is a real education on how badly the city has blown the traffic infrastructure situation. Same with getting to Crawford Estates and to all the upper Mission areas. Remember, when they are coming down, I'm going up, so the snake of traffic I see is not what Even Steven sees after eight long minutes.

And Dirtybiker, I'll bet if ES had to do our jobs, he would not be so complacent about traffic.

[Terris]

The city is marching north and the infrastructure to support it is also is also moving north.
Driving along Hwy 97 N toward Sexsmith from McCurdy Road the new highway widening is spectacular especially with the new Porche dealership.
Spokane also does not have an an Agricultural Land Reserve which is the fly in the ointment of Kelowna. Where you going to put these big box stores, when it is all farmland?

Talk about flies in the ointment...

I'm of the opinion that developers are the flies in the Kelowna ointment.

Which would be a more soothing balm to the traffic enraged soul, which has been snatched away by death, in the most unnatural way, at a Kelowna traffic intersection?

A. Pastoral living in the former Okanagan farmland like once existed in Glenmore and throughout the valley or;

B. All the wonderful the "developments" , like Porsche dealerships, that have literally paved the paradise the once existed here?

Land "developers" have been given carte blanche here by a succession of Mayor Smiley McGladhands and lackey councillors, and all this unchecked development is starting to shed it's lipstick and reveal that true costs of rampant development.

Homelessness, increased crime and policing costs, increasing taxes, clogged traffic, increased pollution, unaffordable housing, unavailable rental accommodations etc., are the benefits for the for the working poor; while "developers" sit high in the surrounding hills in their baronial estates looking down on the masses hopelessly toiling away beneath them.

Short of turning back time, I think it's time that every developer should be held responsible, in perpetuity, for any subsequent future infrastructure changes and costs associated to these developments instead of foisting them onto the tax paying public.

You wannabe the big wheel "developer' here than step up and pay the costs of your long term mess.

The development game here in Kelowna is really just a MLM pyramid scheme that the real estate "industry" would have you believe is of HUGE benefit for all who choose to be duped and buy in.

We can't all be millionaire property flippers, making unrealistically obscene profits; it's time to get a grip on all this...

this...

"development"...

[Grandan]

^^^ that's funny Grandan, I would suspect a vast majority of crashes/accidents happen at intersections.

Findley Road was an uncontrolled intersection, trying to get onto the Hwy at that point across 4 lanes was bad enough, 6 would be suicide, laugh it up.

Well, how about this as a solution.
If heading north (on Hwy97) off Finlay continue as usual.
If heading south (on Hwy97) go to Stremel Rd then Mayfair to McCurdy & a set of traffic lights already installed.

Heading north from Loyd or Totom would be a different story I'd rather see them be connected, then connect Totom to Cambro. Instead of installing another traffic light on Hwy 97, there is already 19 traffic lights from the Bridge to the airport.

Maybe offer your services to MOTH, I'm sure they could use a person like you who thinks outside the box.

I have no doubt that the proper location and number of traffic signals was established using the best modeling they have available but I am sure you can top them with your brilliance.

[GordonH]

Maybe offer your services to MOTH, I'm sure they could use a person like you who thinks outside the box.

I have no doubt that the proper location and number of traffic signals was established using the best modeling they have available but I am sure you can top them with your brilliance.

No thank-you, I will stay right were I am.

As it is traffic flow is totally f ed along Hwy 97/Harvey, any positive changes should have been done 40+ years ago its to late now.

[Tack]

I think the mass of multi-family developments in Glenmore is great! There is the large and expanding shopping area up on Kane which goes well to create a central area for a dense population who can walk to shopping, schools and potentially work. John Hindle Drive is being completed soon which should ease traffic in a few areas. What could use some work is the intersection of Kane and Glenmore which, with Drysdale opened up, is becoming too busy to handle all these little entrances and exits. Kelowna doesn't have enough room for people to keep building single family homes; creating a more dense community like that is great for the businesses, families and the city.

[lightspeed]

I think the mass of multi-family developments in Glenmore is great! There is the large and expanding shopping area up on Kane which goes well to create a central area for a dense population who can walk to shopping, schools and potentially work. John Hindle Drive is being completed soon which should ease traffic in a few areas. What could use some work is the intersection of Kane and Glenmore which, with Drysdale opened up, is becoming too busy to handle all these little entrances and exits. Kelowna doesn't have enough room for people to keep building single family homes; creating a more dense community like that is great for the businesses, families and the city.

That area is now a ghetto.

It will remain a ghetto.

Glenmore used to be beautiful, quiet and safe.

Now it's a gongshow. It will always be a gongshow.

"Progress".