The Westcorp hotel....

[Jhunter199]

is the fire department equipped to fight a fire on the 30th floor...what's that going to cost the taxpayers for all new equipment. Maybe westcorp should flip the bill...or better yet the city counselors that voted yes. The next mayor is going to have one heck of a mess to clean up...I sure hope it's not him again. I know it's hard to say no to your buds but you might have to one day...for the sake of Kelowna.

No different equipment needed to fight a fire on the 30th floor than to fight a fire at the top of the waterscapes.

[LANDM]

*removed*

[fz6adventure]

*removed*

[TMBOkanagan]

I was there, and there was no reason for anyone to be "stuck out in the lobby". And there were several requests from the Mayor to ensure everyone who wanted to speak had the full opportunity to do so.

Nice try, dirtybiker. But sometimes facts get in the way of conspiracy theories.

There is no conspiracy theory at work here. Plain and simple the council meetings to attend for just 5 minutes voice to your position one way or the other are a charade. By design, having to wait until at least 10 PM on a work/school night for the opportunity to address council is insane and an obvious modus operandi to make it as difficult as possible to hear from the citizens. Any thoughtful council would know this was a hot button and should have been a sole agenda item to give people the chance to speak up. But then again it would not have mattered as the vote was pre-determined in any event.

If it was the SOLE agenda item - how is it fair to the other 7-10 applications to have to be bumped or delayed to a later date?

[Anonymous123]

Council went against the recommendations of the experts plain and simple. Not one of them has the qualifications to do this.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

[/quote]

There is no conspiracy theory at work here. Plain and simple the council meetings to attend for just 5 minutes voice to your position one way or the other are a charade. By design, having to wait until at least 10 PM on a work/school night for the opportunity to address council is insane and an obvious modus operandi to make it as difficult as possible to hear from the citizens. Any thoughtful council would know this was a hot button and should have been a sole agenda item to give people the chance to speak up. But then again it would not have mattered as the vote was pre-determined in any event.[/quote]

If it was the SOLE agenda item - how is it fair to the other 7-10 applications to have to be bumped or delayed to a later date?
[/quote]

So what would be wrong with a seperate hearing for an important issue ?

[Omnitheo]

Here's a letter to the editor posted on Castanet:

Town turned into a stripmall
Contributed - Feb 22, 2018 / 6:00 am | Story: 219259
The citizens of Peachland were stunned, as city council defied them by effectively rescinding the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP) to allow development that will set the stage for turning our pristine downtown into a massive strip-mall.

Statutory Public Hearings no longer serve as an avenue for public input, when city councillors are just sitting there, stonewalling the citizens. Without the constraints of an OCP, development will be out of control, and so will the costs to serve those developments, and taxes will be spiralling into orbit, as an intransigent city council has put Peachland on a collision course to meet that reality.

Politicians have embraced growth-at-any-cost to pursue their personal and political ambitions and teaming up with developers the doors for corruption are wide open.

The city of Vancouver opened the flood-gates to billions of dollars of drug and off-shore money, and it has destroyed the lower mainland real estate market, radically inflating the cost of housing. Today people are forced out of their homes because of huge increases in property taxes and rental space is becoming smaller and pricier, completely out of reach for the working people.

The Okanagan has not been immune to that tsunami, and city councillors up and down the valley have embraced this ‘fool’s gold’ like it was the salvation to make up for their financial shortcomings.

While Peachland city council turned their backs on the people to embrace an out of town developer, the Mayor of Kelowna voted no to the latest application to exceed the height restriction in the city’s OCP.

Does that mean there finally is light at the end of the tunnel?

Andy Thomsen

Don't know where Andy Thomsen got his information, but the "Mayor of Kelowna" sold out as well.

Andy Thompson is an idiot. Do you guys not all remember him? He and Zeger and Shae something ran together for council the year Shepherd won. They had proposals such as a “100 year community plan” despite the fact that our city was barely 100 years old itself at the time. (Imagine if all our roads were still only designed for horse and carriage and you still had to take ferries to cross the lake today) They proposed zero growth for the city. Basically capping the pop at 100k (despite the discredited Zeger having moved from Edmonton to Kelowna after the population had already surpassed that number). Basically new families would have to leave town, or wait for old people to die off.

Oh and then they proposed the canals through downtown. I’m sure you all remember that one. Zeger used to come to council meetings and hand out anti-development propaganda flyers to everyone full of bias and misinformation.

[Scrobins94]

I'm surprised this wasn't on the front page of Castanet last night when I checked.

Posted at 1:00 AM Feb. 21 2018

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/219415/33-storey-hotel-a-go

I saw it only temporarily on the front page yesterday morning. It seems to me like this is quite deserving of being a front pager, but Castanet decided not to I guess.

[WalterWhite]

Seems to actually have his head screwed on relatively straight according to his comments on the platform he previously ran under:

http://www.castanet.net/news/Decision-K ... or-Council

Andy Thomsen For Council
by Contributed - Story: 13070
Oct 18, 2005 / 6:00 am

Andy Thomsen Media Release

My family and I have been residents of Kelowna since '95. As a licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer I am involved with structural repairs and refurbishing of smaller commuter type aircrafts for operators in the Caribbean.

I am a Candidate in the November civic election because I have become very concerned about the loss of connection between City Hall and the citizens and the ongoing erosion of our quality of life.

We have to work together as a community to make sure our city becomes a safer place for families to live. We have to combat crime, drug use and homelessness using enforcement, prevention and treatment programs that produce results.

We have to build transportation infrastructure that will allow North-South traffic to cross Harvey Avenue without stopping the East-West flow. We need over- and/or underpasses in one form or another, and we need it soon, not 30 years from now.

As our city grows, so does the need for recreational space and facilities, including more parks and beaches for the families who will be living here.

We also need affordable, low cost housing for families who live and work here.

We must protect our waterfront and the intent of the Simpson Covenant, and say "NO" to the Lawson Landing proposal.

The continued erosion of our Official Community Plan (OCP) simply means that we are growing without the benefit of a plan.

When the time comes to review this document we must make sure our city is defined by the citizens of Kelowna, not city managers and developers.

The aggressive nature of the acquisition of land for the Greenway project is mind-boggling. The prospect of having to spend millions of dollars in ongoing litigation over this issue is simply not acceptable. We need a new team with a more amicable approach to handling this project.

We have to put an end to the aggressive corporate power structure we have at City Hall, and insist on direct citizen participation, like town hall meetings and referendums on major issues and a more open decision making process.

Remember, City Council's only mandate is to work in partnership with the citizens for the common good of the community.

I have a broad vocational background that will help me understand and find resolutions to these and many other issues.

As a former businessman and Co-op President I can relate to many aspects of our city's financial and operational activities, including labour relations and contract negotiations.

As a member of the municipal Council in Fruitvale, BC I chaired the Public Works and Finance committees.

As a member of Kelowna City Council with experience in public and private sector administrations, I will be the new fiscal watchdog.

[WalterWhite]

Regardless of the source, the message is clear. The current Kelowna city council is not adhering to recommendations from it's own planning department. This proposal has had nothing behind it except greed. Conspiracies? - not going to bring that into the fold, however as 60 just pointed out, this development has gone from a reasonable 14 stories, to 26 - and now approved at 33 - all for one thing as even their own PR head clearly spouted - because "it's more financially feasible". Doesn't take anyone with a degree in rocket science to understand more floors=more revenue.

I'm not saying developers shouldn't be allowed to make money - that's ridiculous. However this whole development has been nothing but a shell game that's been played out in city centers around the continent for decades - "well, we need to get 14 floors to make this profitable - let's go in asking for 20". Next round "the market's changed, and we need to get 26 to turn a profit, let's propose 35" - the final round, well, they simply got what they wanted because they finally got the right patsymayor to toss the recommendations of the city's own planning experts aside, all in the name of the developer's mighty dollar. Congratulations Basran, you've succeeded in leaving your mark on Kelowna in a very short time - unfortunately for the city and it's residents, it resembles the one in most people's underpants.

[Grandan]

You could build a 33 storey tower in Rutland on cheaper land, more solid solid ground and closer to the airport, so why doesn't Westcorp build there instead of the waterfront, well duh, because it is not economically feasible.
The cost of setting up pile drivers to support a 33 story hotel vs a 26 story hotel are so little different.
The footprint is about the same, the opportunity for owner units offsets the number needed for room rentals to generate the critical mass needed to support a hotel must also go up, all to realize a profit in 20 or 30 years time.
I do not question the size or location of this hotel. This will generate hundreds of local jobs short term and scores of jobs long term, jobs that are not piecework in the orchard jobs, these are year round well paid jobs, you know the kind that folks are asking for.

[alanjh595]

It's probably "the view". Who would pay big bucks for a view of Rutland?

[kenofkelowna]

Im going to add yet another "hot potato"into the fold. Developers once again ruled in crushing any chance of an affordable bypass within this city. Central Green golf course property, correct me if I got the name incorrect. Currently houses Home Depot, Walmart, and many other businesses. This was the only land feasable and affordable for a bypass. Consider the costs today and where would it go? Overpasses and underpasses, I just don't see it happening, and tax dollars to pay for it? The higher taxes will definitely drive people out of Kelowna similar to Vancouver citizens exit.
The greed of local businesses, council and mayor, fumbling the ball once again.
Hindsight, being what it is, CN sold their property right behind this
property which would of lent well to future widening and additional lane traffic. In its place we now have an additional Greenway access, so much more needed, sarcastically said.
Lets face it people, the elected councils of past, present, and sad to say, future, likely will continue the greed and arrogance of self indulgence.
The Westcorp fiasco proposal is yet further evidence of the direction this city is headed.
Planners on city staff have a Technical education and that education is taught, based mainly on history and qualified studies. How can these council members over rule them with
"No Formal" education to qualfy them.
I just hope with professional engineers and proper preloading for construction purposes, this doesnt end in a world class catastrophy costing 100's of innocent lives if this collapses. We are experiencing weather changes and flooding causing extreme high water tables.
I really enjoy the casual cruise down Hwy.97 in summer stopping every 30' and then just to hit a red light. If riding a motorcycle or peddle bike the exhaust fumes can give you a headache. And Kelowna council and Mayor want more people to ride bikes to work, booyah.
Lets sit back and enjoy the ride (sarcasm) folks because its a ride you wont want to miss and likely want to forget.

[johnny24]

Im going to add yet another "hot potato"into the fold. Developers once again ruled in crushing any chance of an affordable bypass within this city. Central Green golf course property, correct me if I got the name incorrect. Currently houses Home Depot, Walmart, and many other businesses. This was the only land feasable and affordable for a bypass. Consider the costs today and where would it go? Overpasses and underpasses, I just don't see it happening, and tax dollars to pay for it? The higher taxes will definitely drive people out of Kelowna similar to Vancouver citizens exit.
The greed of local businesses, council and mayor, fumbling the ball once again.
Hindsight, being what it is, CN sold their property right behind this
property which would of lent well to future widening and additional lane traffic. In its place we now have an additional Greenway access, so much more needed, sarcastically said.
Lets face it people, the elected councils of past, present, and sad to say, future, likely will continue the greed and arrogance of self indulgence.
The Westcorp fiasco proposal is yet further evidence of the direction this city is headed.
Planners on city staff have a Technical education and that education is taught, based mainly on history and qualified studies. How can these council members over rule them with
"No Formal" education to qualfy them.
I just hope with professional engineers and proper preloading for construction purposes, this doesnt end in a world class catastrophy costing 100's of innocent lives if this collapses. We are experiencing weather changes and flooding causing extreme high water tables.
I really enjoy the casual cruise down Hwy.97 in summer stopping every 30' and then just to hit a red light. If riding a motorcycle or peddle bike the exhaust fumes can give you a headache. And Kelowna council and Mayor want more people to ride bikes to work, booyah.
Lets sit back and enjoy the ride (sarcasm) folks because its a ride you wont want to miss and likely want to forget.

You're being so ridiculous. It's a 33 story building. This won't even get into the top 100 tallest buildings in Canada. Why would it collapse?

The planner's opinion was that the building was overwhelming, and said “I don’t know that the city or the public ever envisioned that the region’s tallest tower would be located on this specific property.” This opinion was obviously wrong.

[Anonymous123]

It may not collapse, but it is being built on unstable ground. Ever wonder why we have a floating bridge? This whole area, close to and including the lake bottom, has no real bedrock. Those sandy beaches occur naturally.