Busy night for Summerland council

Tonight’s meeting of Summerland council begins with an update on the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen by Aaron McRann and Kim English.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation.

A controversial proposed seniors’ residential development on Banks Crescent is back on the agenda, too.

Director of development services Dean Strachan will provide an update on the Official Community Plan amendment and rezoning applications for the project, while citizen Jos Donkers will present 16 additional pages from a petition against it.

As of April 10, the hard copy petition had 1,337 signatures and the online petition 288, bringing the total number to 1,625.

Meanwhile, Jackson Friesen, president of Summy Holdings Corp., will make a presentation requesting that tipping fees be waived at the Summerland Landfill for approximately 40 loads of mixed materials resulting from the demolition of the Cannery building in Lower Town.

An unrelated agenda item will see council decide on a staff recommendation to increase the landfill tipping fees from $65 per tonne to $110.

Council will later consider other staff recommendations to approve two development variance permits.

The first is an application to reduce the front yard setbacks to allow for the construction of a single-family dwelling in the same format as existing homes within the strata at 10605 Cedar Ave.

The second is to reduce interior side yard setbacks at 14412 Garnet Ave. to sanction the location of existing chicken coops and to allow additional coops to be installed and the construction of six greenhouses.

Staff will also present a summary of the public open house held April 20 on the proposed expansion of Summerland Vistas. Council will then decide whether to proceed further with the application or to request a second public open house.

At the morning committee of the whole meeting, representatives of the Parkdale Place Housing Society will speak about the group’s proposal to develop mixed affordable housing on properties located at 12801 and 12817 Kelly Ave.

Council will also hear presentations regarding the feasibility study for an Okanagan Agriculture Innovation Centre and the establishment of a regional compost facility.

The committee of the whole meeting begins at 9 a.m. and the regular council meeting at 7 p.m.

Both are being held at the Municipal Hall, 13211 Henry Ave., and are open to the public.