Is this going to be another building built and occupied by out-of-towners and the wealthy?

No.

The homes are targeted to median income earners as attainable market housing so that Kelowna residents can live, work and play downtown. We want people living and working downtown to support local businesses and increase the safety, livability and energy of downtown. Today the least expensive new highrise home is priced at $700,000 compared to the Monaco one-bedroom home at $252,000. The requested variances enable us to offer the units at a much lower price point for home owners.

• 118 of the 250 homes (47%) are priced to attract working wage earning households at or below the Okanagan median average income of $53,500.
• 42 one bedroom homes are priced to attract those earning $40,000 / year.

Is there demand for this type of housing? Aren’t there already too many condos in Kelowna?

The Monaco has done its market research and is confident that the units can appeal to a market niche which values quality, affordable, downtown, urban green living. Through the variances requested, we are able to provide a more competitive price point for median-income earners looking for an alternative to other housing options.

When will it be built? Who is paying for it?

The Monaco project is financed by the developer and will begin construction based on market conditions. The planning process is a long range process – as you can see the Monaco has already been in various stages of planning for 6 years. Having completed rezoning (March 6, 2012), approval of DP permits are still several steps away from building permit, construction and occupancy. The plan is to begin construction as soon as the permits are in order with a projected start date of 2014.

What is a Community Amenity Contribution? Is the city taking bribes for development?

Community Amenity Contributions are a reality of development. It is a very common practice across BC and no development project is approved without some level of Community Amenity Contribution often referred to as “voluntary gifting”. Many city amenities are built from Community Amenity Contributions. This is how the City funds new capital park projects, street-scaping, sidewalks, landscaping, and many other amenities throughout the city without raising taxes.

City Staff challenged the developer to contribute a similar amenity fund as was offered by the Aquilini ’24’ tower on Bernard. The developer originally offered to promote local arts and culture with a contribution for public art and a non-profit art gallery for emerging creative class artists; however, City staff had concerns about the operation of the space. As such, the developer of the Monaco was encouraged to match the proportion of the Aquilini proposal with a gift of $1.3 Million, to be shared between the Affordable Housing Fund and the Downtown Amenity Reserve fund.

The City has invested considerable time and funds into creating a Downtown Plan. Why does the Monaco project not fall within these guidelines?

The Downtown Plan was recently adopted (2012) while the Monaco planning and design has been ongoing since 2006. Since 2006 the City has seen a new OCP, CD Zone 21, and a new Downtown Plan. While the DT Plan includes some notable policy guidelines to guide future growth, it does not consider the economic reality of development. In order to make the Monaco project financially viable, bank financed, and affordable to the median income range, it needs to achieve certain efficiencies through scale. These variances reflect the reality of today, including the costs of land and construction, while striving to offer downtown living options for a range of incomes. The Monaco aims to provide a product at 50% the cost per square foot of the Madison and Aquilini projects.

Where is everyone going to park? There is already a shortage of downtown parking.

The proposal includes a 4 storey podium for parking which will include 226 of the required 275 parking stalls for the project. In accordance with the bylaw, $1,170,000 cash-in-lieu is being provided for the remaining 49 stalls so the City can build another central business district parkade. The Monaco also includes car-share program so owners can avoid having a second car may not be needed. This is a big saving for a family. Furthermore, a KGH shuttle for resident hospital workers and out of town patients and their families. These measures, plus the proximity of living near shopping, jobs, entertainment and recreation, encourage trips by bike and walking reducing the need for vehicle use.

What are the requested variances?

Variances: Monaco is requesting 7 variances:
• Building Height – Lower height variance requested than Aquilini
• Sun Angle – Slight encroachment into the lane
• Lane setback – Slight encroachment on the lane (less than Aquilini)
• Interior lot line setback – less than Aquilini
• Horizontal dimension above 15m
• Tower spacing (30m varied to 10m)
• Floor plate – 17% more residential area over bylaw guideline (enabling prices to become attainable for working Kelowna residents)

Variances are common requests for development. The Madison project required eight variances including height, floor plate, parking, setbacks and sun angle. Most significantly, the maximum floor plate size was from 672m2 to 1300m2 (floors 4-7) and 815m2 (floors 8-15) representing a 92% and 21% increase respectively.

The Aquilini building (corner of Bernard and Pandosy) is also supported by staff (and was approved by Council March 6, 2012) despite having many very similar variance requests as the Monaco building. When the Downtown Plan was approved, the Aquilini project received exemptions from other DT guidelines, despite having a lapsed their Development Permit (ie. same place in the process as Monaco). Furthermore, the Aquilini project is actually bulkier with a proposed 65% tower site coverage compared to Monaco’s 47%. At 27 storeys, the Aquilini project will exceed 6 storey buildings identified in the DT plan for that neighbourhood.

Although Development Permit / Development Permit Variance were also on the agenda for the March 6th Council meeting, at the request of City staff and Council, we postponed the Development Permit until April 3rd, thus allowing more time for discussion and understanding between all parties of the benefits of the project to Kelowna.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what Monaco offers (jobs, attainably priced homes, funds for general downtown improvements and green building excellence. Most importantly, the requested variances actually make it possible for Monaco to be affordable for most home buyers starting in the low $200,000s. The Monaco group has also come forward with $1.3 Million towards the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy and Downtown Amenity Reserve Fund and is requesting similar variances as the staff supported Aquilini project on Bernard Ave.

For more information, please check out our project profile

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please click here

What can you do to help:

Send a quick email to Mayor and Council: express your support the Monaco Development Permit to mayorandcouncil@kelowna.ca referencing “Monaco Development Permit” and please include your civic address.

Feel free to add a few personal lines about why you support it…for example, to bring more people downtown, to increase business, to increase street safety, to create a more livable downtown, to provide downtown housing options for the middle class, to promote sustainable living and building construction, to create additional jobs…etc etc. It should only be a few lines and take a minute or two of your time.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our office at (250) 860-8185 or www.newtownservices.net

While respecting the existing fabric of the Glenrosa neighbourhood, this project provides an enlightened approach to suburban living. In the rezoning proposal for the 14.5 hectare site (36 acres), a mixture of housing choices and a neighbourhood commercial area diversifies the land uses available in the neighbourhood.

Like the existing neighbourhood, the Lower Glenrosa plan offers single family residential, but also compact lots and townhomes for lower maintenance lifestyles and greater attainability. Age-in-place opportunities for Glenrosa residents are reflected by offering townhome units with private entrances. The modest commercial area provides opportunities for retail shops and service amenities, with linking sidewalks and pathways ensuring easy access by foot or bike.

In collaboration with the District of West Kelowna and the Glenrosa Residents’ Association, park planning comprised a significant consideration in planning the site. Over 11% of the total area will be dedicated as park or trail. A natural park with a lookout point to Okanagan Lake is offered at the summit of a bluff in the southern area of the site. A linear park links the commercial space in the east with homes in the western site area. An improved playground park will be situated adjacent the existing community, providing a hub for new and existing families to gather and play. Wildlife corridors are preserved on-site through east/west connections to the adjacent Crown land.

The application for rezoning received 2nd Reading in December 2011, and is anticipated for adoption in Spring 2012.

Completed in May 2011, the Big O Tires building is the first of nine buildings planned for the Okanagan Centre Business Park in West Kelowna.   The building design sets the tone for the remainder of the development and received an award at the OMREB 2011 Commercial Building Awards. 

While the building footprint is quite simple, visual interest is created through the use of colour and shape along with the addition of small and subtle details.   The vertical flaring of the corner concrete elements give height and focus and emphasize the curtain wall glazing that provides natural light in the shop. The reveals and recessed areas in the concrete delineate changes in materials and draw attention to the store’s front entrances.

This building design features a simple shaped footprint that maximizes the commercial frontage to Bredin Road.  The existing building  was dated with an unattractive metal brow awning. The building is very utilitarian being located in a more industrial part of town but being so close to the Springfield corridor the client wanted to enhance the look of the building by redesigning the exterior fascade and consolidating several commercial units into one. 

Now the headquarters for Canscribe Career College we proposed to soften the overall mass of the building by: increasing the upper and lower window sizes, change the dated jumbo orange brick to a softer warmer natural stone product, create a larger more usable entrance, add sun shades to the upper windows to reduce heat gains in the late afternoon and add visual interest with shadows and depth. 

The renovation included complete interior remodel that accommodates 12 administrative offices, 12 computer stations, 1 classroom, 1 conference hall and support functions such as kitchen and exercise facility.   

The exterior materials are a combination of acrylic stucco, wood fascias and natural stone veneer.  These materials, along with the corresponding rich colour palette create a visual appeal and diversity and provide a sophisticated addition to the existing context.

The mixed-use downtown project will include two towers on a 4 storey podium. It will include 241 residential units, 9 work/live lofts, office space, ground floor commercial / retail, and non-profit gallery space. A residential hotel program will also allow Kelowna General Hospital long term stay options for out-of-town patients, including a shuttle program. The development will use the latest technology for energy management, including rain barrel catchments systems, passive solar capture systems, water conservation technology, care share programs, xeriscape planting and other sustainable features.

Due to its size, City staff currently recommends non-support of the development. On December 13th, the new City Council will have the opportunity to approve (or deny) the development, at which point the development will be constructed over the next two years.

This is the community’s final opportunity to convince Council that this is what Kelowna needs and wants for its downtown core.

The community is encouraged to write a letter of support to Mayor and Council at mayorandcouncil@kelowna.ca and to cc: malindi@newtownservices.net

For more information, please check out our project profile at www.newtownservices.net/monaco-highrise or the following brochure . Please also contact Malindi Elmore  or Keith Funk at (250) 860-8185 if you have any additional questions.

Designed for the Society of Hope, the largest non-profit housing provider in British Columbia, this $4.2 million, 11-unit, subsidized, transitional housing development is located on Gordon Drive.

The multi-family building includes eight two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units for women and children at risk of homelessness. The development also provides amenity rooms, administrative areas and a wheel-chair accessible unit.

Sustainable elements include ground source geothermal heating and cooling, high efficiency plumbing fixtures, low energy double glazing, low VOC finishes, xeriscaping, and formaldahyde-free flooring.

The project has received a number of awards, including one Gold and three Silver Tommies and a FortisBC Conservation Award.