New Town project featured in Okanagan Home Magazine

Bo.ttega is one of a small number of retreat venues that offer complete privacy and exclusive use of the entire facility for any function imagineable. Please click on this link to read the article in the Okanagan Home Magazine.

Glenmore’s Conservatory moving forward

New Town Architecture is pleased to announce the approval of our newly designed townhouse project for the Conservatory site at 773 Glenmore Road. Please click the following link to Capital News.

Freqently Asked Questions

New Town Urban Planning represents the Monaco developer Premier Pacific Group and based on public feedback, we have put together a “Frequently Asked Questions” page to address some questions:

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.

The Monaco

On March 6, 2012, The Monaco project received 4th reading of rezoning.

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

Tommie Awards

New Town Architecture is delighted to have received two Silver Tommie Awards for our work with Scuka Enterprises and Apple Valley Residences.

Monaco – Development Permit to be presented to Council February 2012

After five years of planning, the Monaco project has one last hurdle to clear. The Development Permit and 4th Reading will be presented to Kelowna’s new Council sometime in February.

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.

Bottega

Our newest project, Bottega, is now open!  Bottega is a modern farm inn set in beautiful South East Kelowna.  This gorgeous conference and retreat center highlights the beauty of natural wood and stone building materials and is set in a stunning location on 13 acres.  The Grand Opening is scheduled for spring 2012 but until then you can check out their website and take advantage of limited booking opportunities.

Link to Bottega Website

New Town Projects Receive OMREB Awards

New Town Architecture attended the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board’s (OMREB) third annual building awards event on October 27, 2011 and received recognition for three commercial buildings.

Awards were presented to the developers of the following New Town projects:

* Big O Tires, West Kelowna (Commercial)

* Kettle Valley Village Building, Kelowna (Commercial Retail) 

* Society of Hope’s Apple Valley Senior’s Housing, Kelowna (Community Senior’s Housing)

The gala event highlighted the best in commercial building in OMREB’s jurisdiction – from Peachland to Revelstoke – celebrating projects completed between January 1, 2010 and September 1, 2011.

Congratulations to our clients and all of the winners and nominees.

Glenrosa Public Meeting

New Town hosted a public information session on Thursday, August 18th, to present a rezoning plan for Lot 2, District Lot 3482, ODYD, Plan KAP 67438 (Glenrosa and Webber Road). The site is proposed for rezoning to Single Family Residential, Compact Single Family Residential, Low Density Multiple Family, Service Commercial and Park and Open Space.

It was a busy evening with nearly 50 people attending, including one member of Council. The public meeting was scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 at the Lions’ Hall in Westbank, with a presentation at 6:00 pm. Attendees began arriving shortly after 5:00 and the last person left after 8:00pm.

The community will have further opportunity for feedback at Public Hearing, which is anticipated for the Fall 2011.

Conservatory Project Makes Another Rise From the Rubble

Kelowna Capital News, August 26, 2011

New Town Architecture’s Project Manager Paul Schuster is pleased to be working on this project once again after it has sat unfinished for the past few years. Paul was interviewed for an article in the Kelowna Capital News regarding the project formerly known as The Conservatory. Paul is not the only one excited to see this project to the end, local residents and the community in general are all happy at the thought of seeing this vision to through to completion. Check out the Kelowna Capital News story here.

Registration with Alberta Association of Architects (AAA)

We are pleased to announce that our Senior Architect, Patrick McCusker, is now registered to practice in Alberta. With key team members holding licences with the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA), Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), we are able to offer our full range of services throughout BC, Alberta and across the country.

Kelowna Yacht Club Design Competition

New Town was pleased to be invited to participate in the recent design competition for the new clubhouse for the Kelowna Yacht Club.

Our design recieved 43% of KYC member votes and was chosen as the preferred design by 90% of respondents to a CHBC News Poll.

FortisBC Leadership Award Recipients

Each year the FortisBC PowerSense Conservation Excellence Awards recognize customers who have shown a commitment to innovation, conservation and sustainability by completing energy efficiency projects that save over 100,000 kWhs annually.

The winners were able to achieve these energy savings by incorporating energy efficiency measures into new facility or upgrade projects. Some of these measures include energy efficient lighting, heat recovery systems, variable speed drives and process controls.

By participating in FortisBC’s energy efficiency programs in 2010, these customers will save nearly 9,367 MWhs, or enough to power 730 homes for a year.

Since its inception in 1989, PowerSense programs have helped FortisBC’s customers in BC’s southern interior save nearly 360 million kWhs, enough energy to power some 28,000 homes each year.

Paul Schuster, New Town Architecture Urban Planning

Going the extra mile for your client can change your perspective and practices. Paul Schuster, project architect at New Town Architecture works with clients early in the planning process to include sustainable and energy efficiency options.

Schuster and the team at New Town worked with the Society of H.O.P.E. to create an energy efficient multi-unit residential building designed for women and their children in transition. The building features a geothermal system and achieved an EnerGuide rating of 84.

“We submitted the project on our own dime to FortisBC to help the Society earn a rebate,” says Schuster. “The rebate was put into the mortgage principle and will pay dividends for years.”

The positive experience has Schuster looking at introducing geothermal and making other efficient energy decisions early on in the design process, “Now that we have a better idea of the rebate process, we have stepped up work with our clients to present those options.”

Conservation Excellence

FortisBC Leadership Award

Congratulations to New Town Architecture’s Paul Schuster for recently being awarded the FortisBC Power Sense Leadership Award for his work on the Society of Hope’s Gordon Drive Transitional Housing building.   Completed in the fall of 2009, The Gordon Drive Transitional Housing building is an eleven unit building built for single mother’s in transition to permanent living arrangements.  The building engages conservation and sustainable features through the use of ground source geothermal heating and cooling, high efficiency plumbing fixtures, low energy double glazing, low VOC finishes, xeriscaping, and formaldahyde-free flooring.   The project was also recognized by the Federal Government’s Energuide Program for building conservation by acheiving a score of 84 points.   For more information, please refer to the project section of our website. 

Vicarro Ranch

Abbotsford, BC
Land Use Zoning and Official Community Plan Amendment

An open house was held on February 3, 2010 to provide information and garner feedback from the proposed land use zoning and Official Community Plan Amendment for Vicarro Ranch. 

Vicarro Ranch is a future master planned community located in the McKee Peak Mountain and Eagle Mountain area of east Abbotsford.  A 160 hectare (395 acre) plan for the area will include a cluster of five residential areas. Each cluster will be separated from others with natural open space and park land and will include an extensive trail and bike path system.  A major premise of the planning includes sensitivity to the environmental by avoiding steep slopes, preserving environmentally significant areas, and providing a large amount of natural open space.  Vicarro Ranch will offer a variety of housing types and options, including single family, duplex, townhomes and condominium units.   The Trethewey family ranch home site will present a legacy to the community by granting a destination park and amenity space for Abbotsford residents and visitors.  Abbotsford’s largest master planned project to date, Vicarro Ranch will set a benchmark for future sustainable planning in the City.

PDF Part 1        PDF Part 2

For more information, contact Don Erdely
d.erdely@telus.net
250.878.8993

The Waterfront, Awarded Gold Tommie

The Waterfront Resort, on Lake Okanagan, in West Kelowna was recently awarded a Gold Tommie for Excellence in creating a resort development.

Link to Waterfront

Gordon Transitional Housing Awarded 4 Tommies

 1 gold Tommie for Best Public/Private Partnership  and 3 Silver Tommies for Excellence in Low Rise Multi Family Development, Outstanding achievement in Environmental consideration and energy efficiency, and Excellence in creating affordable housing, were awarded to the Gordon Drive Transitional Housing Project.

Link to Gordon Transitional Housing