Higher density, decreased parking requirements and local retail are among recommendations in a report focused on a downtown-adjacent portion of Salmon Arm.
At its Nov. 18 meeting, Salmon Arm's development and planning services committee spent an hour mulling over and discussing the Complete Communities report, funded through a Union of BC Municipalities grant and completed by consultant Licker Geospatial Consulting Co.
Planning and community services director Gary Buxton first provided an overview of the report, the result of a project he said was intended to "drive and inform new policy in the OCP (official community plan) and the zoning bylaw and provide us some guidance and direction…"
The report was the result of a study by Licker into the effects of land-use change in a high-density residential area (as designated in the OCP), south of downtown Salmon Arm.
"The study was formulated to test the effectiveness of land use policy under two alternate scenarios to drive change in a historically static area, as well as to quantify the outcomes of this expected change out to 2046," reads the report.
Buxton identified key findings in the study. Among them, the study area can accommodate a significant amount of new development and that the city has more "than ample development potential to meet our needs in the foreseeable future." Water and sewer improvement requirements are relatively minor, while "intensification in the study area will generate demand for new retail space that could be accommodated in the study area or in the lands immediately adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway."
"The additional retailing space should not negatively impact the viability of retailing in the downtown," reads a background on the report by Buxton.
Buxton also noted recommendations from the report, including rezoning the study area from R-10 (residential) to R-5 (high-density residential) or some variant, and that the new zoning should "facilitate taller buildings, amend the minimum parcel size, minimum frontage and reduce side setbacks."
"Parking minimums in the new zone should be reduced to one... stall per unit, and consider minimum bike parking requirements," continued Buxton.
He also noted the study suggested an elementary school might be needed in the study area in the future.
"Now we’re not experts on school and school planning, but what we think this means is we certainly need to be engaging with the school district on this and let them know about this and integrate this study into their school planning process," said Buxton.
Buxton stressed the report is not binding but intended as an instrument that can be, and has been used (with the ongoing OCP update) to direct policy. However, council had a number of questions, and some concerns.
Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said she felt some of the information in the report was contradictory.
"For instance, it wouldn’t significantly add children to the area but we are going to need a school…," said Lindgren. "It said that we wouldn’t see a significant increase in transit use but we should improve our transit because it’s not good enough."
Recognizing the report as a "10,000 foot overview of what could be," Coun. Tim Lavery asked about the need for increased building heights. Buxton pointed out the scenarios that came out of it were hypothetical, and that it is recommended "we have higher density and allow for some mixed use in the area."
"I think beyond that, at this point… we don't have any concrete recommendations above those two general directions," said Buxton.
Regarding the recommendations around retail, Lindgren asked if that could mean a grocery store. In response, Buxton said the thought is mixed-use buildings would cover retail needs.
"The larger retail is covered off in terms of there’s ample retail space in the existing zoning in and around the study area," said Buxton. "So we don’t need to rezone a portion of the study area to accommodate a new grocery store. That sort of issue isn’t there."
Coun. Kevin Flynn summed up the report as, "if we’re going to grow in a compact manner, follow our OCP and don’t down-zone."
"The other thing I will say is the whole idea of building the higher density in the OCP already… this close to town, is to support downtown businesses and businesses that are on the perimeter of this piece of map…," said Flynn.
The committee supported the motion that council, at an upcoming meeting, accept the report.
