Penticton’s council will consider whether to promise up to $2.8 million in taxpayer funds for the proposed 700-home Wiltse area expansion at its June 7 meeting.
The results of the city’s public engagement on the multi-phase rezoning for the massive North Wiltse Block will be presented along with several recommendations from staff.
City council will be asked whether to send the project to public hearing where updates to the Official Community Plan and zoning bylaw will be required as well as whether to commit to those financial contributions.
Those contributions are currently a proposed 15 per cent of the costs for expanding the city’s treated water infrastructure with a dedicated feeder line to the new developments, and a 50 per cent contribution for a proposed separated bike lane and traffic calming on Wiltse Boulevard.
The traffic around and connecting to the proposed new development was a point of concern from a number of residents, as well as the potential wildfire risk of creating a new interface area and the water requirements for the new development.
According to the staff report, the applicant for the project has provided a plan that would include funding and building a new reservoir to provide capacity for the first phase of the project.
The applicant will also be responsible for building all of the roads, sidewalks, electrical lines, water lines, sanitary sewer lines and storm sewer lines in the development, which are estimated at $57 million in initial capital costs.
The bike lane would connect from the North Wiltse Block to the Lake-to-Lake route, and the city’s contribution would cost an estimated $1 to $2.5 million.
READ MORE: Proposed 700-home development in Penticton causes concern for traffic, habitat, trails
Construction on the bike lane would occur ahead of the second phase of the North Wiltse Block development, when it is connected to Wiltse Boulevard. The development would be well under way before the bike lane would proceed, according to the city’s senior communication advisor Shane Mills.
A separate public engagement process is planned as part of the bike lane project, in order to incorporate community input in the design and in anticipation of street parking changes and curb works along Wiltse Boulevard.
To pay for the water feeder line to cross Ellis Creek, city staff are recommending a specific development cost charge for the area or a similar fee to recoup the $300,000 in costs.
A cost-sharing and cost-recovery method for the bike lane would include an agreement with the developer.
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