High-rises, check. Townhomes, check.听
Sidewalks, parks, beaches, check, check, check.听
But wheresa国际传媒 the school?
The absence of a future school site in a plan intended to guide the redevelopment of sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 downtown north end caught the eye of several city councillors during a presentation Monday on the $400 million investment plan for the area.
鈥淭he one thing I was wondering about was school sites,鈥 said Mayor Tom Dyas, noting no such site was identified in the documents presented to council.听
鈥淲hen I look at this as a community plan, it just seems vacant not to have a place for the children to go to school,鈥 agreed Coun. Luke Stack. 鈥淭o me, that seems to be one of the fundamental building blocks of a big neighborhood area.鈥
City staff said they had consulted with representatives of Central Okanagan Public Schools as the plan was developed. 鈥淏ut as the plan neared completion, the school district said that they would not be able to commit to a specific site at this time,鈥 planner Robert Miles said.听
鈥淲e鈥檝e signalled in this plan that we would continue to work with the school district,鈥 Miles said.听
Earlier this year, the school district said a new school in sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 fast-growing downtown was its top capital priority.听
鈥淚tsa国际传媒 where we鈥檙e really seeing a lot of our population growth, particularly with young people already coming into downtown sa国际传媒, and where we expect a lot more young families to be in the future,鈥 superintendent Kevin Kaardal told The Daily Courier in April.听
Asked at the time when the need for a downtown elementary school will become critical, Kaardal said: 鈥淎s soon as possible is always our answer to that question. I needed some school sites yesterday. I needed new schools to open yesterday.鈥
However, the provincial government has not yet approved the necessary funding for the district to buy land for a future downtown school, much less approved its construction.听
Downtown sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 population rose 24 per cent, to 16,605, between 2016 and 2021, making it the third fastest-growing central core in Canada, after Montreal and Halifax, according to Statistics Canada. Downtown sa国际传媒sa国际传媒 population has surged even more since 2021, with hundreds of new homes in condos and apartments either completed since then or under construction.听
Generally, city councillors expressed satisfaction with the proposed downtown north end plan, which is intended to guide development in the area bounded by Okanagan Lake, Knox Mountain, Trench Place, and Clement Avenue.听
鈥淭his is all very exciting and forward-thinking,鈥 Coun. Mohini Singh said. 鈥淲e almost have to think seven generations ahead.鈥
The north end plan anticipates the addition of about 6,000 homes, or 12,000 people, throughout the area including the coming redevelopment of the old Tolko mill site in the coming years. Currently, the area has about 1,600 residents.
鈥淭hatsa国际传媒 a significant increase, six or seven times at least what we presently have, for residential densification,鈥 Coun. Ron Cannan said.听
sa国际传媒 2,400 people work in the downtown north end. Expectations are that number will rise to about 5,500 in the future.听
With councilsa国际传媒 unanimous approval of the draft plan, Staff will refine some details and bring back the necessary bylaw and zoning amendments at a future date.听
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