Council reads what residents write. Below: how to act, plus answers to the most common questions and links to every primary document.
A short, factual letter is entered into the public record. Must reach the City Clerk by 4:00 PM, Monday June 22.
Add your name and Kelowna address so Council can see verified neighbourhood support.
Each member of the public has up to 5 minutes to address Council, in person or online. We can help you prepare.
Many in the Upper Mission who use Gordon Drive daily never received notice. Download a handout to share.
Each member of the public has up to 5 minutes; the applicant has up to 15. No advance registration is required — just come. Attend in person at Council Chambers, 1435 Water Street (doors open 30 minutes before), or join online via Microsoft Teams. Both carry the same weight.
The strongest speakers focus on one concrete concern, speak from lived experience, and close with a clear ask. Sign up and tick “willing to help” and we’ll coordinate so speakers don’t overlap.
Three ready-to-print handouts, each with a QR code to this site. Drop one in a mailbox, pin one to a community board, or hand one to a neighbour. All are PDFs.
A full-page summary of the proposal, the concerns, and how to act. One per sheet.
For pinning to a board at a school or store, with tear-off tabs people can take with them.
A compact half-page card to hand to a neighbour. Two per sheet — just cut in half.
Printing tip: a home printer or any copy shop handles all three. Regular letter paper is fine for the flyer and poster; card stock works well for the hand-out cards.
We’ll email you when the revised traffic study is released, when there are specific actions to take, and with a final reminder before June 23. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kelowna does need housing, and Gordon Drive can be part of that. The existing zoning combined with provincial Bill 44 already permits substantial additional housing here without rezoning — the applicant’s own analysis says up to 64 units.
The question is not “housing or no housing.” It is whether to grant a discretionary OCP amendment to a proposal that funnels 65 households onto a school-frontage arterial through one unsafe access point, in exchange for no public benefit. That is a planning question.
Gordon Drive is the arterial the Upper Mission and South Kelowna depend on every weekday morning. The bottleneck at this stretch already produces “dangerous” merge conditions at 8:30 AM, before this development adds anything. If you drive Gordon Drive at commute times, this affects you — and your written submission carries the same weight as a resident’s.
Whether construction is imminent is the wrong question. The OCP amendment and rezoning attach to the land permanently. Once adopted, any owner can build up to 65 units, and the Development Permit stage that follows is largely procedural. The neighbourhood’s only opportunity to weigh in is now.
No. Bill 44 requires the City to permit up to four small-scale units on most lots — already met by the existing zoning. The OCP amendment and rezoning are not required by provincial law. They are discretionary decisions that go above what the Province mandates.
Thoughtful development that respects the three principles: safety, sensitive transition, and contribution. Appropriate density and form for the street, safe vehicle access like the curb extension required of the neighbouring strata, a complete traffic study covering both peaks during a regular school week, and a real public benefit. Thoughtful densification, yes. Skipping the steps the City’s own policy requires, no.
Staff recommendation is one input. Under the Local Government Act, Council weighs it against the broader public interest and the City’s own policies. Council is not bound by the staff recommendation and exercises its own judgment on each application.
Every claim on this site is drawn from public City documents, the applicant’s own materials, or BC statute. The file number is OCP25-0023 / Z25-0053.
The City’s development-applications map. Search the site to open the file.
Agendas, staff reports, minutes, and on-demand video.
Adopted January 10, 2022. The land-use framework to 2040.
The adopted bylaw text and consolidated amendments.
The City’s explanation of the steps, readings, and public hearing.
The Province’s overview of OCPs and the legislation behind them.
cityclerk@kelowna.ca · 250-469-8645 · 1435 Water Street. Submissions by 4:00 PM, Monday June 22.
Tell Council that Gordon Drive deserves development that is safe, properly studied, and fits the neighbourhood.
Sign the petition