Thomson Flats was rejected by Kelowna City Council on March 1, 2021. City Staff were further instructed to remove the area from Kelowna's Permanent Growth Boundary in the draft 2040 Official Community Plan.
COMPLETING UPPER MISSION
IN KELOWNA, BC
OUR VISION: COMPLETING UPPER MISSION
KEY PROJECT INFORMATION: FACT VS FICTION
Fiction: Urban Sprawl
Fact: Suburban Infill
Thomson Flats is the missing piece of the Mission puzzle:
Pipes and utilities are in place and sized to accommodate this development In place roads connect to it It creates a ring road around Upper Mission and introduces new access It will reduce traffic pressures on other routes
Motorized vehicles have damaged the sensitive Rembler Creek environmental area.
Fiction: DESTRUCTION OF REMBLER CREEK
Fact: Restoration and remediation for improved biodiversity
Extensive environmental restoration will repair the damage done by motorized trespassers, farming, logging, wildfires and encroachment of suburban development. The 2003 Debris Fire Berm will also be repaired. Restoration will provide basic protection to the creek and its inhabitants, something it is currently missing. Restored, Rembler Creek will support a variety of activities: walking, jogging, dog walking, hiking, and cycling. This activity will be separated from the restored creek-bed, with a separate bike lane, multi-use path and a gravel trail.
Access to the park will be channeled and controlled - no more off-road vehicles. 117 ha or 46% of the site will remain naturalized.
Fiction: NATURAL HABITAT FOR THE GREAT BASIN SPADEFOOT TOADS WILL BE DESTROYED
Fact: Restored riparian habitat makes the Toads "at home"
We extensively studied the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad via GPS tracking to ensure that our restored creek habitat maintains the population and protects their breeding grounds. The restoration will return the creek to its original channel and create a riparian habitat with connectivity from Bellevue Creek corridor to the Okanagan.
Fiction: THOMSON FLATS WILL INCREASE COMMUTE TIMES SIGNIFICANTLY FOR CURRENT RESIDENTS.
Fact: SPR Adds New Access Options for residents of Mission and the Kettle Valley
As planned development proceeds in the Kettle Valley, South Ridge, and the Ponds, the traffic delays and commute times will increase without the development of Thomson Flats. The addition of South Perimeter Road, which connects Chute Lake Road to Gordon Drive, creates more route options through the area, and will reduce traffic and thus drive time throughout the area.
Fiction: School District 23 has enough capacity to accommodate planned growth.
Fact: SD 23 projects over 600 new students by 2030
School District 23 anticipates 650 new students by 2030, and 600 more by 2040. Thomson Flats accommodates a middle or small secondary school on up to 4.0 hectares with potential for sports fields. SD 23 has identified Thomson Flats as an ideal location for a new school.
Fiction: The area has enough traffic congestion, adding more homes will just make things worse.
Fact: Thomson Flats solves Upper Mission challenges
In addition to solving some of Upper Mission's key transportation frustrations, developing Thomson Flats adds a population base that makes Upper Mission more attractive for commercial activity. The addition of Thomson Flats will in essence make The Ponds commercial site viable, sooner. Commercial development in this area is well aligned with the City of Kelowna's 2040 OCP update, adding walkable retail services and employment opportunities. Overall, Thomson Flats is aligned with the fundamental principles of Kelowna’s 2040 OCP, including care of the natural and social environment, supporting economic development, a beautiful park amenity designed to support all transportation modes. It also solves a current and growing transportation challenge with a new access road built by the developer (rather than with city funds)
