Okanagan Mission Residents Association Questionaire Answers

Answers for OMRA booklet for incumbent candidate Michele Rule

1. Quality of life for residents of Kelowna
What is the most important thing you wish to address in your first year as a member of council? Please state your reasons.

I intend to continue focussing on balancing economic, environmental and social concerns through the decision making process – in order for our community to be healthy and for our citizens to thrive we must make balanced decisions.

2. Official Community Plan
Do you think that the OCP should be amended by City Council to allow for increased density? Please state your reasons.

The city is currently reviewing the entire OCP with input from the community, including the issue of increased density. The revisions will provide a better plan for the long-term development of the city. However, the OCP is always a “living” document and Council needs to be open-minded when reviewing future requests in order to make the best decisions for the community.

3. Sustainable development
Should environmental factors such as adequate local water supply and air quality limit the growth of the City of Kelowna? What do you see as its maximum desirable population? Please explain.

Water quality and air quality are paramount to quality of life for our citizens. I believe that these issues must be addressed on a regional basis in order to be truly effective which is why I support regional partnerships and initiatives such as the Okanagan Basin Water Board. I do not believe in artificially mandating a population cap for our city, but I do believe in the urban centre growth model and in limiting urban sprawl.

4. Simpson/Sawmill Covenant
Do you support the appeal of the Simpson/Sawmill Covenant decision by Madame Justice Catherine Bruce? Please explain.

I have continually supported the spirit and intent of the Simpson Covenant and I feel that Madame Justice Bruce’s findings of a charitable trust fulfill that spirit and intent. I am not in favour of pursuing an appeal of the decision. I am pleased that Madame Justice Bruce has indicated a willingness to work with the city to determine the parameters of the trust and how that might affect future land uses on the east side of Water Street.

5. Carriage Houses (RU6: Two-Dwelling Houses)
There appears to some concern in areas of the city (e.g. Kelowna North) where carriage houses have recently been built. Please provide your views on the continuation of this re-zoning program.

While the original zoning requirements for carriage homes created an unsuitable form for certain neighbourhoods, I feel that the current amended requirements generally provide for sensitive infill and help create an acceptable form of more affordable housing.

6. Secondary Suites (OCP Review Proposal)
Would you agree to allow secondary suites in every residential area with homeowners not having to go through the rezoning process? Please explain.

Secondary suites that require an exterior change or an addition to a building should continue to go through the re-zoning process. I would support secondary suites within existing buildings to move forward under the staff supervised building permit process without rezoning provided that issues of parking and building code are sufficiently addressed.