Penticton council to consider 230-unit apartment building proposed for Riverside Drive

On Tuesday, Penticton City Council will be considering rezoning and development applications for an apartment building with more than 230 units.

The applicant is proposing to construct a six-storey, 234 unit strata apartment building at 270 Riverside Drive, which was home to the Ogopogo Motel before it was demolished in 2021.

Design plans show 28 studios, 117 one-bedrooms and 89 two-bedroom units with a variety of amenities such as indoor fitness, pool and hot tub, outdoor kitchen, indoor amenity room putting lawn and a bike repair and wash station.

Nearly 300 vehicle parking spaces would be available as well as 261 secure bike spaces.

The development would include a two level parkade.

In a report headed to council on Tuesday, city planning staff say that the development would be broken down into two phases.

The first phase would see 96 units built on Wylie Street and the second phase would see 138 units built on Riverside Drive.

In order to achieve this project, the applicant has submitted a zoning bylaw text amendment application to allow for vacation rentals, a mobile vending unit as well as changes to the rear yard.

A development variance application was also submitted to reduce the number of parking spaces, increase lot coverage, reduce the lot area and rear yard for phasing.

This is not the first development application submitted for the property. In 2011, city council approved a comprehensive development zone for a proposed 15-storey building with 218 units, however, that project was never built.

City staff are supportive of this application. Penticton council will review this application during the regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 1 pm.