City shoots down revisions for seniors home

Nov 24 2006 http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/
Plans for a new seniors boarding home at the former Hansel and Gretel Motel are up in the air after Penticton council rejected revisions to lower the cost of the building. The owners asked council if they could build a walkway covered by aluminum rather than wood to save money. City planner Donna Butler said the opening of the boarding home has been delayed because the owners are refusing to comply with the original development permit issued in 2004. “And it appears that the delays have impacted the financial status,” she said. But these apparent cries of poverty failed to impress staff and council. Mayor Jake Kimberley said the proposed changes would not conform with the existing building located at the intersection of Skaha Lake Road and Green Avenue West. Coun. Rory McIvor agreed, noting that the owners are planning to run revenue-generating business.
“This is a high-profile corner and ... it should look nice,” he said. Councillors Randy Manuel and Garry Litke — who called the proposed revisions “sub-standard” — also voted against the proposed revisions. The owners — who did not return a call from the Penticton Western News seeking comment — can still go ahead with their plans for a facility if they follow the original development permit with the original design. Supporters of the revisions conceded that the original design is superior. Coun. John Vassilaki said it would have been “gorgeous.” But he, along with councillors Dan Ashton and Joanne Grimaldi, supported the revisions because the community needs facilities like the one proposed for the Hansel and Gretel site. “Possibly, they (the owners) were too grandiose in their scheme,” said Grimaldi. But the proposed aluminum panels would not have distracted, she said, noting the rising cost of wood. This is not the first time this development received criticism from council members. When council first considered the development in 2004, several members demanded the owners cover the walkways connecting the building to protect seniors from the effects of bad weather. While the public heard those safety concerns again during Monday’s discussion, McIvor said the issue goes beyond them. This is a case of the city expecting developers to live up to their promises, he said. This point was also made as council discussed two other developments whose design has changed since receiving initial approval. But they — unlike the Hansel and Gretel proposal — received approval for their requested revisions.