Colour upsets Bella Vista Road neighbours

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: May 29, 2013 1:00 AM

mqn architects graphic

A proposed development has some Vernon residents seeing red. Neighbours along Bella Vista Road and Heritage Drive told city council Monday that they oppose current plans for a 28-unit multi-family project for a variety of reasons, including the exterior colour. “Who in their right minds decided on this ochre colour?” said resident Sandra Thompson. “When I have to look at all of those townhouses, I will be very angry.” Thompson also suggested that the colour of the development could hurt her property value. “No one will buy my house right across from a bright red townhouse,” she said. Robert Buchan also questioned the colour. “There are other colours so it could blend in with the neighbourhood,” he said. Darrin Collie, a design manager with MQN Architects, the applicant, defended the colour. “These are quality finished but colour is subjective,” he said. “There has been an overwhelming response to the project, layout and colour.” On Monday, city council approved a variance so the number of storeys can go from 2.5 to three. That move angered neighbour Rose Pollock. “Bella Vista Road has some of the best view properties. With three storeys, my view will be severely impacted,” she said. However, Collie says rooflines will be lower than Bella Vista Road. Coun. Patrick Nicol says there was little the city could do about the colour of the development. “We don’t usually get into that but in any neighbourhood, people have a vested interest in what happens,” he said. Support for the developer came from Mayor Rob Sawatzky. “I thought the colour was striking and OK,” he said. As for the other concerns, Nicol says the city was limited because the project fits within the official community plan. “The height is less than if it was 30 single-family residential units,” he said. Coun. Brian Quiring declared a conflict of interest during discussions as he is a partner in MQN Architects.