Kelowna council will be dealing with several rezoning files when it returns for the first public meeting of 2025 on Jan. 13.

Rental only projects are proposed for Wardlaw Avenue, Brookside Ave., Cadder Ave., Osprey Ave., St. Paul Street, and Wilkinson St. 

Council will also look at approving a rezoning application for an affordable housing project led by former Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick. YeYe Housing Society proposes a 20-unit townhome development at 1028 and 1030 Houghton Road near Ben Lee Park.

As well, council will give initial consideration to rezone a property at 2009 Enterprise Way that would allow Flora Cannabis to potentially open a fourth outlet in the city. Staff have endorsed the application and recommended sending a positive referral to the Provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).

Kelowna's zoning rules typically require cannabis stores to be at least 500 meters apart, and there is another property that is currently zoned for retail cannabis sales, located at 2090 Harvey Avenue, within that parameter. However, that store has closed, and no valid cannabis retail license exists for that property. 

Based on this, city staff determined that the 500-meter rule does not apply in this case. The city introduced the rule in 2019 to prevent cannabis stores from clustering in one area.