Photo: Contributed

Plans to subdivide the Summerland Motel into a motel and two-building apartment complex.

The people of Summerland neighbourhood Trout Creek appear to have strong opinions about a proposed apartment complex, with so many wanting a say at a public hearing that it had to be rescheduled to a larger venue.

The owners of the Summerland Motel, located on Tait Street in Trout Creek a few kilometres south along Highway 97 from downtown Summerland, are seeking district council's approval to subdivide their lot, half to continue as a motel and half for long-term rental apartments. 

A public hearing on the matter slated for Monday had to be pushed, due to too many members of the public wanting to have their say in the small space at District Hall. 

"We are going to set up the public hearing at the Summerland Arena in the banquet hall," announced corporate officer Karen Needham. "The larger facility will allow up to 30 members of the public to attend at one time. Council chambers are limited to one or two at a time."

The new date is Nov. 9, and Needham explained that anyone already registered for Monday's postponed meeting need not re-register as a speaker. 

Many members of the public have already had their say about the proposal through well over a dozen letters sent to council, most opposed, as well as two petitions against it. 

A common theme throughout the letters is an assertion that the proposed apartments — five one-bedrooms and 22 studios — don't fit the family theme of Trout Creek.

Many also point to a lack of amenities in the neighbourhood, with the nearest full grocery store kilometres away up the highway in downtown Summerland and a lack of public transit options to get there, as well as lack of parking in the area. 

Others list concerns that lower cost housing options would lead to an uptick in petty theft, crime and drug use. 

One of two letters in favour came from T. Frances, a self-described 50-year-old newly single woman with a job and a car looking for an affordable one bedroom in the district, who felt discouraged reading some of the negativity in other letters in opposition. 

"The basic amenities are only a short drive away and to think that would be too much for me and acceptable for residents of Trout Creek is absurd. Please don’t assume people who can only afford an entry level apartment are going to be bad," Frances wrote. 

"Most people who take the time to get qualified for a mortgage and purchase a small place are proud people. Step back and think of how proud you feel to own your home. It is a luxury."

The public can register to speak at the public hearing up until noon on Nov. 9, and will go through routine COVID-19 screening.