Penticton Council to Vote on Six‑Storey Development at Historic Downtown Site

Penticton City Council will hold a public hearing on August 18 to decide whether to amend a zoning bylaw and allow six‑storey residential buildings at 434 Lakeshore Drive. The site, formerly occupied by the historic Warren House built in 1912 for J.J. Warren, the first president of the Kettle Valley Railway, was destroyed by a gas explosion in March 2022 and has remained vacant.

Councilors will consider a bylaw that would change the Official Community Plan designation from Low‑Density Residential to High‑Density Residential and remove the property from the Penticton Heritage Registry. Property owners Peter and Paula Ruutel have submitted a letter of intent stating that neighbouring single‑family homeowners expect the application and have not objected. Public consultation from May 14 to June 16 showed 51 % of respondents opposed the change, citing concerns about height and neighbourhood character, while 23 % supported higher‑density housing. Councilor Campbell Watt expressed reservations about the building’s height, preferring a three‑ to four‑storey limit.