We have drafted a formal letter to Mayor Dyas and Council outlining clear, simple land-use amendments to preserve our heritage legacy. We need your voice to ensure Council acts.
The Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area (HCA) is facing an unprecedented threat from sweeping Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) density designations. While City Hall has indicated no further action will be taken, the Province of British Columbia has confirmed that Kelowna already holds the full legal authority and planning tools required to exempt our heritage neighborhoods from six-story apartment developments, land assemblies, and the destruction of our mature tree canopy.
Table of Contents
The Letter
Aug 20, 2026
Mayor and Council
City of Kelowna
1435 Water Street
Kelowna, B.C.Dear Mayor Dyas and Members of Council,
Re: Transit Oriented Area (TOA) overlapping the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area (HCA)
Unfortunately, this issue is still unresolved from the community’s point-of-view, regardless of the recent correspondence from City Manager, Doug Gilchrist (dated Aug 4th, 2026), to Mayor and Council which stated: “No further action is envisioned. We will apply our current bylaws and policies in the area”.
The Province of BC, through the correspondence of Ministers Farnsworth and Boyle, have clearly reiterated that the City of Kelowna has the planning tools necessary and the jurisdiction, to protect the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area from six-story apartment buildings, land assemblies and the loss of the mature tree canopy.
The community continues to hear from the Mayor and individual Council members that they support protecting Kelowna’s heritage resources, such as the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area, therefore, how is it that the City of Kelowna will not make the appropriate corrections to their own bylaws to protect the area?
We are requesting the following actions to resolve this:
- Add an Interpretive Note to the OCP stating that heritage guidelines take precedence where the
TOA overlaps the Heritage Conservation Area.- Amend the Official Community Plan to remove language that refers to the TOA in the HCA.
- Amend the Zoning Bylaws to return the TOA area in the HCA to RU1.
- Amend the Heritage Conservation Area Guidelines to remove TOArelated language and restore the original height, massing, and character protections.
The above actions will resolve the inconsistency and will provide clarity for staff, applicants and residents to ensure that heritage protections remain clear and enforceable.
We respectfully ask Council to direct staff to prepare the necessary amendments.
Thank you for your attention, again, to this matter.
Sincerely,
The Friends, Family, Visitors and Residents of the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area
Note: 750 signatures have been collected from community members that value this area and do not want to see TOA density development in the HCA.
How to Send the Letter
Choose the option below that works best for you to make sure Council hears from our community:
Send a Direct Email (Fastest and Easiest)
Copy the letter text, paste it into your email client, and send it directly to Mayor Tom Dyas and Kelowna City Council.
- To: cityclerk@kelowna.ca & mayorandcouncil@kelowna.ca
- Subject: Protect the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area from TOA Zoning
Personalize Your Message (Most Impactful)
Copy the letter into your preferred word processor or email draft. Add your own personal story, address, and specific concerns about the neighborhood at the beginning or end before sending.
I have lived near Abbott Street for over 15 years and walk through this neighborhood daily. The historic character and broad tree canopy are irreplaceable assets to Kelowna.
As a resident within the HCA, I bought my home specifically because of the heritage guidelines that protect our streetscape. Overriding these rules with six-story TOA designations sets a dangerous precedent.
I frequently bring visitors and out-of-town family to walk through Abbott Street to show off Kelowna’s history. Heritage preservation represents less than 0.5% of Kelowna’s land area—it deserves protection.
Print and Mail
Copy or download the text, print a physical copy, sign your name and address at the bottom, and mail it directly to City Hall:
Mayor and Council
City of Kelowna
1435 Water Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 1J4
Direct Email Directory
If you prefer to send a personal message directly to individual members of Council:
- Mayor Tom Dyas & Council (Collective):
mayorandcouncil@kelowna.ca - City Clerk (Official Record):
cityclerk@kelowna.ca - Councillor Ron Cannan:
rcannan@kelowna.ca - Councillor Maxine DeHart:
mdehart@kelowna.ca - Councillor Charlie Hodge:
chodge@kelowna.ca - Councillor Gord Lovegrove:
glovegrove@kelowna.ca - Councillor Mohini Singh:
msingh@kelowna.ca - Councillor Luke Stack:
lstack@kelowna.ca - Councillor Rick Webber:
rwebber@kelowna.ca - Councillor Loyal Wooldridge:
lwooldridge@kelowna.ca
Practical Tips for Writing to Council
- Keep it concise: Mayor and Council receive dozens of emails. Clear and direct letters carry the most weight.
- Be respectful and factual: Presenting a calm, reasoned case strengthens our community’s position.
- Include your address: Submissions without a physical Kelowna address may not be weighed as heavily or added to the official public record.
- Over 750 residents have signed: Let Council know that you stand alongside hundreds of local community members who oppose TOA density inside the HCA boundary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the issue with the Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) overlapping the Abbott Street HCA?
Under provincial Bill 47, municipalities are directed to designate Transit-Oriented Areas around transit exchanges (such as the nearby Kelowna General Hospital transit hub). As currently mapped, this TOA designation overlaps a significant portion of the Abbott Street Heritage Conservation Area. This creates an inherent policy conflict: TOA guidelines allow for six-story mid-rise apartment buildings, land assemblies, and reduced parking requirements, directly threatening the historic single- and two-family streetscapes, low-rise massing, and mature tree canopy that define our community.
Doesn’t provincial law force the City to allow six-story buildings in this area?
No. While provincial housing legislation mandates TOA framework defaults, ministers from the Province of BC have explicitly confirmed that municipalities maintain full legal jurisdiction and land-use planning authority to protect heritage conservation areas. The City of Kelowna already has the legislative tools to exempt or apply heritage protections over TOA designations—they simply need to enact the necessary local bylaw amendments.
What specific changes are we asking City Council to make?
We are asking Council to direct staff to implement four clear, actionable amendments:
OCP Interpretive Note: Clarify in the Official Community Plan that Heritage Conservation Area guidelines take precedence over TOA policies where they overlap.
Remove TOA References in the HCA: Clean up OCP policy language to eliminate TOA density references within the HCA boundary.
Revert Zoning to RU1: Return affected parcels in the HCA to (RU1) zoning.
Restore HCA Design Guidelines: Strip TOA-related language from the Heritage Guidelines to ensure original height, character, and massing rules remain legally enforceable.
If the City Manager said “no further action is envisioned,” why are we still pushing?
City staff’s current position is to manage properties on a case-by-case basis using existing policies. However, leaving contradictory guidelines on the books creates legal ambiguity, opens the door for developer appeals, and gradually erodes our historic neighborhood block by block. Clear, proactive amendments are the only way to guarantee certainty for residents, buyers, and developers alike.
How does six-story density impact our neighborhood beyond building height?
Allowing multi-story land assemblies inside a heritage district leads to:
Loss of Urban Canopy: Broad-scale site clearing destroys 100-year-old mature trees and natural landscaping.
Increased Traffic and Parking Strain: High-density developments without sufficient off-street parking overflow onto narrow, historic residential streets.
Erosion of Community Identity: The Abbott Street HCA represents under 0.5% of Kelowna’s land area. Replacing historic architecture with generic mid-rise complexes permanently alters one of the city’s few preserved cultural assets.
How else can I get involved besides sending a letter?
Spread the Word: Share kelownahcap.com with your neighbors, friends, and family.
Attend Council Meetings: Show visible community support when heritage items are on the City Council agenda.
Sign the Petition: Join over 750 fellow residents who have signed our petition calling on City Hall to protect the HCA – sign it here: https://www.change.org/p/remove-the-transit-oriented-area-toa-from-the-abbott-street-heritage-conservation-area
Looking for Other Decision-Makers?
Protecting Kelowna’s Heritage Conservation Area involves decisions at both the municipal and provincial levels. Visit our Contact Your Decision-Makers page for contact information for Kelowna Mayor & Council, provincial ministers and your local MLA, along with key points you can raise.