While many in the public had voiced their opposition, the members of municipal council chose to amend the Official Community Plan on Monday evening.

The amendment puts land in the Rattlesnake Mountain area into the Urban Growth Area. Previously, the land had been designated for future growth.

But council members said the change is not an attempt to abandon all controls on growth and development.

“I have no interest in Summerland becoming another West Kelowna,” said Coun. Bruce Hallquist, adding that his record since 1972 backs up his statement.

He said he disagrees with what he sees as no-growth language in the Official Community Plan of 2008 and the previous plan of 1996.

In the spring of 2008, he was one of three members of the council of the day who voted against the plan.

The amendment “does not mean open season on uncontrolled development,” he added.

Coun. Lloyd Christopherson also said the Official Community Plan needed to be changed.

“The 2008 OCP was woefully inadequate,” he said.

He added that the change is not the only time the Official Community Plan has changed direction.

“While council does not have the legislative tools to limit growth, it has the tools to manage growth,” Christopherson said.

Coun. Gordon Clark disagreed with the community plan’s wording which controlled how future councils were to handle development requests.

“It is a basic principle of democratic governance — enshrined in our history and our jurisprudence — that one government of equal status cannot bind the function of its successors,” he said. “It is unlawful.”

Mayor Janice Perrino said council must and will consider any application for development.

“Everyone who comes to the council table with an application will be treated fairly,” she said.

She added that the community plan change, which would allow residential development on a 61-hectare site, could benefit the community.

She said the site is two kilometres from the downtown area, closer than any of the other parcels of land for future development.

Perrino said new developments are needed because there is now a shortage of available family housing in the community.

She said without allowing for growth, the community would be in danger of losing businesses, schools and services in the future.

“If you knew how many businesses were for sale in the downtown core, you would be shocked,” she said. “Remember what it was like to lose the hospital.”

She said a growth rate of two per cent a year is considered ideal, but from 2001 until 2006, when the last census was taken, Summerland’s population grew by one per cent over five years or 0.2 per cent a year.

A growth rate of two per cent a year would still leave Summerland with a population of less than 12,000 within five years, she added.

The decision on the change to the community plan was split into two parts.

One was a delete all references to the amendments of a section of the plan governing Urban Growth Area amendment criteria changes and to refer the issue back to the Advisory Planning Commission for additional public consultation.

The second was to give second, third and final readings to the addition of the Rattlesnake Mountain properties into the Urban Growth Area.

Both were passed unanimously.

Coun. Jim Kyluik was not present at the meeting.