An important part of building community is improving people’s quality of life. A city is much more than buildings, sewers and roads......

Luke has been actively involved in building healthy communities for many years. It is important that, as Kelowna continues to grow, that it remains a place that people desire to live. Kelowna must retain and promote a strong sense of “community.”

• Inclusive: Communities must be inclusive. All citizens should feel welcome
  • Welcome diversity and celebrate our differences.
  • Promote understanding and acceptance between all citizens of our City.
• Integrated: Each neighborhood should have provisions for care-homes, affordable housing options, open space, daycare services, public schools, commerce and shopping.
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  • Zoning is an important tool that will encourage integration.
  • The Official Community Plan (OCP) is currently under review. The revised OCP should encourage integration.
  • Daycare services are in short supply in Kelowna. I support the expansion of daycare services throughout the City


• Arts and Culture: Healthy communities include public access to the arts, culture and community events.
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Promote the establishment of “Topic Boards” in Town centers. These are specially designed “poster boards” that provide space for musicians and artists to promote events. This would reduce the posting of advertising on telephone poles and public spaces and would provide central locations for advertising.
Maintain and promote the "Parks Alive” program. This program is very successful and, having been a past participant, is a pleasure to be involved with. This is one of the great assets of Kelowna and needs to be protected and fostered.

• Business and Employment: People need access to good jobs. A healthy community must include a variety of employment opportunities.
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  • We must continue to promote the region as a good place to do business through the Economic Development Commission.
    
  • The continued expansion of the Kelowna International Airport will provide important infrastructure for business expansion
  • UBCO expansion will provide future business and academic opportunities
  • Transportation improvements (HOV lanes, expanded public transit, new bicycle paths etc.) are important infrastructure improvements that will provide business the tools to expand. Healthy business will lead to healthy employment.
    
  • We must create a healthy business climate so that business can grow, prosper and ultimately pay quality wages to employees.
  • Keep Business taxes at reasonable levels. Kelowna business tax is approximately 2.7 X residential tax. (Less than 3X is is considered business friendly)
    
  • Healthy business will lead to healthy employment.
  
  
  
• Safety and Security: Everyone needs to feel safe when we walk the streets of Kelowna.
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  • 97% of people that responded to the 2008 Kelowna Citizen's survey stated that feeling safe and secure in their community is very important to them.
  • We must take measures to ensure women and seniors feel safe.
  • We need to minimize crime through good environmental design.
    
  • The Kelowna RCMP and the Kelowna Fire Department must be adequately resourced to do the job that is asked of them.
  
  
  
• Affordable Housing: A good community must have a variety of housing options for its citizens.
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  • Work in partnership with senior levels of government by providing City owned lots for new housing projects.Three lots have been committed by the City. I remain committed to see these much needed projects through to completion.
    
  • Implement policy that promotes the expansion of affordable housing supply (Both market and non-market affordable housing)
  • I support a “housing first” policy for the homeless. Providing a short-term clean and safe place to live will give people the best chance of becoming productive members of society. I am supportive of the John Howard project, CMHA project and NOW Canada project on Tutt Street.
    
  • Protect existing rental housing stock in the City. There is a severe shortage of rental housing in Kelowna. It is critical that all existing rental stock be protected and maintained.
  • Lobby the Federal Government to reinstate tax incentives for developers and investers that build new rental housing.
    
  • Explore creative solutions to affordability with the local development community.
    • Many local developers are very concerned about the affordability of housing in this region.
    • Encourage devlopers to build "attainable" town homes that working people can afford.

• Kelowna must “Grow-green and Grow-up.”
  The fertile valley and natural beauty of Kelowna has brought growth and prosperity to this area. It is critical that the City continue to grow in such a way as to protect the very attributes that have attracted people here in the first place.
  
  • Densify town centers and expand public transit:
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    • Promote civic design principles that reduce dependence on the automobile and increase pedestrian access to shops and services.
    • Kelowna must take active steps to encourage a "pedestrian priority over vehicles" in town centers.
    • HOV lanes along Harvey will provide priority to public transit and High Occupany vehicles.
      
    • Minimize urban sprawl.
    • Much of the land within the Kelowna is protected farmland within the Agricultural Land Reserve (about 40%) as well as Kelowna is surrounded by hills and mountains. As a result of protected farmland, the city has expanded up hillsides at a rapid rate. This hillside development brings challenges as well. Homes are built in areas that are surrounded by forests. Fire risks increase, and the natural landscape, eco-system and beauty of the valley are compromised. In 2009 Kelowna adopted hillside development guidelines to promote better development of these areas.
    • Redevelop areas within the current City limits. There are many areas within the City limits that can re-developed and revitalized. These areas already have the necessary infrastructure. This type of redevelopment has the least impact on the environment and should be encouraged.
    • New development should be sensitively integrated to add value to existing neighborhoods. In attempts to densify we must be careful not to lose the sense of community many neighborhoods have.
    • Explore ways to develop community centers in neighborhoods. I would like to open up a dialogue with the School District to look for opportunities to share school buildings with neighborhood associations. 
      
    • The OCP review must look at existing neighborhoods to determine appropriate types of in-fill.
    • Encourage the establishment of Business Improvement Areas in each town center. 
    
    
    
• Protect natural assets and expand recreational areas
  • Expand and maintain the Mission Creek Greenway. This is governed by the Regional District, but the Greenway has my support! .
  • Explore building a new Greenway along Belleveiw Creek.
  • Continue to build the Mill Creek pathway.
    
  • Expand Public access to the waterfront.  Whenever an opportunity arises to secure lakefront for the benefit of the entire community it should be pursued.
  • Protect the unique rural-urban mix of the City
  • Protect natural sensitive wetland habitat
    
    
• Public Spaces - Farmer's Market - Jim Stuart Park outdoor ice rink.
  • Promote the expansion of public markets, “people places”, shopping hubs, parks and recreational facilities.
  • Insure all public spaces are accessible for all citizens of Kelowna.
  • Promote a vibrant accessible and year-round  Farmer's market
    
  • Encourage locally grown produce - this provides economic opportunities for farmers, healthy food and food security.
  • Look for opportunities to develop more public plazas and gathering places.
    
    
• Environmental:
  • Expand recycling programs - encourage water and land conservation measures.
  • Reduce carbon dioxide emissions
  • Reduce noise pollution on City streets and on Okanagan Lake.
  • Support the Okanagan Basin Water Authority
    
    
• Streamline the Zoning and Development Permit approval process.
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  • Implement a Design Panel for significant architectural buildings and designated zones of the City.
  • Developing land is a complex and arduous process. It can take years to work through the regulatory process to bring a site to the point of construction. Long development time-lines lead to increased costs for the home buyer. The City must be sensitive to the challenges faced by new development and strive to achieve timely review and processing of applications.
  • The Advisory Planning Commission is one of the hardest working committees at the City of Kelowna. I support a review of the mandate of the Commission to ensure that the APC’s efforts effectively assist City Council in decision making.  It is very important that City Staff, the APC and City Council walk in step as they process and review development applications. 
  
  
• Transportation:  Expand public transit and continue to expand safe bicycle lanes throughout the city.
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  • Promote a road and bicycle connection from the Glenmore Valley to UBCO. This is a vital link that is long overdue.
    
  • Promote Phase II of the North-end connector from Spall Road to Highway 33. Continue on with the development of the  bicycle path along this corridor.