Thompson Nicola Regional District Board members have given the green light to look at potentially changing zoning bylaws in Tobiano – to shift away from a resort and towards a residential neighbourhood.

While the original intentions were to develop Tobiano into a resort community around Kamloops lake, organic growth has led to a shift in the desire for residential development and services.

TNRD Development Services Manager Regina Sadilkova says that looking into zoning bylaw changes is the first step in a long process.
“This is not going to happen quickly, it is an evolving project and there’s a lot of construction at the project,” she said.

“We are completely aware that you need the residential component to have other services that the residents want; it’s interesting, the more residents there are there and the more interested parties, like different developers and different owners, the more complicated the change is.”

It comes as every year, over the past 5 to 6 years, there has been an increase in the number of residential-related inquiries and land use applications.

According to the report, that shift is continually widening the gap between a residential community versus a resort, as per the Bylaw text.

It also says rather than continuing to accommodate one-off Bylaw development requests, it has become clear over the past few years that bylaw changes are needed.

“Our purpose is for accuracy and clarity of zoning so when we issue building permits and answer questions, or requests, our responses aren’t confusing for interested parties in what they are reading in their zoning,” she explained.

“It isn’t a purpose to necessarily change what’s happening on the ground. It’s just to fix our zoning bylaws; so we’re looking at a level of detail that there are other conceptual, much bigger issues that we may not have control over.”

TNRD Board Chair Barbara Roden says it’s interesting to see the growth of residents at the resort community.

“The Kamloops on the lake community — organically grew — not because anyone imposed anything on it, but the people who moved to the community decided that this was the kind of community they wanted to live in not a resort community,” explained Roden.

“Those of us who were on the last board will remember the discussion around the building of a convenience store/gas bar/liquor store; some residents were in favor and some were opposed, depending on where they fell on the spectrum.”

However, from the report, Roden says that has changed, noting there’s been a growth in the desire for residential services in Tobiano.

“People are now asking for the sorts of services in that community that were not envisioned as part of the original ‘Kamloops on the lake.'”

The board unanimously voted to allow TNRD administration to continue working with land developers, property owners, and the province.