Almost five years after a proposal to put a large-scale housing development on the Naramata Bench drove dozens to rally in front of Penticton City Hall, residents are still fighting to preserve their vision of the area.

The city recently wrapped up its first phase of public input on changes to its Official Community Plan and zoning bylaws.

Some of those changes were welcomed, but for some residents, the changes didnsa国际传媒檛 go far enough to keep the character of the Naramata Bench intact.

sa国际传媒淲hatsa国际传媒檚 disheartening is that at the same time as yousa国际传媒檙e taking a bunch of land out of there as a growth area sa国际传媒� which sounds great because that was so weird sa国际传媒� theysa国际传媒檝e got hundreds of acres currently zoned Forestry Grazing with 16-hectare lots or agriculture with two-hectare minimums,sa国际传媒� said Gjoa Taylor, one of the founders of the Preserve Naramata Bench advocacy group.

sa国际传媒淏ut the future land use says rural residential with a density of one hectare, or one acre if you have water and sewer.sa国际传媒�

The future land use designation continues to be a concern for the group, even after the citysa国际传媒檚 proposed changes removed the bench as a future growth area.

That previous designation was a key point of contention from residents after it was used to argue in support of bringing forward the Canadian Horizons developments to Spiller Road in 2020 and 2022.

The first phase of public input for the changes wrapped up on April 14, with a second public meeting with further changes planned in May, city spokesperson Shane Mills said.

sa国际传媒淭he goal is to have the updated Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw completed by June,sa国际传媒� said Mills.

sa国际传媒淎t this time, staff are still reviewing all the public feedback in preparation for the final proposed changes.sa国际传媒�

The main focus for residents and supporters of the Preserve Naramata Bench group is to see the corridors of rural residential land use designations changed to agricultural, to match the rest of the bench.

They hope the change in designation would prevent proposals being brought forward like the 33-unit subdivision on Reservoir Road.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 so confusing because people donsa国际传媒檛 even know that theresa国际传媒檚 a disconnect between zoning and the future land use in the OCP,sa国际传媒� said Taylor.

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檝e heard the community now for years in so many different ways, and wesa国际传媒檙e telling them to leave the zoning alone.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not the place for future development, yousa国际传媒檝e got lots of that within the city.sa国际传媒�