ADDICT HOUSING A GO FOR ST. PAUL

A controversial apartment building for homeless people and drug
addicts will be built downtown, Kelowna city council decided Monday.

Councillors voted 6-3 to approve the 30-suite project for the 1300
block of St. Paul Street, capping four months of sharp community
debate about the need for the building and its possible impact on the area.

Detailed planning for the project will now go ahead with a view to
opening the building in the fall of 2007.

"I'm very happy with council's commitment to the project, and now
we're going to move forward," said Ira Roness, a senior manager of
alcohol and drug services for Interior Health.

"This is a service that is going to have a positive effect on those
people using it," Roness said.

But critics said councillors had deliberately ignored what they said
was overwhelming public opposition to the project.

"They're not listening to the voice of the people," said Jim Carta.
"I'm disappointed but not surprised, since this has been a done deal
since it was first announced in November."

Councillors Robert Hobson, Colin Day, Michele Rule, Brian Given,
Barrie Clark and Carol Gran voted to confirm the city's participation
in the housing project.

They said there is a pressing need to help the homeless and people
struggling to beat drug and alcohol addictions by providing them with
a place to live.

"Cities of stature have a soul, and part of your soul involves
looking after people who are less fortunate than you are," Gran said.

"We have a responsibility as a city and as a community to help
others," said Given.

Describing it as the most difficult decision in the 17 years he's
been on city council, Colin Day said he supported the St. Paul Street
location as the most viable of the dozens considered by a city-struck
task force.

Mayor Sharon Shepherd joined councillors Andre Blanleil and Norm
Letnick in voting against the St. Paul Street location.

The apartment block would deter investment in downtown and jeopardize
the city's goal of seeing residential and commercial revitalization
throughout the central core, they said.

"At what cost do we want this project? It's something that could be
very bad for this area of downtown for a very long time," Blanleil
said. "I love our downtown, and I think this is the wrong location to
put this building," Shepherd said.

The building is described as a "wet housing" complex, meaning people
will be able to continue using drugs or alcohol so long as they're
committed to a treatment program.

While critics fear it will lower property values on St. Paul Street,
scare away potential customers and cause businesses to relocate,
Roness said that hasn't been the case in other cities where similar
buildings exist.

"The vast percentage of people who live and work around these kind of
projects aren't even aware of them," Roness said.

But at least one major development is apparently on hold because of
concerns about the impact of the apartment building.

Mel Kotler says two of the four investors behind a highrise project
recently approved by the city for Ellis Street and Doyle Avenue have
pulled out.

"We're in the process of looking for new partners," he said.
"Council's decision is going to make it difficult for us to proceed
at this time."

Earlier in the council meeting, however, Given seemed to discount
suggestions the apartment building would have a significantly
negative impact on downtown revitalization.

Given noted that the downtown has seen considerable residential
construction in recent years despite well-publicized problems with
open drug use and drug dealing.

Still, Given urged Interior Health officials to live up to their
pledge to run the building in a way that doesn't cause a negative
impact in the St. Paul area.

"Don't let this fail. Don't let problems arise," he said.