As part of on-going work related to the preparation of a single Okanagan Valley Electoral Area Zoning Bylaw, the Regional District has been reviewing the various commercial zones found in the South Okanagan Electoral Area zoning bylaws.

As part of this review process, it is being proposed to create a “Naramata Village Centre (NVC) Zone” - patterned after the zoning applied to the Okanagan Falls townsite in 2014 - that is to be applied to the commercial, tourist commercial, administrative and multi-unit residential properties fronting Robinson Avenue between First Street and Fourth Street in Naramata.

The Regional District considers that this creates a more coherent approach to the zoning of this area and, as with Okanagan Falls, would be consistent with the tone of the Electoral Area “E” Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw to have the townsite develop as a “cohesive, identifiable, accessible town centre with a strong pedestrian orientation.”  Moreover, it would also be consistent with Naramata’s designation as a Primary Growth Area under the Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) Bylaw.

It is also being proposed to update the "Naramata Townsite Development Permit Area" designation by introducing new permit triggers (i.e. “construction of, addition to or alteration of a building or other structure"), exemptions, form and character guidelines, and to apply the DP Area to the proposed NVC Zone area.