Kerkhoff Develop Build has applied to the City of Vernon to build more than 1,800 homes on a 1,000-acre site on the Vernon Commonage.

In order to be built, the development will require city council to approve an Official Community Plan amendment. This column will explores how Kerkhoff’s 580 Commonage project aligns with Vernon’s Climate Action Plan.

Regarding governance, the plan states the climate change “lens” is used across all government activities, which includes granting the OCP amendment Kerkhoff needs to build its proposed development.

Core services and infrastructure

Wildfire Protection – The proposed development is in the wildland-urban interface, the area where human development meets, or mixes with, wildland vegetation. Wildfires in the area pose a significant threat to communities because they can involve buildings and forest fuel simultaneously, making them complex and challenging to extinguish. This development would increase Vernon’s vulnerability to wildfire and increase the difficulty and expense of protecting Vernon from wildfire.

Emissions reduction – Because of its distance from the downtown core, the proposed development would require significant infrastructure development, far above housing built closer to preexisting developed areas. Building and maintaining this infrastructure and will create excess emissions.

Waste management – Liquid waste management would also require significant new infrastructure........

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