A new neighborhood in the southwest corner of the city will go ahead, after Kamloops council approved amendments to the Aberdeen neighborhood plan yesterday.

Edinburgh Heights will be built over the next 20 years, and will include 1,600 units of housing.

Sarai says issues about the natural environment were raised, as well as additional traffic.

The development plan includes park space and a wildlife corridor, and Sarai says traffic will be monitored during the build out.

“We really need single-family lots available to keep the prices to a level at all parts of the city. So when the lots come available in Aberdeen, that helps people maybe sell in Brock to move up to Aberdeen, or Dallas. Or coming up from the coast. So it’s a ripple effect. And I truly believe this is a long time coming,” Sarai says.

The plan will also connect Pacific Way to Highway 5A adjacent to Kicking Horse Ranch Road, near Knutsford. And an elementary school will be built in the new neighborhood as well.

The next phase of the project will see 22 homes built at the end of Bentall Drive, on 2.4 hectares of land. Council approved yesterday rezoning that section of land from agricultural to residential.

Future phases of the development will need to be approved for rezoning by council.