A proposed tourist/residential development deep within
Okanagan Landing is creating political divisions. Council had heated debate Monday over a plan by a developer to construct a 100-unit tourist accommodation/residential project on the old Paraiso Point campground site on Eastside Road, near Whitepoint Road and Camp Hurlburt. “They are going ahead like a runaway freight train and that’s not right,” said Coun. Barry Beardsell. Besides the Paraiso Point site, the project also includes one waterfront property located on Whitepoint Road. Beardsell tried to have the developer notified that the proposal was not appropriate at this time, but a majority of council opted to defer the matter for two weeks so staff can come back with a report.
Okanagan Landing is creating political divisions. Council had heated debate Monday over a plan by a developer to construct a 100-unit tourist accommodation/residential project on the old Paraiso Point campground site on Eastside Road, near Whitepoint Road and Camp Hurlburt. “They are going ahead like a runaway freight train and that’s not right,” said Coun. Barry Beardsell. Besides the Paraiso Point site, the project also includes one waterfront property located on Whitepoint Road. Beardsell tried to have the developer notified that the proposal was not appropriate at this time, but a majority of council opted to defer the matter for two weeks so staff can come back with a report. Coun. Pat Cochrane opposed telling the developer not to forward his plans through city hall.
“There are long-term consequences if we are labelled anti-development,” he said. But those comments brought a sharp response from some of Cochrane’s colleagues. “I’m not anti-development but this is my opportunity to get it right for the greater community,” said Coun. Juliette Cunningham. “They may have a vision but it has to be done on our terms as a community.” Coun. Buffy Baumbrough pointed out that the city is in the midst of an official community plan review and moving ahead with a major project now would be inappropriate.
“It’s premature. We need to take a careful look at it and how it fits into the OCP review,” she said. That view was also shared by other council members. “We should discuss it as a council first and the conclusion from those discussions may be that nothing go ahead until completion of the OCP,” said Beardsell. A final OCP is expected to be before council for consideration in early 2008.
Among the issues Beardsell wants addressed first is upgrades to Eastside Road and extension of water lines. “It’s the poor taxpayer who winds up footing a lot of the bill off-site,” he said. In a letter to the city, the consultant working for the developer defends the proposal. “We are excited by the prospect of establishing a sustainable resort on the lake and believe that through the utilization of cutting-edge practices in green design, architecture, landscape architecture and engineering, the current campground will be transformed into a small resort that raises the bar for future development in Vernon,” writes Paul Fenske, with Ekistics Town Planning.
No comments:
Post a Comment