Issue can’t be ignored

EDITORIAL Morning Star Feb 8

It may be the last thing Vernonites want to discuss after months of debate. But the long-term needs of community agencies can’t be ignored. The reality is that while a majority of voters turned down borrowing $30 million for a civic complex, the RCMP detachment is jam-packed, city hall is at capacity and the art gallery and museum don’t have enough space to adequately meet the needs of a growing community. And resolving the situation may be as simple as dusting off the plans for a cultural complex on the publicly owned Coldstream Hotel site. Obviously it would need to be updated to include residential and commercial uses, but that would only add to the viability of that site. Space could also be provided to Okanagan Regional Library to build a larger branch, either separately on its own or as part of a joint project with other functions. If the redevelopment of the Coldstream Hotel site were to occur, that would free up space in existing buildings for civic workers. As for the RCMP, it may be time for the detachment to move to another portion of the community where there is enough land for a building as well as all of those police vehicles. Insp. Steve McVarnock has stated that the police should be in the central core because that’s where much of the criminal activity occurs. But crime happens everywhere and this being Vernon, it doesn’t take far to drive anywhere.But before anything happens, the city must go through a thorough public process, where residents feel they have contributed in a meaningful way. If that doesn’t happen, the long-term needs of vital agencies may never be resolved.