Castanet: Mar 8, 2009 / 2:00 pm
After years of disuse, the South Okanagan’s Desert Park will soon be active. The Town of Osoyoos recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Southern Interior Recreational Equestrian Centre to allow the group to develop uses for the park on a short-term basis. The memorandum gives SIREC immediate access to Desert Park so members can begin to prepare the Park for a variety of planned uses this spring and summer. Osoyoos Chief Administrative Officer, Barry Romanko, says the Town expects to work out a short-term lease of up to six months in length with SIREC within a few weeks, to allow the group to make improvements to the 40-acre Desert Park and operate a number of events at the Town-owned facility. “The MOU allows the group to begin its site improvements immediately and not lose valuable time waiting for the lease agreement. The agreement includes the racetrack, the horse barns, the RV site, and the grounds – but does not include Desert Park’s grandstand or recreational buildings. Both the Town and SIREC are excited to see that this facility will be used to enhance our community’s social and economic development activity,” says Romanko.
Eike Scheffler, spokesman for SIREC, says the group plans to fix up the existing facility and track and hopes to host equestrian training, at least one horse-race, and other special events at Desert Park this year. “These could include a bluegrass festival, an antique car show, an archery competition, and agricultural events – as well as space for RVs to park,” says Scheffler. Mayor Stu Wells says it’s exciting to finally see some activities at Desert Park. “With this MOU, we could see horses back at the facility as soon as next week,” says Wells. He says Council plans to develop a Request for Proposals to seek ideas from any group for a longer-term use of Desert Park. Council will consider those proposals for the future of Desert Park, after this year’s use by the SIREC group.
After years of disuse, the South Okanagan’s Desert Park will soon be active. The Town of Osoyoos recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Southern Interior Recreational Equestrian Centre to allow the group to develop uses for the park on a short-term basis. The memorandum gives SIREC immediate access to Desert Park so members can begin to prepare the Park for a variety of planned uses this spring and summer. Osoyoos Chief Administrative Officer, Barry Romanko, says the Town expects to work out a short-term lease of up to six months in length with SIREC within a few weeks, to allow the group to make improvements to the 40-acre Desert Park and operate a number of events at the Town-owned facility. “The MOU allows the group to begin its site improvements immediately and not lose valuable time waiting for the lease agreement. The agreement includes the racetrack, the horse barns, the RV site, and the grounds – but does not include Desert Park’s grandstand or recreational buildings. Both the Town and SIREC are excited to see that this facility will be used to enhance our community’s social and economic development activity,” says Romanko.
Eike Scheffler, spokesman for SIREC, says the group plans to fix up the existing facility and track and hopes to host equestrian training, at least one horse-race, and other special events at Desert Park this year. “These could include a bluegrass festival, an antique car show, an archery competition, and agricultural events – as well as space for RVs to park,” says Scheffler. Mayor Stu Wells says it’s exciting to finally see some activities at Desert Park. “With this MOU, we could see horses back at the facility as soon as next week,” says Wells. He says Council plans to develop a Request for Proposals to seek ideas from any group for a longer-term use of Desert Park. Council will consider those proposals for the future of Desert Park, after this year’s use by the SIREC group.
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