Plug pulled on industrial park

Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star Published: October 10, 2009 12:00 PM

A Vernon businessman will not pitch an industrial park in Spallumcheen a third time .Spall council voted unanimously at its regular monthly meeting Monday to not send an application to the Agricultural Land Commission from Bill Sengotta to have his land removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve. The move means Sengotta’s desire to build an industrial park with rail access on his property, located off Highway 97A, is dead.“At this time, I have no intention of pursuing that application (to have the land removed from the ALR),” said Sengotta. “If I don’t have the support of council, it’s pretty hard to have a new place for industry in Spallumcheen.“So, so be it.”Sengotta tried once before, unsuccessfully, to pitch the park to council.

The land in question is 84 acres of forage and pasture land, located between Highway 97A and Old Kamloops Road, in Spallumcheen, with L&A Cross Road dissecting the property, and the Canadian National railway line plump in the middle. The terrain is rocky, littered with some abandoned tires and bee hives. Sengotta’s proposal called for 10 acres of the property for his company, which is currently situated in a non-conforming zoning spot on 41st Avenue in Vernon with no room and no allowance for expansion. Rocky Mountain Transport also has a yard off 48th Avenue, across from the City of Vernon yards.

Sengotta’s plan included some agri-industry on a parcel of land south of L&A Cross Road, while the remaining part of the park on the north side of the cross road would be light industry.The park would have highway access heading south on Highway 97A.Had Sengotta’s plan included more agri-industry, or an agri-industry endeavour approved by the ALC, said Spallumcheen Mayor Will Hansma, council may have been in favour of the park. “He came back and gave it (proposal) to us in a way we didn’t want it,” said Hansma. “So none of council could support that. There were a lot of little things that weren’t the way we thought we told them we would consider.” In discussing the application, council said it went against township policies, that rezoning the land would not be a benefit to the community, and a large portion of the subject land is considered farmable in the agricultural capacity assessment.