Vernon purchases lakeshore lot for park

by Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star posted Feb 24, 2015 at 6:00 AM
Public ownership along Okanagan Lake is growing. The City of Vernon has purchased a lot at 2602 Lakeshore Road for $707,500 and the goal is to establish a park. “It’s a great move. It gives us more lakeshore access,” said Coun. Brian Quiring. The latest acquisition now creates six contiguous properties the city owns. “It’s a great way to keep moving ahead on our waterfront plan,” said Mayor Akbal Mund, adding that parkland may ultimately lead to residential and commercial uses on Lakeshore Road. “We will see development across the road.” There are still three properties along the lakeshore not owned by the city. All structures at 2602 Lakeshore Road will now be demolished, and city staff will establish a parks plan for the six properties. “We will look at a phased implementation so we can have park there sooner than later,” said Kim Flick, community development director. Once a park is created, a bench will be installed at 2602 Lakeshore Road in memory of Miriam Jayne, the long-time owner who died in 2014.
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New park closer to reality
by Kevin Rothwell CASTANET- Feb 24, 2015 / 5:00 am

One residential lot at a time Vernon is moving toward a large linear lakefront park on Okanagan Lake. The Regional District of the North Okanagan has been buying lakeshore lots on Okanagan Lake as they have come up for sale. The latest acquisition is at 2602 Lakeshore Road in Okanagan Landing for $707,500 dollars. The funds come from the regional district's Development Cost Charge reserves, fees paid by developers when they build. There are now five lots in a row connected of the eight that have been purchased. There are three more needed to complete the land purchase. “It’s a good price considering some other lots were in the $1.4 to $1.8 million range. It's good timing as far as the market goes” said Mayor Akbul Mund. “It’s hard to say when it will actually be a park, as we don’t know when people will sell. It's a long range plan.” The park will eventually run from the Strand Development on Okanagan Landing Road all the way to Vernon Creek where it connects to the beach on Okanagan First Nations Band No. 1 and Kin Beach, making the whole stretch of the end of Okanagan Lake’s Vernon Arm beachhead. Houses on several of the properties have been removed so the public can use the beach, but it remains in a fairly rustic state.
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Don Quixote Note: The reference to the RDNO's Development Cost Charge reserve as been the source of funds is misleading. The reserve is held by the RDNO in escrow for the use of Vernon to purchase local Vernon Parks.  This remaining reserve came about after the parks agreement was revised and the existing DCC's were split with 60% going to the local GVAC Partners  (Vernon, Coldstream and Areas B & C) for local parks purchases and 40% retained by GVAC for sub regional parks purchases.