By Dan Walton
Town council held a special meeting on Monday to comb over the form and character of the proposed hotel development at 6273 Station Street.
Discussions were comprised mostly of the building’s aesthetics, a walking path on the property and garbage pick up.
Council was shown a rendering of the building which included steel materials as part of an awning that will be part of the hotel entrance, but the actual structure will feature timber.
Bruce Holm, project manager with Horizon North, the company contracted to by Coast Hotels, said timber will be an enhancement over metal. Coen. Petra Ventimilla said she’s happy to see the change and believes it will add aesthetic appeal, but since the timber design wasn’t promised in writing, she asked how the Town can ensure timber will actually be used in construction.
Oliver CAO Cathy Cowan said before the Town issues its approval, which is required for a development permit, “we can make sure it’s subject to that change,” she said. Ventimilla also sought clarification on the location of the pathway that will connect the hotel property to the trail along Okanagan River.
“So it’s not going through the property, it’s on the edge?” she asked. “And it’ll be a nice, paved path?”
The path runs parallel beside the northern property line and it will be maintained by the developer.
Veintimilla is “not super happy” about how the back of the building looks, as people who use the trail behind the property will be exposed to a plain, flat wall. She also asked about a waterslide – “wasn’t that ever part of our conversation?” There will be a pool on site but no waterslides.
Coun. Maureen Doerr asked where on the property the garbage will be located. Holm pointed to the northwest corner of the map, which he said is the most practical location.
Coun. Larry Schwartzenberger said the project “Looks like a lovely hotel and I can hardly wait to see it built.”
With two members absent, Council voted 5-0 to pass a motion to grant a development permit for the hotel, with the stipulation that the front awning include timber.
“Everything else is sitting there waiting, we’re just waiting for possession date (of the property) which is Oct. 10,” Cowan said.
The hotel will be four-storeys tall with 83 rooms to be completed in the first phase. A restaurant is planned for the second phase.
Holm said he wants to begin the project as soon as possible and plans on forming the foundation this fall. Hotel rooms and portions of the hallways will be assembled in Kamloops and then transported to Oliver in January.
Each truckload will bring two hotels rooms and half a halfway. After they’re all hauled in, they need to be assembled, and then the building needs to be drywalled and finished. The hotel is expected to be open for the long weekend in May.
