The Town of Osoyoos has granted a license to use a portion of Gyro Beach for watersport activities for more than 25 years and they’re not prepared to stop now.

The current license to use a small portion of Gyro Beach for commercial watersport businesses expired at the end of September and staff prepared a report for Monday’s regular meeting of council looking for council direction on whether to proceed with a Request for Proposal (RFP) for use of this area in 2015.

After Coun. Michael Ryan suggested council consider a one-year trial period where no commercial operator would use Gyro Beach, other members of council quickly shot that idea down.

“There has been something down there for the six years I’ve been on council and I was thinking maybe it would be interesting to not have anything down there for one year,” said Ryan.

“I think it would be interesting how the public would use that area without any commercial activity.”

Mayor Stu Wells didn’t agree.

“I believe there is a clear need for commercial use down there on Gyro Beach,” said Wells.

In the past couple of years, council has requested that the licenses to use part of Gyro Beach be issued on a one-year basis after the Waterfront Master Plan was being created and council was looking at improvements in the area.

Considerable staff time is required to advertise and complete an RFP for this area for another year and to continue the monitoring of the area on a regular basis, so staff was seeking council direction on whether to proceed with an RFP or to no longer offer this area for watersport businesses, said Janette Van Vianen, the town’s director of corporate services.

After staff suggested in a report to extend business licenses for more than one year as part of the RFP process, Coun. C. J. Rhodes suggested licenses be granted for up to three years.

Rhodes said he sees the value of having an accessible public beach, but also one that offers a wide range of activities for locals and visitors alike.

The Osoyoos Beach Volleyball League has become a huge success and he’s received numerous positive comments about the league and other waterfront activities from many people, said Rhodes.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times