A conceptual drawing shows the proposed pier, dock and beach area at Gyro Park. (Town of Osoyoos)
Town of Osoyoos council appears fully supportive of building a new $1 million town pier that will be erected in Gyro Park stretching out into Osoyoos Lake at virtually the same location as the town’s old pier that was torn down several years ago.
The pier, which would tentatively be 63 metres in length and five metres wide, could be one of the most unique and “iconic” in the country as it would be visible from almost the entire length of Main Street, which is packed with tourists during the busy tourist season in Osoyoos, said consultant Ray Grifone.
Grifone is the project manager with CTQ Consulting from Kelowna, the company hired by the town to complete the Gyro Pier Advancement Study.
During a presentation to town council Monday, Grifone said there has been overwhelmingly positive response from town council and local residents to the proposed pier.
The plan is to complete detailed design drawings and receive approval from the province in relation to environmental assessment that would allow the pier to be built, said Grifone.
The cost for this phase is roughly $80,000.
It’s expected the pier would be built with funding provided to the town through the province’s Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funding, which is aimed at increasing tourism in the community.
The town received $400,000 in RMI funding for 2015.
Osoyoos is one of 14 resort municipalities in B.C. to receive RMI funding.
Grifone noted the pier could be built and financed in phases over one or more years.
CTQ Consultants Ltd. were hired in April to begin work on the pier advancement study and the first meeting with the Gyro Pier Committee in Osoyoos was held the first week in May.
The committee met in the middle of August to review concepts and select the preferred options.
Grifone met with town council on Oct. 19 to present the preferred concept option and design elements.
A public open house was held on Nov. 3 to present the concept plan and receive input from local residents and many of those suggestions were included in his updated report to council on Monday, said Grifone.
The pier has received strong support from the community as a pier is seen as a great way to support recreation development as part of the lake’s physical attributes, said Grifone.
“Tourism is a focus of attention for the community and the pier can play an important role in promoting tourism,” he said. “Osoyoos is a lakeside community and the pier is another feature to help build such a profile.”
A key concern was where to erect the pier and it was decided the land portion east of the volleyball courts in Gyro Park would be the best location, he said.
The new pier will fit in perfectly with the impressive upgrade to the Gyro Park Plaza over the past two years, he said.
“The number one priority has been the construction of the plaza,” he said. “Access to the proposed pier will proceed from the plaza, but around the volleyball courts.”
The community in the Gyro Park enhancement program considers the reintroduction of the pier at or near the same location as the old pier top priority, said Grifone.
The current design calls for boat moorage of two to four slips and a drop off area for passengers from pleasure craft and/or water taxi service and an enclosed gazebo on the south end, he said.
“Moorage may be a second or future phase, but the pier should be designed accordingly,” he said.
Site lines from downtown streets and key vantage points in town have strongly been considered in the planning and design of the pier as very few communities will be able to boast of a pier that has the site lines the one in Osoyoos Lake will have, he said.
Opportunities for “water play off the pier” have also been strongly considered and council will have to decide whether or not to incorporate slides or swings allowing people to jump into the lake off the pier, he said.
Several local residents also asked that an enclosed structure be erected at the end of the pier that would be large enough to accommodate a small gathering such as a wedding ceremony, he said.
The pier should also be constructed of strong and sturdy materials to stand the test of time and peak periods of use, but it will be up to council to decide if that should be wood and composite materials, which are much more expensive, he said.
The current cost estimates are roughly $700,000 to build the pier and another $300,000 to $350,000 to build land-based components that include a walkway link from the park to the pier, lounging steps, benches and a wheelchair ramp, he said.
Costs for the detailed design and environmental permitting will be between $73,000 and $82,000, he said.
It will be up to council to make final decisions on such things as surface treatment for materials used to build the pier be it wood or composite materials, handrails, benches, lighting and a swim bay (with jumping tower or zip line), he said.
Several local residents commented they would like to see the work of local artists on display on the pier, the use of solar lights, the use of composite materials rather than wood, completion of the walkway to the pier and the inclusion of a jumping tower on the pier, said Grifone.
Mayor Sue McKortoff said Osoyoos is blessed with an abundance of talented artists and she strongly supports showcasing the work of local artists as part of this project.
Coun. C. J. Rhodes said building two to four moorage slips is very costly and eliminating those slips could be considered before council approves the final project during budget deliberations.
Providing wheelchair access to allow physically disabled residents to use and enjoy the pier is a terrific recommendation, said Rhodes.
Alain Cunningham, the town’s director of development and planning, said the pier project has been included in the 2016 budget and it will be up to council to approve or reject funding this project over the next couple of months.
If council approves funding, the plan would be to complete detailed design drawings and complete the environmental assessment process in 2016 and hopefully begin construction in the spring of 2017, he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
