Council will be making a decision at a future meeting on whether to allow a new 30-metre dock on Solana Bay.
Several people spoke at a public hearing on the issue last week and council received two letters from neighbouring residents objecting to the proposal.
The request came from the Paradise Park Lessees Association, represented by Randy North. The new dock would front the RV park at 5901 Main Street.
The dock requires a zoning change of the foreshore to W3 from the present W2.
The new dock would replace an existing private dock with a new larger strata dock for mooring 10 boats. Moorage for a further 15 boats at private buoys would be retained instead of the current 25 private buoys.
The town received a letter from neighbours Morris and Vera Evaniew objecting to the proposal. Neither of the Evaniews attended the hearing.
“This is too close to our home,” wrote the Evaniews. “We are seniors, now in our declining years, and we would like very much to retain having most of this tranquility which we presently have here in our neighbourhood, especially now during those summer months.”
A second letter received the day of the June 1 hearing made similar points.
Others speaking at the hearing included a resident of the RV park, who had questions, and board member Lance Keashly, who confirmed that the board at its recent annual general meeting decided it still wishes to proceed with the application.
Mayor Sue McKortoff sought clarification about the number of boats from Brian Jantz, of Lakestream Environmental Services, who prepared an environmental impact assessment of the project in 2013.
It appears, she suggested, that the project would still provide moorage for the same number of boats at 25, but with the dock they would be better organized.
Jantz agreed that there would be 10 slips at the dock for boats, but there would be 10 fewer boats moored at buoys so the total number of boats wouldn’t change.
In a report to council, Alain Cunningham, director of planning and development services, noted that lakeshore properties next to the RV park are single-family residential and most have private docks.
He said the dock meets the requirements for W3 zoning, but the zoning would have to be made site specific to allow for the 15 private buoys.
“The proposed moorage will improve water use safety and provide a more orderly approach for securing boats,” Cunningham said in his report. “Increasing the dock size as proposed is not seen to negatively impact adjacent owners or other water users as the total number of boats that can be accommodated will not increase.”
Council had the option to hold a special meeting immediately following the hearing to approve third reading of the zoning bylaw, but this would have required unanimous approval since the special meeting was not advertised.
Coun. C.J. Rhodes, however, pointed out that typically after a public hearing, council uses a breathing period to weigh the pros and cons and he recommended this delay.
The matter will likely come back to council for a vote at the June 15 meeting.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
