More development coming?
Palcor Management, the developer resposible for the Sole Vita beachfront townhouse development along Cottonwood Drive, has set its sights on a new piece of property along Lakeshore Drive.
The company held an information meeting on the afternoon of August 3 at the Sonora Centre to answer questions and show the concept plans.
Palcor President Rudy Lowen, Architect Ray Letkeman and Sales Director Allan Taylor were all on hand to meet the public and outline their ideas for the new development.
The sites proposed for development are currently zoned as Park and Recreation and Agriculture, and in order to get the green light to build, Palcor needs approval to rezone the lots to Comprehensive Commercial/Residential.
Currently, on the lake side (west) of Lakeshore Drive is an old orchard and across the street (east) is a golf course.
Letkeman described the various components of the development, including a four-storey resort lodge and a variety of cluster homes (ranchers and townhomes) on the east side, and a three-storey resort lodge building on the west side.
The development will also include amenities like a pool and tennis courts.
The developers are striving to build an affordable community for families, both year-round owners and vacationers, with prices ranging from $250,000 to $400,000.
We believe it will be the destination resort, said Palcor President Rudy Lowen.
Buyers will have good value for their investment. We want this to be a flagship resort development, with something for everyone.rnLowen projects the development will take four to five years to complete, at a total of approximately 450 units. A small wharf with boat slips would likely be considered, but Lowen said that would have to be a separate application.
Although the development team was clearly enthusiastic about their concept, they were also met with questions from some who came to the information meeting.
Maureen and Denis Potter live near the proposed development and raised a few concerns about the project, including the need for another development along Lakeshore Drive.
Why do we need another one of these sites? Where is the market for this? wondered Maureen Potter.
The Potters said they were frustrated by the number of developments being built and proposed in and around Osoyoos, especially lakeshore developments and developments calling for rezoning of parks and green space.
With the number of units this development is calling for, we will have a virtual town in front of us, and all this traffic is supposed to be funnelled down Lakeshore Drive. Where is the infrastructure to support this? said Denis Potter.
Lowen said traffic studies still needed to be done and remediation work would have to be done on the site before any building could start.
We can't say this development will have zero impact on the community, Lowen admitted.
But we do believe it will be a wonderful development. People will have the opportunity to come to our site office next week to get more information and we hope they'll agree we have a good project here.rnSales Director Allan Taylor added that the project would be well done.
There is no question the land is going to be developed. The key is to get it developed as best as possible. Come look at what we've already done around Osoyoos. We do the best job you'll see, Taylor said.
Lowen said he hopes to have a first reading before council as soon as possible. The next step would be a public hearing, preferably in September, followed by a second and third reading. A fourth and final reading, they hope, will result in the rezoning and a development permit.
