A FINAL THOUGHT ON WILLOW BEACH
OSOYOOS TIMES-August 27, 2008
So, for better, or for worse, the Willow Beach Resort development will be built at the head of Osoyoos Lake.
Regardless of the pros and cons associated with the development concept, a point has to be made about one of the arguments used in pushing the resort project through the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) application process.
The number of people either supporting or opposing the project at the July 9 public hearing on the development has been brought up several times, most recently at the Aug. 21 RDOS board meeting where one director said 199 of the hearing's attendees were in favour of the project and 20 were opposed.
That count is way off.
Of the nearly 50 people who spoke at the hearing, 27 expressed favour and 20 raised objections or concerns about the development concept.
And really and truly, are most of the people supporting the development, or are they supporting the Northwest Sewer Project which has been linked to the development application since April?
It may be that Area C Rural Director Allan Patton put forth the best argument:
The whole issue, which I have a big problem with, is the fact that we're deciding the Willow Beach development on the sewage and water issue that's not even in Willow Beach, he said in a recent interview.
We're not deciding Willow Beach, whether it's good or bad for the area, we're deciding on Willow Beach on something that doesn't have anything to do with Willow Beach.
