OSOYOOS TIMES-October 20, 2010
Throughout the process of approving the regulatory framework necessary for the development of the Oasis project proposed for land adjacent to Peanut Lake, Coun. Michael Ryan and Mayor Stu Wells have voiced concerns about building height.
The developers of the project intend to build four structures, all of which will stand taller than almost any other building in town.
The project’s three residential buildings are set to be built at heights of six, eight and 10 storeys.
While Wells and Ryan should be congratulated for sticking to their principles and being dissenting voices on council while addressing height concerns brought up by some in the community, their arguments that council should have had more time to hold discussions with the developers to alter the heights of the project’s buildings fall flat.
The developers brought their plans to the Town more than two years ago and the intention to build three residential buildings at such heights, in addition to the proposed five-storey medical-commercial complex, have been included in the concept since then.
A front-page article in the Oct. 15, 2008, issue of the Osoyoos Times detailed the developers’ plans and the designs have changed very little in the past 24 months.
Granted, Ryan was not yet on council at the time, but Wells was wrapping up a three-year term as councillor while running for mayor.
And it’s hard to believe that Ryan, who was very involved in community matters and kept a close eye on council’s doings as the former front-man of the civic group Osoyoos Now, was not aware of the Oasis concept two years ago, even if he happened to miss the Oct. 15, 2008, story in the Times or subsequent articles on the project this newspaper has published since then.
It was frequently mentioned in several stories regarding community consultations about local medical needs in relation to the proposed medical-commercial complex included in the development proposal.
Surely Ryan would have been brought up to speed on some of the major projects the Town was dealing with as soon as he was elected to council in November, 2008.
So how exactly did council not have enough time to deal with the height issue prior to the various zoning amendments and development agreements allowing for the construction of the project coming before council earlier this year for readings?
Yes, Town staff did try to push the reading process ahead slightly too quickly this summer out of concern that any delays in getting the project off and running would cost the developers money.
But any member of council who said they did not have enough time to deal with this development concept properly seems to have missed the boat.
There was plenty of time to deal with any height concerns long before council had to make decisions on whether or not to allow this development to proceed.
