By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle

An Osoyoos property owner received sympathy and an extension for their application that is moving “slower than molasses in January.” 

The Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) granted a property owner a six-month extension for their application that is taking longer than expected to obtain approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Infastructure (MoTI). 

The 12.5 ha property on the Northeast side of Highway 3 outside of Osoyoos is being developed for a single detached house and a driveway but is facing challenges with approvals. 

The RDOS recommendation was to deny the extension request as the application has been active for approximately five and a half years, and has already been granted three extensions.

The applicant, in support of their request for an extension, explained that their application is still under review by MoTI who has been provided with a 188 page report by the Geotechnical Team with Ecora Engineering addressing “all geotechnical related concerns expressed by MoTI.”

The applicant is required to get approval from MoTI for the rezoning of the property because it is within 800 metres of Highway 3. 

Mark Pendergraft, director of Area “A” rural Osoyoos spoke to the application and noted that “I lean towards asking for the extension to be granted. The applicant to my knowledge has been moving forward at a steady, but very slow I will say, pace, a lot of it not from his doings.”

Pendegraft continued to express sympathy saying “when you have to try and line up as many people to do these different reports and assessments they dont always just fall one after the other or happen all at once.”

Mayor of Princeton Spencer Coyne agreed and expressed his discontent with MoTI saying “anything to do with MoTI takes a long, long time, and I think it would only be fair to the applicant that you allow the extension so they do have a real opportunity to deal with MoTI because they are like molasses in January.”

The board of directors agreed, and voted unanimously to approve the extension.