By Times Chronicle Staff
At their most recent meeting on Jan 5, the board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) carried a motion to extend the Osoyoos town boundary to include two properties on the south side of the intersection of Highway 3 and 62nd Avenue.
The property owners petitioned to have two properties: 4295 Highway 3 and 4303 Highway 3, included in the town’s boundaries. This would grant them access to municipal water and additional services. It was understood that access to water was the primary reason for the motion.
The two parcels of land are primarily used for agriculture, greenhouses, packing and storage, and have some ancillary structures and residences. Under the Okanagan Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 2800, both properties are zoned Agriculture One (AG1). The acceptance into the town boundaries is contingent on the properties not being included in the “Growth Containment Area.”
The process of extending the boundary began back on Feb. 17, 2022, when there were four locations originally considered: 4270, 4295 and 4303 Highway 3 and 4275 62nd Avenue.
The properties at 4270 Highway 3 and 4275 62nd Avenue were removed from consideration based on the fact that they are within a different irrigation district: the Osoyoos Irrigation District service area.
On October 11, 2022 the Town of Osoyoos resolved to amend the proposal to take out the two ineligible properties. Then on Dec. 19, town staff formally requested the RDOS consider the amended proposal, which they carried unanimously on Jan 5, 2023.
