— Amended plan for park & marina will go to Town Council —
(OSOYOOS TIMES — October 24, 2007) —
By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times
Forty local citizens made their way to Council Chambers Wednesday night for a public open house on the Osoyoos Waterfront Master Plan, and members of the plan's steering committee seemed delighted with the response.
The waterfront master plan seeks to revitalize Osoyoos' downtown waterfront, from Gyro Beach to Lions Park. It includes 94 boat slips on three docks east of Lions Park, a picnic gazebo, marina office, a beach volleyball court and boat trailer parking, among other amenities. It also transforms the area currently used by the museum into an open park.
The public seems very supportive, said steering committee member and Watermark project manager Glenn Harris. Other members of the steering committee include Councillor Ted Cronmiller, Director of Leisure Services Gerald Davis, Town Engineer Terry Underwood, consultant Peter Kreuk and Staff Project Manager Alain Cunningham.
Like Harris, Cunningham said the public seemed mostly supportive.
There were some really good ideas presented, he said, adding these included improving access to the boat launch (at the foot of Spartan Drive) and more parking for trailers.
People want to avoid cluttering the waterfront with boat trailers, Cunningham said.
A lack of adequate parking for boat trailers has become problematic in Osoyoos in recent years, causing crowding on both Cottonwood and Lakeshore Drives, as well as areas of Main Street.
Cunningham said that attendees also expressed concern for the environment, and said the committee is striving to achieve a balance between meeting the needs of tourists and preserving Osoyoos' unique ecosystem.
In late September, the steering committee held a series of consultations with stakeholder groups, those with a vested interest in the waterfront. These organizations included Osoyoos Now, Osoyoos Lawn Bowling, Osoyoos Lake Quality Society, the Royal Canadian Legion, Destination Osoyoos, the Osoyoos Seniors Centre Association, Sunflight Parasailing and the Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club.
Jurgen Reinhards is commodore of the sailing club, and is apprehensive about how the plan may affect the club's operation.
The sailing club is located in the former CPR station, between the White Sands condominium complex and Lions Park.
Reinhards said that when he met with steering committee members, they were looking at the option of maybe moving the sailing club building down the beach towards White Sands.
We are definitely not in favour of moving the building or the boats to another location, Reinhards said.
While the plan presented last week leaves the building alone, it does move the club's boat landing area and extends a pathway through the property. Reinhards said the trailer parking stalls also, significantly reduces our parking.
The commodore stressed the sailing club has been in its current location since 1963, and that it is mandated by the Town to give sailing lessons to the public. Reinhards is also concerned that docks planned for the area just north of the sailing cluband the nearby lagoon may interfere with its operations.
We expressed our opinions the other night, the commodore said of the open house. He said he'll be holding his breath to see whether the concerns of the club are incorporated into the final plan, to be released sometime next month.
Cunningham said the concerns and suggestions of the public and the stakeholders will be taken into consideration when the committee finalizes the plan at an upcoming meeting.
He expects the amended Waterfront Master Plan to go before Council in the next month or so.
