Docks have been placed on a Town of Osoyoos beach access on Lakeshore Drive, just south of Walnut Beach. Neither of the adjacent property owners own these docks and unless they are removed they will be subject to impoundment by the Town. Appointments to reclaim items may be made by calling 250-495-6213. Photo submitted - Click on photo for larger image
OSOYOOS TIMES-December 2, 2009
By Laurena Weninger – Osoyoos Times
If any of your belongings are sitting on a public beach access around Osoyoos Lake, the Town is about to remove them.
“The Town of Osoyoos has recently had a surveyor complete surveys on all Town properties adjacent to Osoyoos Lake,” stated a sample letter sent out by the Town to a number of property-owners around the lake. “After completion of these surveys, staff toured all these properties.
“It was noted that you are storing several of your belongings on town-owned property.”
Janette Van Vianen, the Town’s corporate services director, said the letters went out to eight property owners in August in an effort to fight encroachment and reclaim Town land.
The direction from council was given a couple of years ago to start the process of identifying and clearing off the access properties, said Van Vianen.
Surveys were done of 13 properties, which Town staff members then toured.
A report was given to council and was dealt with in closed meetings, said Van Vianen, as it is considered an enforcement matter and the privacy of the individuals in contravention must be maintained.
“I can tell you, however, that after reviewing the report, council instructed staff to send a letter to all those property owners encroaching onto town property giving them 30 days to remove their articles,” Van Vianen said.
Van Vianen said since then, she has been contacted by all but two of the property owners.
“In these two cases, I will be following up shortly but the nature of their encroachments are far more reaching than just docks or trailers, they involve fencing, landscaping and buildings that give the appearance that they are not public property but rather private,” she said. “I cannot advise you of which properties these are at this time as I need to protect the privacy of the owners.”
In most cases, the property owners have removed the encroachments.
Others have not yet fully complied.
In a couple of cases, accesses that were clear at the time of the last inspection are now occupied by property.
Van Vianen said there is one access on Bayview Crescent that has a boat and a boat-and-trailer on it and one on Cottonwood Drive that has a utility trailer on it.
In another case, on a beach access on Lakeshore Drive just south of Walnut Beach between 3804 and 3612 Lakeshore Drive sits a removable dock.
“Neither of the adjacent property owners own these docks and unless removed will be subject to impoundment,” said Van Vianen.
The Town is now advertising a notice to those owning the property that it must be removed.
Starting the week of Dec. 7, the Town is going to start removing and impounding items.
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