[ad_1]
Summerland council on Monday launched a process to ensure it and residents of the district have a say in a marina proposal attached to a luxury condo development on the shore of Lake Okanagan.
The problem is a 50-berth marina that would serve the Oasis luxury residences on Lakeshore Drive between the Summerland Yacht Club and the Lakeshore Racquets Club. Construction of the residences – including 24 residential units and 14 resort condos – is already underway.
The developers of the proposed marina have started the lengthy approval process with the provincial government. Summerland chief executive Graham Statt told the board such requests typically take two years or more.
The intention of Monday’s actions by council was to ensure the district is not left out of the process. A marina is a permitted use under the current zoning of Aquatic Zone 3 (WZ3) and developers would not have to seek district approval.
However, Director of Development Services Brad Dollevoet stressed that any marina project would require a development permit to be approved by the district.
Staff presented council with several options under their zoning powers to require marina developers to obtain council’s blessing and seek the advice of residents in public hearings.
After much discussion, council agreed to establish so-called “site-specific†zoning criteria for the project.
Under such designation, the site will continue to be zoned WZ3, allowing for a broad list of water-related uses, including docks, marinas, fueling docks, sanitary landfills, bodies of water or rental of marine equipment.
According to the report to council, the restrictions for a site could include such things as a ban on slips from private or commercial watercraft, a limit on the total number of slips from a watercraft, or requirements to be removed from a public beach.
Dollevoet said staff will follow council guidance on any arrangements. He said there would also be some sort of aspect of public input and consultation with the developer of the marina.
Mayor Toni Boot described the site-specific option as “the one that offers the most opportunities for input from council, staff, developer and the publicâ€.
Once the site-specific criteria are assembled, they will be presented to council for initial approval, which will trigger a public hearing. And finally, council will decide whether or not to adopt the zoning.
Boot said it is “a little dangerous to assume that we know what the public wants.” If it turns out that the public is against the whole idea, “We’ll have a chance to say, ‘No. It doesn’t work for our community.
Despite council fears of being left out of the process, a marina fits into many district planning documents. For example, the Lower Town strategic plan seeks to “facilitate additional public mooring facilities along the waterfront, including by considering a publicly accessible wharf … (and) increasing the possibilities of public access to the waterfront. boats along the seafront â€.
As for the timing, Dollevoet said staff would likely be able to present a site-specific zoning proposal to council in January.
Statt assured the board that there was no great rush, noting that there was a “significant backlog” of applications of various types in Victoria.
He suggested that if the district informs the province that there are zoning issues regarding the marina application, “they’ll work on something else while we get that done.”
Com. Richard Barkwill noted: “The word ‘marina’ has not been mentioned once in the official community plan.
A potential issue for the development of the marina noted in the report to council is the presence in the area of ​​Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussels, a species listed as “special concern†under the Species at Risk Act.
“A more in-depth environmental review would be necessary for any proposed structure at this location to ensure the protection of … mussels,” the report told council.
[ad_2]
