sa国际传媒

Skip to content

Kelowna Springs stays the course, for now

Council votes 8-1 to return golf clubsa国际传媒檚 land to private recreational
33089220_web1_230622-KCN-kelowna-springs-hearing-kelownaspringsph_1
Former Kelowna Springs co-owner, Ian Robertson, speaks to city council during a public hearing on June 20, 2023. (City of Kelowna video)

Emotions, regret and a rush to make a decision all came out of a public hearing on the future of Kelowna Springs golf course Tuesday night (June 20).

Council chambers was packed with golfers, orchardists, farmers and others who were there to find out if the property would be kept as future industrial land, or changed back to private recreational. After 4.5 hours of presentations and discussion, council voted 8-1 for the latter.

More than 400 pages of correspondence had been received on the matter, which staff believed to be the most ever for a public hearing.

Speakers pleaded with council to consider the potential environmental impact of allowing industrial development, including loss of greenspace, wildlife habitat and flooding.

Others said the golf course is important to mental and social well-being and should be kept as is for generations to come. Some even urged the city to buy the property.

Owners, Denciti Developments, proposed a compromise of a nine-hole course with the rest of the property being developed. Several speakers liked the idea.

sa国际传媒淔ind a solution which assists your citizens and recognizes the practicality of business,sa国际传媒 Robert Levin told council.

Conceptual rendering showing potential nine-hole and industrial land proposal for Kelowna Springs Golf Course property. (Denciti Developments)
Conceptual rendering showing potential nine-hole and industrial land proposal for Kelowna Springs Golf Course property. (Denciti Developments)

Concerns were also raised about Kelownasa国际传媒檚 Official Community Plan (OCP), which determined the future land use, and the process of getting to the public hearing. Denciti CEO Garry Fawley said in 45 years of business he has never seen an OCP treated this way.

sa国际传媒淭hat a month after support there is a property singled out and then reviewed the way it has been.sa国际传媒

READ MORE: Kelowna needs 236 acres of industrial land to meet future demand: Report

Fawley added he didnsa国际传媒檛 find the process to be open or fair.

Former councillor Gail Given cautioned that changing an OCP designation after being approved will have ramifications.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 already hearing investors in the community being very concerned. Please be careful about this.sa国际传媒

Coun. Luke Stack pointed out that OCP amendments are to be expected from time to time. He first pushed for the Kelowna Springs designation change after hearing from the public.

READ MORE: Kelowna councillor drives change of heart on use of golf course land

sa国际传媒淚 have to remind everyone that we were under pressure, encouragement from our former mayor to say sa国际传媒榟ey guys, letsa国际传媒檚 just get this passed.sa国际传媒 We can go back and deal with the outstanding issues.sa国际传媒

Stack explained that itsa国际传媒檚 councilsa国际传媒檚 duty to revisit items that are brought to its attention by the public.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 exactly what wesa国际传媒檙e doing here tonight.sa国际传媒

Coun. Charlie Hodge made similar comments.

sa国际传媒淚 was on council with Mr. Stack when it got pushed into change. And it was pushed into change.sa国际传媒

Hodge said he fought against it but finally got fed up.

sa国际传媒淪o I rolled over. I regret that day.sa国际传媒

Coun. Loyal Wooldridge, the only vote against, said he felt the process was rushed. He noted that Denciti had asked for six months to do initial environmental studies and then bring a plan forward.

sa国际传媒淚 advocated for an October public hearing and it fell on deaf ears. If we jeopardize the confidence that investors have in our city, we can come to a screeching halt.sa国际传媒

He added that other OCP amendments considered by council have been owner requested.

sa国际传媒淲e havensa国际传媒檛 come in and politically driven that decision. Thatsa国际传媒檚 the difference between this OCP amendment and others.sa国际传媒

READ MORE: Council avoids temporary hazard on Kelowna Springs golf course

Mayor Tom Dyas agreed with Wooldridge in that the process was rushed, but added he was proud of how council handled the public hearing.

Councilsa国际传媒檚 decision does not save Kelowna Springs. It will remain open for the rest of this season, but after that its future is uncertain. Former co-owner Ian Robertson, who currently retains golf operations, commended Denciti for trying to find ways to compromise.

sa国际传媒淚 have committed conceptually to sell the operational assets to one of our key staff members to continue operations if Denciti can be in a position to offer an extended lease for nine holes.sa国际传媒

He reminded councilt that Denciti made its decision to invest in Kelowna based on existing policy.

sa国际传媒淭hey have now been placed in a very difficult position without any rationale, other than what seems to be the interests of a small percentage of the community, and this is not fair from a business perspective.sa国际传媒

Fawley released the following statement June 21.

sa国际传媒淭hrough open dialogue and constructive engagement, we will get to work on a rezoning application for the property that finds a balance between recreational use and Kelownasa国际传媒檚 acute need for employment and industrial land. We remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver a project that contributes positively to the community as a whole.sa国际传媒

READ MORE: Chamber weighs in on Kelowna Springs Golf course controversy



gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

Like us on and follow us on and subscribe to our daily and subscribe to our daily newsletter.



Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Journalist and broadcaster for three decades.
Read more



(or

sa国际传媒

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }