Council about to make decision that’s worse than the tourist centre

Editor: When City of Kelowna councillors approved the much-opposed tourist centre on the downtown shore of our main attraction, Okanagan Lake, I had to check the date as it seemed like an April Fool’s joke.

Sadly, it wasn’t. All the current councillors, except one, voted for this unnecessary monstrosity on our lakeshore.

Other than creating a dog park at the foot of The Sails, this has to be the most ludicrous decision I’ve seen in my 22 years in this city. Until now. Now we get to hold our breaths while councillors ponder their decision on drastic variances for the Aqua project proposed for Lakeshore and Truswell.

Mission Group is requesting approval for a 350-plus-unit complex with three towers, 13, 16 and 19 storeys high, plus a four-storey boat barn.

The area is zoned for six storeys only.

Not to mention the boat storage barn should likely be deemed Industrial.

This project has absolutely no place in such a small space with no room for extra traffic options due to Mission Creek in one direction and the lake in another. There are already three major residential complexes on Truswell Road, which is hard pressed to handle the current traffic.

Only Mayor Colin Basran has expressed concern. Other councillors expressed delight at having a new boardwalk along the water, which the proposal has included. Of course, it is included, that is a requirement isn’t it?

Couldn’t the city build the boardwalk without destroying an entire neighbourhood?

Isn’t there something wrong with having to give away the farm just to get a boardwalk along our own lake?

And on that note, you might be interested to know the boardwalk along the front of the Eldorado Hotel, which is supposed to be open to the public, has now been gated off. The manager says it will be locked from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m..

I live on Truswell Road and the Canada Day long weekend was a minuscule taste of what is to come if those drastic variances for the Aqua project are approved.

Due mainly to the closure of the Queensway boat launch, hundreds of boats converged on the only other launch in the city with trailer parking, Cook Street boat launch.

The city parking lot there soon filled up, so of course Truswell, Capozzi and Cook streets were filled with trucks, boat trailers and cars.

These are residential streets. They were parked everywhere, many illegally, to the point where we would have been in trouble if any emergency service vehicles had been required.

This council is intent on developing Kelowna beyond any rhyme or reason. Sell our town to the highest bidder. What has happened to city planning?

Chaos is the only word to describe what this council has created. Does public opinion mean nothing to this council?

We can only hope they will come to their senses before our beautiful city and our unique lifestyle is completely destroyed.

Keep October 2018 in mind. Our next civic election is only 15 months away.

M. Holm, Kelowna