Boat launch & visitor centre

Mayor Basran seems to hold different opinions on when the public interest is best served. With regard to the deep-water boat launch he states “We believe, at end of day, the greater good and the majority of our residents are better served by this fantastic walkway and its continuation along Kerry Park than the handful of people inconvenienced by the removal of the deep keel boat launch.”
  
Back in May of 2008, a City of Kelowna Memorandum indicates a plan to relocate the deep water launch along with the yacht club. That would have been a logical move.

Apparently, the same logic of the greater good does not apply to the proposed visitor centre. Mayor Basran and most of his fellow Councillors believe accommodating a handful of Tourism Kelowna executives and staff outweighs the wishes of the residents and takes away park land.

I suggest we inconvenience the handful of people at Tourism Kelowna and tell them to find another location. Tourists will still come and there is no proof that even one more will come or return based on a waterfront location.

I find it interesting that Mayor Basran met with members of the Tourism Kelowna board and Nancy Cameron on two known occasions, one with the subject Visitor Centre. There are no minutes or other records of what was discussed, although after those meetings, it was proposed that the hotel room tax be increased 50% to 3% from 2%. And then came first reading of the amended OCP and zoning change to allow the visitor centre to occupy public park land. Was this when the 29-year lease for $50 was dreamed up? We will never know.

Is this how the multitude of zoning changes and variances in the city get started, with a private visit to the Mayor’s office? I am not sure if that is how other cities conduct business but it certainly makes me uncomfortable.

Gord Marshall