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After 30 years of collecting over $2 million in rental income from 11 properties in Pandosy Waterfront Park, Kelowna council needs to explain where the money went and why they are dragging their feet on building this park for its intended use as a swimming beach.
Between 1987 and 1994, the city paid $1.45 million per acre to purchase 900 feet of waterfront to create the park. Council wants taxpayers to wait another 10 years without any guarantee it will ever be built, claiming it will cost $1.7 million to prepare the site for basic beach use.
Yet, council recently allowed two new beach parks to jump the development queue ahead of Pandosy and approved funding to provide interim public access. For example, in 2015 the city paid $4.13 million per acre to purchase 700 feet of waterfront to create Bluebird Beach Park, and in 2017 and 2018 spent over $250,000 to provide beach access. In 2018, the city paid $4.9 million per acre to purchase 114 feet of waterfront parkland on Hobson Road property next to the small boat club and plans to spend an undisclosed amount to provide beach access in 2019.
Council needs to explain a few things about its beach priorities before the election.
First, why must residents wait 40 years for Pandosy Waterfront Park to be built? It is in the middle of a rapidly developing town centre. The land is the least expensive, has more waterfront and is located near tourist facilities.
Second, why does Pandosy's basic beach access costs 8.6 times higher than Bluebird's?
Third, why are suburban parks like Bluebird and Hobson being built ahead of Pandosy, when they are located far from urban centres?
Fourth, why is the city refusing to build Pandosy after collecting over $2 million in rents from Pandosy properties.
Last, and most important, what happened to the rent money?
All council candidates should understand Pandosy is a city-wide park with high values benefiting residents and tourists alike.
Candidates need to make Pandosy a priority in their election platforms and to make public promises that they will advance park construction funding to 2019 during their initial budget deliberations in December.
Paul Clark, co-chairman KLONA
