Photo: District of Peachland

Not everyone loves the idea of a new child-care centre being built in a residential area near Peachland elementary school.

Two people raised objections at a public hearing Tuesday held to change the zoning and official community plan designation of the property where the centre will be built.

Four letters were also submitted.

The 104-space child care centre is to be built across the street from the school, with access off a new road to be called Wild Goose Street.

The municipality last summer received a $12.2-million provincial grant to build the centre, which will be operated by BGC Okanagan (formerly the Boys and Girls Club). Construction is expected to start around June.

Tammy Arishenkoff had a number of concerns about the project with increased traffic congestion being her biggest worry.

“It’s already a busy crescent,” she said.

Brianna Rosas didn’t like the name of the new road.

“As far as I last checked in Peachland, we didn’t like geese,” Rosas said. “We have some amazing history in Peachland. We have many other names that we can do to honour somebody. Please change the name.”

In fact, the road name was suggested by the Peachland Historical Society.

“In accordance with the procedures set out in the Street Naming Policy, staff worked with the applicant and the Peachland Historical Society on potential names for the new road. The recommended new road name is: Wild Goose Street,” the planning department wrote in a 2023 memo to council. “The road name Wild Goose Street is proposed in honour of William Jenkins, better known as Wild Goose Bill. A full account of his life may be found in The Roads of Peachland: The Historical Origins of their Names.”

Council will decide later whether to approve the rezoning and OCP change.