Avoid 'terrible mistake'

I live in KeIowna and enjoy golfing, hiking, and many other outdoor activities.

I am writing to you to explain why it is a terrible mistake to allow the beautiful, uniquely walkable, family-friendly Kelowna Springs 18-hole course to be turned into a 9-hole golf course plus some industrial land.

I spoke at the public meeting a couple of years ago when (Kelowna city) council voted to reverse the changes it had previously made to the Official Community Plan, by returning the Kelowna Springs site zoning back to recreational from industrial in the OCP. The people of Kelowna spoke up loudly and in numbers on the idea and council listened.

There are many reasons that changing part of the 480 Penno Road land from a golf course into industrial land is a horrifically bad idea and council is fully aware of them. I will focus on the two main reasons I believe council should not allow this to happen.

First, this land is invaluable as a wetland and green space and is singularly ill-suited for use as industrial land. The water springs freely out of the land to naturally water the golf course, and that will not change if the land that accepts all that water is turned into industrial land. Where will all that water go? How will it be dealt with? It will be a huge problem that does not need to be created. It all works beautifully right now as it is. Leave it alone.

Second, the city is losing a beautiful, uniquely walkable, 18-hole golf course. (Editor’s note: It actually transitioned to a nine-hole golf course last year at the start of the 2025 golf season.) It is already losing Michaelbrook and Shadow Ridge, so turning Kelowna Springs into a nine-hole golf course did absolutely nothing for the golf community.

I cannot think that future generations will praise the idea of destroying a beautiful, walkable 18-hole golf course right in the heart of the city so that (the owner) can stuff a bit of industrial land in its place. Future generations will be furious city council was so inconceivably shortsighted that it allowed this to happen. It really does boggle the mind that this idea is even being considered, let alone being championed by council.

Council should not give in to the developer. Let it know this golf course is never going to be turned into industrial land. Save this invaluable, beautiful, walkable, perfectly functional golf course for future generations.

Randy Brown, Kelowna