Rezoning approval sets bad precedent

Editor: Thank you Sharon Simpson for your input (City clerk’s explanation for ignoring letters weak, March 2), but here’s how all this tourism centre saga started.

1. An application to build a 5,000-square-foot building in City Park was quickly denied knowing full well it wouldn’t fly

2. It didn’t fly on the waterfront, including Simpson covenant land, either.

3. Now on parkland, it’s a 3,000-square-foot building with a mezzanine and bathrooms — a glorified kiosk with washrooms.

What a underhanded way of using Tourism Kelowna to rezone parkland for commercial use.

This hearing should have been about rezoning parkland for commercial use.

Now, the decision sets a precedent that allows park lands to be used for commercial use, which is already happening in the future South Pandosy park with allowing a paddle centre to operate there.

Some councillors appeared to be in a conflict-ofinterest situation and should have disqualified themselves from voting.

Supporters of the plan were from such places hotels, businesses, etc., compared to over 200-plus petitions from the taxpaying public, which uses our the parks.

Why even bother to have a hearing when you don’t listen to us?

Having been in real estate in the Lower Mainland, there were many deals made (even now) with councils and developers. Hopefully, that wasn’t the case here. It’s time Kelownians fight this or you and your kids are going to be left with commercialized beaches. Marianne Robinson, Kelowna