What are the benefits, really?
Dear Editor: To proponents of the Bank Crescent development, aside from all the hurdles that need to be overcome, the risks and liabilities that will not go away no matter what, and the rezoning that is contrary to the election platform from the present mayor and council, I have two key questions.
Question 1: If you wake up one morning in Summerland because of all the noise in your otherwise quiet street, open the curtains and see 1,000 cars running up and down your street, how would you feel?
NIMBY? In addition, you are suddenly looking at five buildings of six storeys high that have been erected across the street from you, how would you feel?
NIMBYs are good, because they are proud of where they live, nurture the ambiance of their neighborhoods and have a vision for the future of Summerland.
Question 2: What is actually positive about this proposed development from the municipal perspective, really? I can think of three things, but all are questionable. One is the tax base of $400,000, but we know now that that is deceiving. Mayor Peter Waterman himself has made clear during the past election that for $1 coming in to the tax base, $1.20 goes out for maintenance, services and upgrades.
Everything needs to be built, either by Lark or our municipality (the taxpayer) and maintained and serviced as standalone infrastructure. Not like in the downtown core, where water, sewage and electricity, etc, can simply be hooked up.
The other is the jobs, Lark says 75-100. Although requested, we have not seen any details on what these jobs are. Other than maybe a handful, the jobs will likely not enable people to move into the high-cost housing market of Summerland (unless they live there already), so they will commute in/out from where they have been living and spend their money elsewhere. Same during the building phase.
Maybe only one company in Penticton can build a complex like this. They may try to hire local, but most of the workers will commute in/out, and then leave once the complex is completed. Also, because the development is essentially a self-sustained independent village in Lower Town, with all the amenities on site, it is unlikely that the residents will bring significant business to our downtown core. So, what are the benefits, really? Debra Van Beek
Summerland