Sweetheart deal for casino parking

Dear editor: When the casino’s plans were revealed at their open house their representative claimed they needed only 24 parking spaces. This seemed low but I was assured that was enough.

City planners subsequently required 80 spaces for the original square footage of this building. Within the casino leased area they provide 65 stalls. The city agreement compels them to lease 15 stalls on an annual basis.

If a taxpayer reserves an off-street parking stall from the city on a monthly basis the annual cost is $540.

If you chose (you can’t) to park at metered street parking at two hours for $2on an annual basis it would cost you $8 544: Metered parking is a cash cow for the city.

The Casino rents 15 stalls from the city and pays $48.60 per annum per stall with a 2 per cent increase each year. Taxpayers: $540/$8544. Casino: $48.60. Will the sweetheart deals never end? Urban Systems estimated the building as 1217 square metres larger than the original plans so perhaps they are not paying for enough stalls even at these bargain rates.

When the casino was housed at the Lakeside Resort, Penticton city council forced David Prystay to build a 210-stall parkade at a cost of $2.25 million. That casino was smaller with no restaurants with outdoor patios to lure in extra clientele; yet apparently city council does not require 250 stalls for the new larger casino.

Taxpayers just purchased additional land for $1.5 million due to the shortage of parking at the SOEC. It seems to me the answer lies in building a parkade. A 500-stall parkade in today’s prices would cost $10 to $12 million. The casino really owes taxpayers half the cost. Then they could have the 250 spaces they need over in their area to serve their clients.

In return we could put in hourly parking rates and have the remaining $5 or 6 million paid for in five or six years.

This would go a long way to restoring goodwill for the casino from a public fed up with the loss of parking at the SOEC.

If twin rinks are going to be built on the SOEC campus then the parkade might have to be larger and the cost would be higher. However the casino should still foot the bill for 250 stalls in the parkade to replace the parking they require in the Casino area. Elvena Slump

Penticton

They represented the Summerland and Penticton rinks and under the talented leadership of Coach Brian Lyall of Kelowna earned a spot to curl at the BC Winter Games.

They trained hard and took fourth place in Kamloops. None of this would be possible without the dedication of wonderful people who poured their time and talents into these young men.

Many thanks to Coach Brian, Glen Brennan, Gary Raymond, Craig McLeod and Marilou Richter, for the many hours of coaching and advice. None of this would've been possible without you.

Also, a huge thank you to our sponsors: The Summerland Kinsmen and Kin Club, Summerland Eagles, Aladdin Flooring, as well as the Summerland and Penticton Curling Clubs. Your financial support made it possible and your generosity speaks volumes of your commitment to your communities.

We are fortunate to live in an area where people invest in our youth and thank you to everyone who helped these junior curlers create memories to last a lifetime. The Trips, Martins, Kuechles

and Lowerys