Expansion of park may include rock climbing
Plans for Penticton’s newest neighbourhood may include a resort catering to rock climbers, council heard Tuesday.
A 300-acre, undeveloped parcel on the eastern edge of the city bordering Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park was officially annexed by the local government this year.
Preliminary zoning presented to council calls for about half the land to be designated for parks and recreation, a quarter for forestry and grazing, and the balance for residential development.
It’s within the proposed parks area that the unnamed land owner has expressed a desire to build a 20-room resort, according to city planning manager Blake Laven.
“The idea behind this is to support an ecotourism-focused tourist accommodation for the (rock) climbing public. This was the developer’s idea to create sort of a rustic tourism accommodation area that people can stay at and then go to the bluffs,” he explained.
The area in question is unserviced and would require “a lot of work” to connect it to roads and utilities, added Laven, so the developer is also considering keeping the resort off the grid.
The developer has separately begun the process of handing over 64 acres to the B.C. government to expand Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park.
Coun. Judy Sentes noted that would address an ongoing problem of climbers straying onto private property.
“That will be a very positive outcome as this proceeds,” she said.
To complete the handover, however, the land requires zoning, subdivision and other regulatory matters to be cleared up. Council took the first step towards doing so by sending the proposed zoning and Official Community Plan amendments to a public hearing Sept. 4.
Laven said the first phase of development calls for 40 residential lots, with up to 180 new residences at full build-out.