Follow Napa Valley as a leading example

Dear Editor:

Until recently, the Naramata Bench has enjoyed worldwide acclaim for its orchards, vineyards, wineries and natural beauty. It has captivated visitors, residents and landowners alike with beautiful vistas and a slow-paced and enchanting lifestyle.

This is all about to change if Canadian Horizons has its way and develops 300-plus homes off Spiller Road, located near the Campbell Mountain landfill site. Along with this development will be a new road starting from 880 Naramata Road.

Sadly, this address was once a prolific peach orchard and has now become a land desert that the new owner uses as waste dirt storage. The new road will wind its way up a steep rocky bank, towards the Spiller Road development site. Naramata Road will be transformed into a major thoroughfare with multiple lanes, traffic lights and stop signs, in order to accommodate the growing number of cars.

In the meantime, there will be endless delays, noise and dust from construction over the next 10 years and inevitably set a precedent for more housing development projects being approved, within this region.

Napa Valley in California experienced similar pressures from developers in the past. The citizens of Napa Valley cleared the way to ensure that the agricultural region, surrounding mountains, undeveloped farms and range lands remain protected. Napa Valley today, unlike its neighbours to the south, is considered America’s premier wine destination.

The City of Penticton is currently going through a major development spree, with housing being built in Upper Wiltse and Columbia Heights, as well as in and around downtown. Today, though, there is growing pressure to develop the hills above Naramata Bench. With other more established-development projects already in progress, one has to question the need for high-density housing in a remote location near the Campbell Mountain landfill and ask whose interest is being served.

With concerns around global climate change, does it make sense to increase our carbon footprint, to destroy sensitive ecosystems, to threaten our water security and to negatively impact what has become a potential world class wine region?

With this knowledge in mind, now is the time for all like-minded citizens to stand up and say no to Canadian Horizons Spiller Road development proposal and like Napa, take measures to preserve and protect this pristine region, while we still can.

Rita Laven

Penticton