Proposed lighthouse the ‘epitome of bad taste’
West Kelowna council not keen on idea of hosting Canada’s tallest lighthouse
A giant lighthouse proposed for West Kelowna would either be shrewd marketing or a considerable community embarrassment, city councillors say.
Council this week delayed making a decision on granting a height variance necessary for the proposed 35-metre lighthouse to adorn a new winery taking shape on the north slope of Goat’s Peak.
If approved, it would not only be the tallest lighthouse in Canada but the tallest building in West Kelowna.
Councillors on Tuesday said they wanted more detailed information about what the lighthouse would actually look like, with several saying they weren’t impressed by the quality of the drawings that were provided.
“I’m disappointed in the renderings. I think there could have been significantly more work done there,” Coun. Jayson Zilkie said.
“Let’s get a clearer picture of it,” added
Coun. Stephen Johnston.
But Coun. Carol Zanon made her position plain. Zanon, who said she was from Nova Scotia where there are real lighthouses, noted there are no such structures on Okanagan Lake.
Zanon said the proposal did not reflect anything of West Kelowna’s culture or history: “I deplore this as the epitome of bad taste.”
But Mayor Gord Milsom said the lighthouse could be a unique tourist attraction. “I would certainly consider it,” he said. “I can just imagine all the advertising.”
Coun. Doug Findlater said he’d like to hear what residents think before making up his mind about the lighthouse proposal.
There is no date yet for when the matter will be brought back to council for further consideration.
Applicant Darrel Monette is developing the 17-acre winery just east of the intersec-tion of Highway 97 and Glenrosa Road.
The proposed lighthouse, which is more than twice as tall as current building rules allow, is intended to be a “beacon for tourism and local pride,” he says.
It would adorn the southern end of the Wine Trail, otherwise known as Boucherie Road, the busiest municipal street in West Kelowna that is already flanked by 15 wineries.