Is city hiding information?

Editor:

The hits just keep on ringing! When the Queensway Jetty property was granted to the City of Kelowna in April 20013 it was done so with a covenant that no buildings could be constructed on the property.

In fact, the closest any building could be constructed was 15 metres back from the natural boundary of the lakeshore — putting it within the Simpson covenant lands.

Thus, when the land was granted to the city, there was never any intent any buildings would be constructed upon it.

Flash forward to Dec. 2, 2016, just 10 days prior to first reading of official community plan and rezoning amendments — the covenant was magically removed with comment that it was no longer in the public interest that it remain.

Who determined that it was not in the public interest to maintain the covenant?

Why was this information withheld from the public?

What secret negotiations took place between the city and the province, and when did they start?

Is the province complicit with the city in determining what is in the public interest without actually hearing from the public?

What other facts regarding the proposed Tourism Kelowna visitor centre are not being disclosed to the public?

It is long past time the City of Kelowna come clean with all information regarding the visitor centre and either call for another real public hearing or send this issue straight to referendum.

Jim McMullan, Kelowna