Renewal of permit sought for storage yard at entrance to West Kelowna

An oversize storage yard containing fertilizers, farm gates and fence posts should continue to greet visitors to West Kelowna, city staff say.

Planners will recommend at tomorrow’s council meeting that another three-year permit be given to the operators of Buckerfield’s to store materials outside their business at the west end of the Highway 97 couplet in downtown Westbank.

The storage yard is almost six times larger than current regulations permit. However, since the last temporary-use permit was issued in 2014, staff say Buckerfield’s has taken steps to screen the yard with a berm, additional trees and two types of fences.

“It is evident that the landscaping and fencing installed six years ago functions to significantly screen the outdoor storage area, and staff have not received any negative feedback from the community or surrounding businesses,” reads part of a report to council by planner Chris Oliver.

However, the situation is still not thought to be ideal, as the official community plan for downtown Westbank envisions the site as a future “Gateway” intended to convey to visitors a positive first impression of West Kelowna.

“Based on the proximity to Westbank’s agricultural lands, the plan envisions the subject property as a food and agricultural destination that could accommodate uses such as food and beverage services, and retail uses such as a wine shop and deli, and hosting a seasonal outdoor farmers market,” Oliver says.