Linear park, promenade envisioned between Rotary Beach, Mission Creek
A linear park and waterfront promenade could one day stretch from Rotary Beach to the mouth of Mission Creek.
While appealing to pedestrians, the area would also be Kelowna’s “watersport epicentre,” with an enhanced boat launch at Cook Road and new commercial and residential developments.
A long-range vision of the foreshore, going to city council on Monday for initial review, is designed to deal with the ongoing and contradictory processes of erosion and sand deposition along this section of Kelowna’s shoreline.
“Staff are leading a scientific study to come up with a long-term plan to stabilize the shoreline from the mouth of Mission Creek to Rotary Beach,” reads part of a staff report to council.
Recommendations are that the city begin talking to waterfront property owners now about the changes they’ve seen along the shoreline, and engage experts to suggest measures that might forestall future erosion.
These measures, the report suggests, could include offshore breakwaters, seawalls, groynes and new plantings along the lakeshore.
Sediment, much of which washes down Mission Creek, tends to build up immediately north and south of where the creek flows into Okanagan Lake. It also builds up around the Cook Road boat launch, forcing the city to occasionally dredge the area to keep it usable for boats.
Conversely, beaches between the boat launch and Mission Creek are being eroded by wind and wave action, city officials say.
Public paths or boardwalks already exist in some areas between the Lakeshore Road bridge over Mission Creek and Rotary Park, farther to the north.
But they are separated by pockets of private property along the creek and lake, along which there is currently no easy or legal public access.
In May, city council signalled its approval for the massive Aqua development project, immediately south of the Cook Road boat launch. It would have 350 homes in towers of 19, 16 and 13 storeys. The proposal includes a public beach and boardwalk.