Decision on Wine Trail put off until December

Development of the Wine Trail in West Kelowna depends on city council’s consideration of other budget priorities.

Council this week delayed making a decision until early December on whether to spend an estimated $8.7 million to construct the next phase of the scenic road.

By then, council will have had a first look at the city’s 2018 budget and will be in a better position to evaluate the Wine Trail against other city projects.

“We will make a decision then, at the December meeting, whether to go to tender with the Wine Trail (as one project) or chunk it out,” Mayor Doug Findlater said.

The next proposed phase of the Wine Trail, the name given to the rebuilding of Boucherie Road, would stretch about 1.4 kilometres between Stuart Road and Ogden Road and include two roundabouts, bike lanes, new sidewalks, and landscaping and decorative features.

“This is a big, difficult project,” Coun. Duane Ophus said. “There’s lots of reasons for going ahead and lots of reasons to be cautious.”

A representative from Stantec, an engineering company working as a consultant for the city on the project, had suggested council make a motion to proceed with the tendering of part of the Wine Trail project. He warned that costs would only go up with any delay.

“You’re going to be paying more if you wait,” the consultant said.

His suggestion to proceed was not well received by Coun. Rosalind Neis, who bristled: “You are out of line. I think the intent of you bringing forward some kind of motion is self-serving, because you, your company, has a financial gain to proceed.

“So I would like everything you just said to be stricken from the record,” Neis said.

Council’s decision to defer a decision on the Wine Trail’s expansion came after an hour and a half of debate. After the unanimous vote, Findlater said: “How about that — we made a decision, and a unanimous one at that.”