Infotel.Kelowna Dec 2, 2024
The city of Kelowna made a major effort to buy Kelowna Springs Golf Course. Really?
Do I think the city made their best efforts to reach an agreement with the property owner to acquire Kelowna Springs as a municipal golf course? No.
In his statement on Dec. 3, 2024, Mayor Dyas includes several interesting comments.
1.“Council directed city staff to explore all options for the city to acquire the property from Denciti Development.”
Now, why would the mayor send out a staff person to negotiate with a powerful developer for a $30 million asset, which is as important and controversial as Kelowna Springs? Would a developer think the city was serious if he wasn’t even approached by the decision makers or negotiators, being the the Mayor and the Chief Financial Officer? No. What message was the mayor sending to the developer?
Keep in mind that when the 2040 OCP was being written, the previous owner asked staff to change the future land use of Kelowna Springs to industrial, and so they did. Things went along until the public found out about it. Kelowna Springs has been an important, affordable, walkable public golf course in Kelowna for years. So the mayor sends out staff to acquire it when staff were the ones who changed and supported the future land use to industrial in the first place. There is something wrong with this picture.
2.“Despite our best efforts, the city was unable to reach an agreement with the property owner.”
Again, is sending a staff person to negotiate for a $30 million city asset considered “best” efforts?
What should have happened was that the mayor should have invited Mr. Fawley to the negotiating table. The price Denciti would probably agree to is $30 million, plus interest etc., maybe up to $35 million. In Sept. 2024, the city approved a budget for new parks, of $358 million, so the funds could come out of that. If Mr. Fawley thought there was no hope for industrial, he would cut his losses and take the money to invest somewhere else. Keep in mind, Mr. Fawley purchased Kelowna Springs just before the 2022 election when Kelowna Springs was a major election issue.
It is now recognized that Kelowna Springs is also important for many other things, including flood protection of city infrastructure. If Mr. Fawley doesn’t want to negotiate, the city has the option of expropriating Kelowna Springs at fair market value of, say, $6 million without the owner’s consent. What do you think Mr. Fawley would do? Did the city put forth their best efforts? No.
3.“Should the property owner choose to submit a development application in the future, council will evaluate it with the upmost care…”
What message is the mayor sending to the developer and to the public? That the developer should not believe that the city won’t approve industrial use. Just try it. What is the public to believe? That the city isn’t committed to saving Kelowna Springs from development. These efforts are ‘going through the motions”.
Mayor Dyas said that during the election he would fight to save Kelowna Springs if he became mayor. The public, including myself, believed him and voted for him. Were we duped? Maybe. It is time for the mayor to make a real effort to acquire Kelowna Springs and confirm to the owner the city is serious about this. As a municipal golf course, this sensitive green space will be an asset to the city including the residents of Kelowna.
Susan Ames, https://infotel.ca/newsitem/in-response-readers-have-their-say/it107350
