The North Shore Kia dealership is the target location for the new Community Policing Office.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
October 08, 2013 - 1:03 PM
KAMLOOPS – After more than 13 years at the current location the North Shore Community Policing Office is set to move around the corner, if rezoning of the Kamloops Kia dealership site on 7 Street goes through.
The city purchased the lot late this summer with the intentions of moving the policing office to the $1 million property, which offers up more space to relocate officers, equipment and programs from the downtown detachment.
Identified as an action item in the Kamloops Corporate Strategic Plan staff was directed to find a new central location for the policing office. They looked at parking availability, storage space, office space, site access and future growth potential. They also wanted to ensure the new location would offer enough storage space to help ease the burden on the downtown location.
While the move is well over a year away, it is expected volunteer programs and their equipment would be moved to the new office, along with eight staff members and 40 volunteers. This will help with space-related issues at the Battle Street location and offer a greater presence on the North Shore. All evidence and other sensitive materials would remain at the downtown detachment, as would all jail cells.
Tuesday councillors will decide if they wish to move the project forward by sending the rezoning proposal to a public hearing. The property is currently zoned as arterial commercial and would need to be changed to public use/community facility before the policing office could be moved. A borrowing bylaw to cover the cost of the purchase and any future renovations will also need final approval before the sale is finalized.
Council already agreed to continue leasing the dealership property to the current owners for another 12 months after the change of ownership and to extend the lease on the current Fortune Drive location until the end of 2015.
To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013