Council secures licence of occupation for Bartley Road works site | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kelowna News

Council secures licence of occupation for Bartley Road works site

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At its meeting April 8, Council accepted an offer from the Province of BC that will allow the District to use three acres of Crown land at 2515 Bartley Road for a much-needed works yard. The Licence of Occupation agreement with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources is a 20-year term beginning March 25, 2014 and involves the westerly portion of the site which is located near the District’s Operations office at 2570 Bartley Road.

Securing Crown Land grants for municipal use has been a top priority for West Kelowna Council since incorporation, as promised by the Province during incorporation discussions. In 2012, Council indicated the 2515 Bartley Road site as its top Crown Land acquisition priority and has been working closely with the Province of BC to secure this important agreement, succeeding in receiving a sponsorship for a Nominal Rent Tenure application from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

“This is an excellent step in the right direction for West Kelowna,” says Mayor Doug Findlater. “Council has been involved in countless meetings during the past seven years trying to secure a Crown Grant, particularly for 2515 Bartley. It is an ideal location for our operations, it’s centrally located in our municipality and it would enable us to put this priority behind us and move on to other pressing issues.”

Mayor Findlater says the process is far from over, and, although the municipality is pleased it is now authorized to use a portion of the site, the District will continue to pursue a Sponsored Crown Grant for the entire site.

“We heard commitments from the Province during the Westside Governance process back in 2006 that it would expedite the process to secure Crown Grants for West Kelowna. To date, we have not received a Crown Grant,” says Mayor Findlater. “We have very little public land for municipal purposes, something the Province recognized we needed all those years ago. We understand this isn’t an easy process, but Council is committed to securing this important land for West Kelowna on a permanent basis.”

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