Artist rendering of the proposed West Kelowna Baden Resort Spa.
Image Credit: Submitted/City of West Kelowna
March 19, 2022 - 4:37 PM
A contentious West Kelowna resort and spa is making its rounds to city council for approval next week.
Plans call for a 188-room resort hotel, a dozen one-bedroom staff units, 10 two-bedroom guest cabins, spas and treatment rooms on the 13-acre site off Shannon View Drive.
City staff recommends council to agree for a first and second reading to amend the city’s Official Community Plan bylaw and its zoning bylaw before sending the proposal to a public hearing.
Last year, West Kelowna’s advisory planning commission unanimously support an application for the new health resort and spa. However, a petition by local area residents gathered more than 800 signatures for city council to reject the application.
READ MORE: 'Landmark' spa, hotel strongly opposed by some West Kelowna neighbours
“It’s completely surrounded by residential or by parks,” Friends of Shannon Lake petition organizer Tom Groat said in a previous interview with iNFOnews. “By coming in here, it would change so much of the characteristics and the aesthetic value that all the neighbours here have come to appreciate.”
The project was likened by some commission members to the Sparkling Hills resort near Vernon. The big difference is that Sparkling Hills is in a rural area, not an established residential neighbourhood, Groat said.
The hilltop was part of a larger parcel of land that has been developed for condos and single-family homes. The land was originally approved for 49 townhouse units in 2011 but those were never built.
City staff recommends that council approves the application based on the tourism draw, its focus on green building design, it supports local employment opportunities and the design includes pedestrian and transit connectivity.
It will be discussed during council’s next regular meeting March 22.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2022