An application to bring two properties on Catherwood Road into the City of Revelstoke has moved to the second stage.
The joint application comes from David Evans, who owns the larger, 40 acre property; and Peter Bernacki, Melinda Bell and Richard Mickle, who own the smaller, 13-acre property.
Both properties are located along Catherwood Road, at the foot of Mount Mackenzie and are adjacent to the resort lands.
A letter from Evans says the properties offer “unrivalled land for future development with ski out access,” but that access to city water and sewer is necessary for development.
The application has gone out for referral and has now been sent to the province for more information on how to proceed.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District is not supporting the request, saying they want to look at an annexation for the whole area, and not just go at it one property at a time. They also asked the city to consult with the Agricultural Land Commission because the properties are part of the Agricultural Land Reserve.
The Askisq’nuk First Nation said they had no concerns with the application, but they asked that an archeological study be completed before any development takes place.
No concerns were raised by province.
A financial impact analysis prepared by Tania McCabe, the city’s deputy director of finance, says it would cost the city either $6,173 or $25,755 to service the property, depending on how the amount is calculated. The lower amount is based on assumption that all services are provided at an equal cost per parcel. The higher amount is based relating the cost of providing services to the value of the property.
The annual tax revenue that would be received from the properties, as they stand now, would be $14,479, based on 2015 assessments and tax rates. Those numbers would change when the properties are developed.
The properties are part of the Agricultural Land Reserve and would require approval from the Agricultural Land Commission before being developed.
It is one of three boundary extension requests in the area. Evans has applied to have another nearby property annexed in order to build a boutique treehouse hotel, while the Thomas Brook water users have also applied for annexation.
