Concerns raised by residents near the Penticton Speedway made regional directors hit the brakes on an omnibus-like amendment bylaw aimed at consolidating tourist commercial zones in rural areas.
The amendments include changing the zoning of the Penticton Speedway from Commercial Amusement to Commercial Tourism 5.
The change includes outlining its permitted use as a motorsports facility with secondary uses including accessory dwelling, eating and drinking establishment, indoor recreation, outdoor recreation, retail store and accessory buildings.
A petition including the names of 52 people, the majority who live in the Carmi area, was presented during a public hearing on the bylaw change in the morning.
Many comments on the petition stated the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen did not consult or provide enough information about the proposed changes.
“It would have been nice to receive earlier notice on this proposed changes. I am not in favour of having a drag strip, skid pad or motor cross as it would cause more pollution problems and environmental issues. It goes without saying that it will also reflect our property values in a real negative way,” Glenda Buyan, a resident of Carmi wrote on the petition.
Brad Dollevoet, development services manager, said after the meeting the zoning on the Penticton Speedway is unique in the RDOS and needed a definition that reflected that.
“We created a new use called motorsports facility. They (residents) have concerns with that definition because they think it allows more uses with that than just cars,” he said.
Dollevoet said the definition change does allow the speedway to do any additional activities it wasn’t already.
“Like the owner (of the Speedway) mentioned this morning they have a number of different types of races for cars already happening there and have historically. We don’t think it’s a change in use of what is currently occurring on the property,” he said.
Directors decided not to give the omni-bus bylaw amendment third reading, opting to allow time for the area director, Tom Siddon, to hold a public information meeting and public hearing with residents.
The matter is slated to return back to the board for third reading on Oct. 4 – the last meeting before the municipal election.
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