District of West Kelowna council has accepted an offer from the provincial government that will allow the district to use three acres of Crown Land at 2515 Bartley Rd. for a much-needed works yard.
The Licence of Occupation agreement with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations 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 Rd.
Securing Crown Land grants for municipal use has been a top priority for West Kelowna council since incorporation.
In 2012, council indicated the 2515 Bartley Rd. site as its top Crown Land acquisition priority and has been working closely with the province to secure the 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,” said Mayor Doug Findlater.
“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.”
Findlater added the process isn’t over, as the district will continue to pursue a sponsored Crown grant for the entire site.
