RE: “Owner will ask Nelson council to rezone Kutenai Landing property“
Concerning the proposed rezoning of the Kooteney Landing property, I hope city council will consider the following.
If the City of Nelson is serious about adapting to, mitigating and being resilient to climate change, I suggest that they not include a proposed new marina for new condo owners in the rezoning plan. Marinas only are used by power boats run by internal combustion engines. Promoting motor sports on our lake is not helping to deal with climate change.
Additionally, we have a unique situation here in Nelson, where our lake is not full of power boats making lots of noise and ripping around all summer, as it is in the Okanagan Valley. Because of this fact we have a thriving community of paddlers and rowers who utilize the west arm of Kootenay Lake.
The Rec Centre children’s summer camps, Nelson Paddling Club summer camps and youth and adult racing and recreation programs and the Nelson Rowing Club programs plus independent paddlers all utilize this area, which is relatively wake free and safe to paddle and row in. There are also two major businesses that sell kayaks, paddle boards and canoes in this area.
If the city council wants to give a developer an incentive to sell condos, why not stipulate that they can build a boat house for residents to store kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards and build a dock on the lake, with public access to the dock to promote more local health recreation.
Development by its very nature takes a common resource and puts it in the hands of a few people. As forward thinking city councillors and mayor, they can insure that the character of our town and safety of our citizens is preserved as development progresses.
Dr. David Knox
Nelson
