Hats off to those Area C and F residents who took the time and effort to register their concerns re: the Alternative Approval Process cultural issue. Objections forms are now available for the AAP Centennial Park issue. Nowhere in Director Demenok’s recent ‘Questions and Answers’ does he address: Why the CSRD refused to entertain Mr. Barker’s offer of Centennial field for free! This offer included paying the cost of moving the road.

Blind Bay would have gained: ‘senior friendly’ condos, an additional tax base for the CSRD, and a waterfront park for residents (large as that of Salmon Arm). Nor would development of senior friendly condos have prevented developing the balance of Centennial Field as a waterfront park; many developments border on parks.

I strongly disagree with Demenok that a property appraisal “done on behalf of a purchaser is used as a strategic negotiation tool to lower the final price.” The reason you pay for an appraisal is to determine the actual current fair market value of land in question, so you know what to reasonably pay. Is the CSRD now suggesting their appraiser can be influenced to arrive at a lower estimate than market value?

What if the appraisal came out higher than asking price – would they have used it then as a negotiating tool? Nonsense! Rather, often ‘alleged’ backup offers are used by sellers to raise prices. So why the overpayment of $700,000?

Demenok is not a qualified appraiser, nor real estate agent, so he can toss around all the figures he wants. Now that CSRD’s offer is secure, there can be no market speculation, so let’s reveal: the appraisal, the consultant’s report recommending purchase, alleged backup offers, and other property locations evaluated. There are no liability issues here – time to be forthright and open.

Ken Smith

Read more: Column – Questions and answers about Centennial Field

Read more: CSRD open house to focus on Centennial Field

Read more: Alternative approval process to proceed for Centennial Field purchase

Salmon Arm Observer