Skip to content

Council considering controversial proposals

Mayor considering economic benefits of Banks Crescent and regional compost facility
8204815_web1_170803-SUM-story-RDOS-compost-facility_2

While two proposals have generated considerable outrage from within the community, Summerland’s mayor and council are continuing to examine the advantages and disadvantages of both.

The proposals are for a seniors housing complex to be built on Banks Crescent and a regional compost facility to be located at the Summerland landfill site.

Mayor Peter Waterman said he campaigned as mayor on economic growth and is continuing to focus on economic benefits for Summerland.

“The effort is ongoing in looking at ways to enhance growth,” he said.

The number of housing starts and the value of those starts are both up considerably over last year, he said

The Banks Crescent proposal, for a 424-unit seniors housing development, is now at second reading. There are still reports and studies which must be received before council will hold a public hearing and then make a decision on whether to approve this development.

“It takes considerable time to pull all the information together for a project like this,” Waterman said, “but it has the potential to benefit the community.”

While council members are considering the proposal, a citizens’ group made up of people opposed to the proposal have been collecting signatures.

Their petition has now topped 3,000 names, and because of the number of signatures, there have been calls for council to abandon the project.

Still, Waterman believes it is important to have the public hearing and the discussion which will follow at third reading.

“I want to get to third reading, so we can have a full discussion,” he said. “You haven’t done enough until you’ve had the public hearing and discussed all the information.”

As for the compost facility, Waterman said the facility could have benefits for Summerland.

The proposed regional compost facility would be a kilometre away from a holding reservoir for Summerland’s water.

The existing compost facility, for Summerland’s needs only, is around 125 metres from the reservoir.

The proposed compost facility could bring an additional 25 trucks of material to the landfill site each day, but Waterman said this is a small fraction of the 2,300 vehicles on Prairie Valley Road each day.

With the compost facility in place, the community may be able to enhance the quality of Prairie Valley Road, which is a major corridor for residential and commercial traffic in Summerland.

“We can’t come to a conclusion too early, before we have had a decent discussion,” Waterman said.



John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
Read more