Highlights from September 5 Regional Board meeting
A cellular tower Telus is proposing to erect in Hedley received general support from the Regional Board following a report from Area ‘G’ Director Angelique Wood.
Director Wood had commissioned informal polling of Hedley residents to ascertain their opinion of the tower, which would be located at 796 Scott Avenue. A majority of residents who cast ballots voted in favour of the tower.
Telus has indicated the tower might be included in its 2014 capital plan.
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A bylaw administering an updated Official Community Plan for Area ‘D-2’, which includes Okanagan Falls, East Skaha, Upper Carmi and Vaseux communities, was given third reading. The updated plan, replacing a plan that is 17 years old, provides for significant changes, including establishment of growth boundaries, a policy to protect vacant industrial area within Okanagan Falls, steep slope development permitting and guidelines and language to discourage vacation rentals.
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The Regional Board adopted a zoning bylaw that allows residential manufactured home parks in Areas ‘C’ and ‘D’ to replace a six-metre separation constraint with an amenity and open space areas requirement.
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The first 100 rural participants in the Fortis South Okanagan – Similkameen Energy Diet program can now access through the program an additional $25 grant from the Regional District to limit the cost of a required $60 energy assessment. The Board approved up to $2,500 in total subsidies to help rural homeowners assess their energy consumption and access provincial and federal grants to improve energy usage.
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A proposed 30-lot subdivision will mean improved water service for Gallagher Lake with a Board decision to have the Regional District enter into an agreement with a Deer Lake developer.
As a condition of development approval, the developer agreed to construct about 675 metres of water and sanitary infrastructure to connect the Deer Park community to the Osoyoos Indian Band’s Senkulmen Industrial Park system.
Ownership of the infrastructure will be transferred to the Regional District and property owners between Deer Park and the Senkulmen system will be allowed to access the system.
The Regional District has agreed to contribute $200,000 to sewer collections to service the system.
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The Regional District will enter into a memorandum of understanding with BC Transit with the objective of providing transit service along Eastside Road between Okanagan Falls and Penticton.
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The Willowbrook Volunteer Fire Department was given approval to take up to $14,000 from its capital reserve to purchase a mini-pumper truck.
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A community effort to put a roof over an existing ice surface in Tulameen got another boost with a Board decision to turn over about $4,600 in interest received on banked grant funds to the Tulameen Community Club.
The Regional District is sponsoring the unique development, which includes the use of local labour and materials to offset construction costs.