By ROY WOOD

Got some great ideas about how to revitalize Oliver’s downtown?

Then you need to come to the brew pub downstairs at the Firehall Bistro this evening and talk to the consultants who are preparing a plan to breathe new life into the downtown core.

Two representatives from EcoPlan International updated town council Tuesday on their progress on the Downtown Oliver Action Plan.

The plan is due to be in council’s hands by the end of next month, so today’s public open house, starting at 5:30, will likely be the last chance for public input.

John Ingram of EcoPlan told council that the slow decline of the downtown — including unoccupied storefronts, three acres of empty lots and a declining number of shoppers – is a fairly common story. But there have been plenty of success stories in other communities and Oliver has many things working in its favour.

”The town has great bones,” he said, pointing to the exisiting shops and services, the movie theatre, nearby housing and the river and parks system. He added that the recent additions of the provincial jail and Area 27 on the Osoyoos Indian Band lands add to the town’s potential.

As well, said Ingram, “Oliver has an ace up its sleeve (in that) quality of life attracts business development.”

Mayor Ron Hovanes echoed the consultant’s enthusiasm, pointing to the “brand new high school, two successful elementary schools” as well as the general hospital, a state-of-the-art theatre at the high school. “We kind of have it all in one place.”

A report that accompanied EcoPlan’s presentation to council included a summary of suggestions from a town public meeting last spring.

Among the suggestions were:

•Retaining and attracting businesses through less red tape, lower rents, longer business hours, more eateries, better hotel and other accommodations;

•More mixed-use residential development, allowing housing and commercial development on Station Street, higher density on Main Street and fewer empty lots.

•Streetscape and public realm improvements, including heritage conservation, better outdoor gathering places, more bike racks and pedestrian safety.

•Better traffic safety, including better lighting of crosswalks, advance left-turn lanes and highway traffic calming or diversion strategies.

At the end of Tuesday’s EcoPlan presentation, Hovanes asked Ingram to seek feedback on what the public would like to see happen with the prime piece of downtown real estate the town purchased last year.
The town bought the Main Street parcel – between Edward Jones and the Oliver Garden Smorgasbord – last spring and it remains empty except for the cedar hedge along the sidewalk. Hovanes wants to know the public reaction to the idea of the town developing the property as a mixed-use residential/commercial project.