By Roy Wood

 

It will apparently take a few more weeks before the park at the north end of Cottonwood becomes officially known as Osoyoos Rotary Park. The service club approached town council on December 17 proposing that Rotary take on the park as a project and asking that the town adopt the name.

Rotary past president Brian Rawlings that the “small but mighty” is seeking to develop a higher profile in the community and the park project and naming would help in the effort. Rawlings said the club would like to take the park on as a project,

“whether it be capital improvements, picnic tables, beach improvements. … We could work as a team (with the town) to make it happen.”

The parcel in question sits along the lake between Cottonwood Drive and the Spirit Ridge RV park. It had been proposed as a major condo development, but plans fell through.

It turns out that the first step in the process to name the park will be for the town to adopt a park-naming policy, which it currently lacks.

Acting community services director Sarah Dynneson this morning presented a council with a proposed policy. Among the considerations to be given when naming a new park are:

a. Reference to a location or geographical feature;
b. Commemoration of an historical event or something of cultural significance;
c. Commemoration of an historical person who significantly contributed to the town; and
d. Recognition of a person or organization that has made a substantial or property donation intended to be used as parkland.

The proposed policy stipulates that council may seek public input on naming decisions, but council will have the final authority. Council seemed pleased enough with the proposed policy, but sent it back for staff to create an application form to accompany it. It will likely come back to council at its next meeting.