I was more or less 50/50 on the 580 Commonage development. I can see the problems with it vis a vis Vernon's supposed community plans but I also see it as probably inevitable in a "follow the money" perspective.
Start with this: Bella Vista is described as "largely comprised of intact, natural ecosystems" with "largely contiguous natural areas." Anyone who has observed development in the Bella Vista area can readily see that is not the case.
From Turtle Mountain to the north, through the ever expanding Rise, and then into the very unnatural works of Frind developments with their excavations and earthworks for vineyards and future housing, on to the south end and Adventure Bay's ongoing development, there is little contiguous landscape on that ridge.
Apply the same view to 580 Commonage Road and what is now a scenic treed ridge will eventually become a landscape of road works and housing. Then the problems begin.
With a proposed 1,800 attainable homes (first problem - how is "attainable" defined, under what criteria?) there will need to be large infrastructure costs.
Bench Row Road will probably be integrated into the long term plans and will need significant upgrades, as will Commonage Road itself to accommodate the traffic increase.
Will there be a separate sewage treatment plant or will the wastewater run down the hill to our current facility and then be pumped back up the hill for spray irrigation? And will the developer pay for that infrastructure?
If an estimate is made that only half of those "attainable" houses contain at least one child that would require a minimum of an additional elementary school and probably more (I use Kelowna's Glenmore development as witness to that). Will the developer pay for the new school and set aside land for such?
It will be a high volume traffic development as services and shopping will be in Vernon or Winfield. Will the developer provide land for another firefighters base, especially as the housing will be in the wilderness-urban interface area, very susceptible to wildfires?
Economically it only makes sense to the developers and not the taxpayers who could end up financing a large portion of the development's needs.
As for the environment - well, it is of no great concern when money is to be made. Follow the money - who is behind this development, who is to benefit locally (yada yada local business yada yada) for the large amounts of real estate money that will flow into someone's coffers?
Is anyone on city council in any way related to any of this development, through friends and relations or adjacent development properties?
Lots of questions, hopefully the City of Vernon council will be able to make an intelligent decision on this development in relation to their own community plan.
Jim Miles
