Developer David Evans has reacted after CSRD electoral area B director Loni Parker wrote a letter urging the halt to the annexation application of his property into the City of Revelstoke.
Annexation applications are underway for Evans’ property at 3452 Catherwood and another at 3304 Catherwood Road, and a counter-petition process for the annexation ends this Friday.
Parker has previously butted heads with Evans as she also opposed his successful annexation and following rezoning of lot 1 on Camozzi Road into Revelstoke. This was part of a controversial plan, now approved, for Evans’ treehouse hotel development on Camozzi Bench.
In regards to this recent letter, Mr. Evans questioned Parker’s bias in recommending people sign the petition against his application.
“As an elected official, she should know better than anybody else to adhere to the process,” he said.
He also argued her position on the CSRD stance that the properties should be held in abeyance, which he said is false and misleading.
Evans forwarded an email to the Mountaineer from CSRD’s deputy manager of corporate administration services Lynda Shykora, in consultation with the CSRD chair Rhona Martin. Shykora noted that the CSRD’s resolution from the board meeting on February 18, 2016 can be publicly found.
“[It] clearly states the position of the Board that it (1) does not support an incremental approach to property annexation by the City of Revelstoke, (2) that the Board supports the development of a clear strategy to establish how property in the areas adjacent to the City could be integrated into the City (etc.) …, and (3) that the two properties located at 3304 and 3452 Catherwood Road be allowed to proceed as the application is with the Province,” the email read.
At the February CSRD board meeting, all board members voted for this resolution except Alternate Director Doug Stuart, who was the stand-in for Parker at the meeting, and Revelstoke Mayor Mark McKee, who could not vote as he had declared a conflict on the property annexation.
In the minutes, it states that a lengthy discussion took place discussing the annexation process, the right of property owners to apply for annexation to access city services and fairness in interrupting the annexation process if an application is already with the province.
The meeting minutes read: “With regard to individual properties being considered for annexation, the CSRD still supports a strategy which examines a larger area and takes into account matters beyond one or two parcels.”
The recent campaign to collect signatures to halt these annexations has been headed by CSRD resident Daren Corneliuson, who is objecting to the potential eventuality that these lands will be taken out of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
Evans said he bought his land in 2007.
“There is nothing we can do with that land as it stands within the CSRD,” he said. “That is why we started that process two years ago, in order to get potable water.”
“Both us and Peter Bernacki (part-owner of the other property applying for annexation) want to come into the city to get access to water, and then we will look at sensible land use.”
In his application, Evans states that the land is expected to be developed in the future with uses complimentary to Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Evans said the area’s zoning should be compatible to a world-class resort and not surrounded by pig farms.
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