by Rachael Lesosky
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Valley Voice
Curious and concerned residents of Kaslo and beyond gathered at the Legion on Nov. 29 for an open house regarding the proposed rezoning and development of a waterfront property known locally as South Beach or the Old Sawmill Site.
If rezoning gets approved by council, Dale Unruh, owner of the land and president and CEO of Quality Property Developments Inc., hopes to put in a strata RV park (75-to-90 sites), a small boat launch, four-to-eight private residences, and some parkland (a public trail along the river to the lake).
The property is approximately 30 acres, bordered on the north by the Kaslo River and on the east by Kootenay Lake. Only about 15 acres of the land are developable, due to steep grades. Currently, it is zoned M-1 Industrial, reflecting its historical use as a sawmill.
Unruh presented at the open house, along with Ed Grifone, senior consultant with CTQ Consultants. Grifone is Unruh’s agent on all matters relating to the rezoning application. Dave Cullen from CTQ was there as well, along with Mayor Suzan Hewat, the Village’s chief administrative officer Ian Dunlop, and about 50 members of the public.
Unruh’s rezoning application includes a letter explaining the proposal, a detailed environmental impact assessment, a geotechnical engineering report, and an infrastructure impact study. All this and more were available for viewing and questioning at the open house.
The application has taken more than two years to put together, and Dunlop has been involved from the start, ensuring that it adheres to the Village’s principles.
Opinions among the public varied widely. Some were sold on the idea, saying an RV park makes sense.
“We already have lots of RVs coming through. Why not give them a place to park? Instead of parking on the road,” said one attendee.
Some also saw it as a great opportunity for tourism and bolstering Kaslo’s economy.
But others were concerned about losing access to the land, which has become an unofficial park for the community since the sawmill closed in 1980.
“I swam in the lake there every day during the summer,” said one individual.
“I was down there just the other day, harvesting rosehips,” said another.
Some prospective future residents of Kaslo said they were hoping to retire in the community but began rethinking their plans after hearing about the development.
The concerns that surfaced again and again during the evening were using the land for an RV park instead of for permanent housing, protecting the sensitive ecosystem, and retaining public access to a well-loved piece of land.
Housing
Part of the proposal includes four-to-eight residences, so why not more, the public wondered.
“What’s the benefit to Kaslo of having 80 units occupied during the high season, and nothing in the rest of the year?” said an attendee. “We’ve got merchants closing their doors because there aren’t enough people to sustain the businesses during the winter. That’s a big worry to us.”
Grifone responded, “If there were an opportunity to do affordable housing, I think Dale [Unruh] would have jumped at that.”
The greatest barrier to housing is that the property is in the Kaslo River floodplain. This restricts the construction of major structures, even though the Village continues its work upgrading dikes along the river. To build any major permanent structures, QP Developments would need to significantly alter the land via fill and grade changes. Without adding fill, the regional district requires that structures have wheels, to allow for quick evacuation in case of flood.
The floodplain complicates waste disposal, too. The property is not connected to Village sewer, but it does have an engineered septic system. However, this system can only accommodate the sewage created by RVs during part of the year. Year-round permanent housing would create much more effluent that the system wouldn’t be able to handle.
RV parks do add value to the community and fill a need, albeit differently than permanent housing would, Grifone said.
“There is economic impact [from tourism]. Money is being spent in the community from people staying in RVs. … Kaslo is going to be a tourist destination for quite some time.”
Grifone also spoke to the manager of the Kaslo Municipal Campground downtown.
“She goes on and on about how we just don’t have enough camping here,” he said. “I think her perspective has value, to understand and recognize that people are looking for that kind of accommodation, too.”
Grifone and Unruh said they are not discounting housing and are open to input from the public; the open house was just the start of the public consultation process. However, considering the barriers they have encountered over the two years of preparing the proposal, an RV park may just be the most viable option.
Some eyebrows were raised when Grifone expressed that the site, with stunning views of Kootenay Lake, is not the kind of place where one would want to put affordable housing anyway.
“Working class people should be able to look at the lake, too!” one astonished attendee responded, to cheers from others in the crowd.
Sensitive ecosystem
Since the sawmill closed in 1980 wildlife and nature have had free range, though the ground disturbed by the mill is less naturalized.
In the process of putting together the rezoning application, QP hired Ecoscape Environmental Consultants to conduct a detailed environmental assessment. Ecoscape identified sensitive areas that need to be protected, wildlife trees that can’t be disturbed, and what would need to be replaced if removed during the building process.
Watershed Engineering completed a hydrotechnical assessment and proposed a low wall along the river to minimize falling debris and scouring. The wall would be constructed on the RV park side of the development to leave ample space along the riverside.
In the rezoning process, the Village would acquire the land along the river and designate it as a park. The new path would be “field fit” into the natural environment, meaning it would not just be a straight line; it would curve and meander with the river.
“The protection of the two water bodies and maintaining public access is integral to QP’s proposed development,” said Grifone.
“It’s also a wildlife corridor,” one individual said.
To delineate walkways and sensitive areas, QP would put up split rail fencing. The fences would help minimize erosion from pedestrian traffic. Split rails are also wildlife friendly, and can be easily navigated and jumped by animals so as to not inhibit their movements through the area.
If the plan is approved, QP would need to have environmental monitors on-site while development takes place.
Public access
Kaslo residents have thoroughly appreciated South Beach in the 30 years it’s been vacant.
“I just want to know that I can still enjoy the land,” an attendee said.
Even though the RV park would be along the water, the foreshore is still Crown land, and QP has no plans to block it. The proposed boat launch would also be for public use, not limited to just users of the RV park.
With the pathway rezoned as a park, the riverside would become public land, maintained by the Village. Residents and visitors would have a new walkway to enjoy that takes them right down to the lake, where they could swim every day of the year if they wanted.
Even though the RV park will be stratified as a subdivision, Unruh would like to rent the sites (rather than sell), to allow many visitors to enjoy the property, too.
“I want it family-oriented,” said Unruh. “It’s about family. When I look at it, I think about kids and moms and dads down there, building rafts and swimming.”
Final thoughts
“Does the public have any say?” said an attendee. “You’ve been talking about this for two years, but most people have only known about it for a couple weeks. Do we have a say?”
Dunlop, who has been involved in the process since the beginning, reassured community members that yes, they do have a say. Approving rezoning wouldn’t approve the whole development. There will be a series of steps and consultations before anything goes forward – and that process includes ample public consultation.
“It’s taken this long to get to a point where [QP] has a solid plan to present to council,” said Dunlop. “We’ve made them jump through the hoops [for rezoning] but there’s no guarantee that this is going to go ahead.”
Ultimately, it is up to council to decide, and that won’t happen without the public having a say, and without deep consideration of the development’s impacts.
If council approves rezoning, that doesn’t mean the development can go ahead. Rezoning is just the first step in the process. The next step would be land consolidation to merge lots and gain road allowances. Then subdivision plans would be submitted, and development permit applications made. The whole process would take a few months, or longer.
The open house finished on a positive note.
“I want to say how much I appreciate that you people have come here to give us a chance to hear about the plans,” said a community member. “This is paradise and part of our home.”
“My heart is in the right place,” said Unruh. “You can’t discount passion and my love of this area – just as all of you love it. It means a lot to me.”
