{"id":610,"date":"2017-11-04T16:42:19","date_gmt":"2017-11-04T23:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ubcowatershed\/?p=610"},"modified":"2017-11-04T23:11:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-05T06:11:13","slug":"local-issues-more-beaches-gable-beach-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ubcowatershed\/2017\/11\/04\/local-issues-more-beaches-gable-beach-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Issues: More Beaches – Gable Beach Park"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Jaimie Kehler, CBC News Posted: Oct 18, 2017<\/p><\/div>\n

Recently, Gable Beach Park in Lake Country has been in the news (CBC News, Oct 18, 2017<\/a>).\u00a0 The District of Lake Country has been negotiating with three land owners who wish to purchase a strip of land that the district owns, a strip of land that extends north along the lake from the park for almost 200 meters.\u00a0 Some local residents want to see the land remain in public hands, and hope that the district will not follow through to conclude the negotiations with a sale (Lake Country Calendar, Sept 5, 2017<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This strip of waterfront land accounts for a bit more than half of the total public lake shore that Gable Beach Park provides.\u00a0 At present, this part of the park is undeveloped, used only by people who know it is public land and who walk north from the nearest access road to enjoy it.\u00a0 If the land remains public, then it would be available to develop a pathway, as well as some picnic tables and\/or benches above the high water mark.\u00a0 Such structures built below the low water mark are more likely to suffer flooding, more likely to cause damage to sensitive habitats, and for both of these reasons far less likely to get the required approvals from the province and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>There are a number of residences with easy access to the park, who one imagines would enjoy this particular access to the lake.\u00a0 While selling this land would provide the District of Lake Country with funds that could be applied to other worthwhile projects, such as paying some of the costs of acquiring land for the rail trail (see letter from the district in the Vernon Morning Star, Oct 11, 2017<\/a>) , it will leave residents who live in the area but do not own waterfront land worse off.\u00a0 The district has made a commitment to sell surplus lands within the district to pay for the cost of acquiring the rail trail lands.\u00a0 Given that there do not seem to be enough such surplus lands to sell without including this piece of land, is sticking with this commitment and selling this piece of land truly in the best interest of the people of Lake Country?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Gable Beach Park provides a strip of continuous public waterfront along a part of the lake shore where for a considerable distance to the north and south there are no similarly sized public lake shore lands.\u00a0 To the east of this piece of land are approximately 100 parcels of land that do not have lakefront, are not within the Agricultural Land Reserve, and are well connected by public roads.\u00a0 Many of these lots are large.\u00a0 In future, with appropriate development of local services, one might expect subdivision and development of these lands, with far more people than presently live here being able to enjoy Gable Beach Park.<\/p>\n

The District of Lake Country counsel is of course tasked with making the best decision for the people of Lake Country.\u00a0 Selling this land will provides cash in hand, and allows council to follow through on a commitment that was made.\u00a0 Some people may be disappointed at the loss of this public lakefront, but none can claim that the district broke a commitment that resulted in a tax increase.<\/p>\n

Not selling this piece of land may mean that counsel is unable to fund its share of the rail trail without raising taxes.\u00a0 If the value of the services provided to the public from publicly owned lands exceeds the value that could be realized by selling those lands, then selling them is a bad decision.\u00a0 It is a better investment to raise taxes and keep the lands.\u00a0 However, the value of these services may not be something that shows up on the district’s financial statements in the way that the sale of the lands does.\u00a0 This of course makes it hard to see the value, and hard to argue against the sale.\u00a0 However, these services are real and they do have value.\u00a0 They include:<\/p>\n