Future of Kelowna Springs Golf Course back on the table

It was a top talking point during the October election, and now, the future of one of Kelowna’s remaining publicly accessible and affordable golf courses is teed up again at City Hall.

At the end of Monday’s meeting, Coun. Luke Stack voiced his intentions to put forward a motion to change the future land use for Kelowna Springs Golf Course.

“The intent of the bylaw is to amend the official community plan to change the future land use designation of this property from industrial designation to the private recreational designation," he said.

This is not the first time Stack has fought to change these details in the hotly contested 2040 Official Community Plan, which currently lists the 106-acre parcel as future industrial land use.

It started with an impassioned plea on July 25, 2022, asking lawmakers to support a move to direct planning staff to amend the OCP. It narrowly passed 4-3.

But when the bylaw was brought before lawmakers on Aug. 22, a 4-4 vote defeated the move. Then-mayor Colin Basran, and councillors Loyal Wooldridge, Ryan Donn, and Maxime DeHart voted in favour of the industrial use.

The land is currently zoned for parks and open space.

Stack said when he reintroduces the motion, he will speak to the “importance of maintaining this property as private recreational use.”

“I will address issues of quality of life for Kelowna residents, the environmental comments related to climate change and natural resources, and the economic reasons,” he explained.

If the motion passes, it will go to a public hearing.

Stack’s summer battle to change the OCP sparked an announcement from then-mayoral candidate Tom Dyas to vow to save Kelowna Springs if elected.

“Thank you for bringing this back,” Dyas told Stack after his speech. “Thank you very much.”

The bylaw is expected to come before lawmakers for a vote on Jan. 16.