COUNCIL SHOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT TO ASK OF DEVELOPERS

Osoyoos Town Council should get its act together on the question of public access to scenic and lakeshore areas on land under development.
Last week it backed away from requiring the Palcor company to include a public walkway on part of its new resort-hotel development in the walnut grove area of Lakeshore Drive.
All that was being asked of Palcor was inclusion of a small walkway loop that would add to the existing walkway along that part of the lakeside land. Yet, when the town administration explained that it would take a slightly complicated revision of current zoning in order to require the walkway, councillors gave up on the idea and simply approved the development.
In a defence of the rights of private landowners, Mayor John Slater told Council developers shouldn't have public walkways imposed on them, just as single homeowners would not.
But developers of large complexes on major tracts of land aren't the same as single homeowners. While they shouldn't be forced to allow public access to intrude to the point of hurting the atmosphere they create in their complex, they should meet a civic responsibility to complement local amenities like scenic walkways.
There's ample precedent for such civic responsibilities. For 30 years, Calgary has required new downtown buildings to include public-access elevated walkways connecting to adjacent buildings.
Osoyoos should figure out what degree of public access and civic amenities to require of major developments “ and then apply it equitably to projects.