– Public hearing set for Nov. 27 –

(OSOYOOS TIMES — Nov. 15, 2006) –

In a surprise move, Osoyoos Town Council held a special meeting Nov. 10 and reversed its Nov. 6th rejection of the proposed Mariposa seniors care facility.
It gave first reading to the project and set a public hearing for 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27.
Councillors said they still object to the proposed site, but don't want to lose the facility and want to talk with Interior Health and developer Baltic Properties about two alternate locations it thinks would be better.
Mayor John Slater has set up a meeting with IH and Baltic officials for Nov. 15 in Kelowna. Baltic's Will McKay and IH Residential Care Director Donna Lommer said they will be at the meeting and are willing to listen to Slater's proposals.
Slater and councillors Dick Flintoft and Ted Cronmiller attended the special meeting Friday. Councillor Stu Wells was unavailable and Councillor Allan Carswell was unable to attend because he had just suffered a foot injury while playing basketball.
Flintoft, Cronmiller and Slater all said at the meeting they still believe the busy intersection of Highways 3 and 97 is the wrong place for the Mariposa residential care and assisted living facility.
They reiterated that its proximity to the highways and a working orchard will lead to conflicts and problems.
I'm not against the project itself, Flintoft said, adding if Council approves the location, we're creating a nightmare.rnCronmiller said part of his reason for allowing first reading for the Mariposa is to let the public have its say on the project. I think IH and Baltic Properties need to hear what the community thinks about it.rnSlater said, This is 100 full-time jobs for this facility in our community, and the care of our residents “ we certainly need it. We will work with Baltic Properties and Interior Health to find a more suitable location.rnAt the Nov. 6 meeting when Council initially rejected the Mariposa, Carswell noted that the proposed site is designated for Highway Commercial uses, not Institutional uses, in Osoyoos' Official Community Plan. He said it would be hypocritical of Council to allow other uses, since citizens and developers would then wonder why they should follow the Official Community Plan, when Council won't follow its own OCP.
Baltic's Will McKay told the Times his company is willing to do our due diligence on an alternate site, but he noted that the timelines are getting tight to make any changes for the Osoyoos project. Interior Health is trying to get a facility started soon to help meet the B.C. government's goal of adding 5,000 seniors units by 2008.
Interior Health's Donna Lommer says IH has no say in exactly where the Mariposa will go, but she will meet with McKay and Slater on Wednesday as the parties discuss alternatives.
Councillor Carswell says, There are better locations for it, and we're more than willing to work with Interior Health and Baltic on this. Our primary objective as Council is to keep this facility in Osoyoos.rnCouncillor Wells is less upset with the highway and orchard proximity for the proposed site, since a large majority of the Mariposa's senior residents won't be leaving the facility without attendants or transporation.
He's glad the public will get its say on Nov. 27 and he adds, If there's a better site available, that's great.rnIn response to a mid-September public information meeting about the Mariposa proposal, a number of members of the public said they like the facility, with its 108 residential care beds and 32 assisted living units, but they are concerned about pedestrian safety at the highway location.
And the owners of the orchard next-door urged Council to reject the Mariposa, saying having residents next to their operation would lead to constant conflict because of noise, spray and other issues.