-Public questions developers on environmental agenda-

OSOYOOS TIMES-March 19, 2008

By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times

How will the Willow Beach development affect the Osoyoos Lake oxbows?
This was one question explored at the latest installment of the Osoyoos Desert Society's winter lecture series at the Osoyoos Secondary School Mini Theatre on March 11, a discussion that was organized by the Osoyoos Oxbow Restoration Society and co-sponsored by the Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society.
The 1,088-unit Willow Beach Resort is proposed to be built adjacent to the oxbows at the north end of Osoyoos Lake, an area recognized as environmentally sensitive by the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).
If you're putting a development on land and it's sensitive, how do you go about doing this? environmental consultant Susan Wilkins asked a crowd of about 100 as she began her presentation. Wilkins is a consultant with Pottinger Gaherty Environmental Consultants, a firm hired by the Willow Beach developers to do an environmental impact assessment of the 28-hectare property at the head of the lake.
She was one of three experts asked to speak during the lecture about issues facing Osoyoos's oxbows. The other two lecturers were Ray Halladay of Halladay Environmental Consultants and Ken J. Hall, a University of British Columbia professor who specializes in water quality, contamination and water-pollution engineering.
An environmental assessment, Wilkins explained, must do two things: describe the existing environment and identify the anticipated environmental impacts of development.
She said her team looked at hydrology, fish and fish habitat, wildlife, vegetation and socio-economic factors as they apply to the property, of which Wilkins said 30 per cent remains undisturbed.
Eleven rare species of plants, as well as several varieties of fish, birds and other wildlife make the area their home, she reported.
As per provincial regulations, Wilkins said a 30-metre buffer of natural habitat will be left around the oxbows themselves.
It's what the regulators are going to require and environmentally, it's the responsible thing to do, she said.
Wilkins said that up to 35,000 square metres of land would be re-vegetated with indigenous plants and barrier plants - things with prickles - to keep people and pets out of the environmentally sensitive areas of the property.
Educating residents is going to be important on this site, she said.
Other steps the development would need to take to minimize its environmental footprint on the area would include establishing work windows where construction would take place at certain times as to not affect animal and bird migration patterns, setting up a spill contingent plan, avoiding the use of pesticides and fertilizers and removing non-native species from the Willow Beach site, Wilkins said.
In the question period that followed, some Osoyoos residents had a difficult time keeping their questions focused on the oxbows.
Several people instead took the opportunity to express their opinions about the planned resort.
This is a horrible thing that is going on here, one man told Wilkins before angrily stomping out of the theatre.
South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program Director Brynn White wanted to know how the development complied with the district's regional growth strategy and how it would be setting a standard for sustainable development.
This is not a public hearing for the Willow Beach development, said Sherry Linn, a member of the oxbows society who mediated the evening's conversation.
Others in the audience questioned where water would come from for the development, what was being done to make sure properties neighbouring the site would not be damaged, how would runoff be treated and what kind of barriers would be put in place to keep people and pets out of the most sensitive areas on and surrounding the site.
Wilkins and Vancouver architect Tim Ankenman, who is working with the developers to design the resort, said they are looking at off-site means to handle wastewater, the developers were sharing data with people who own properties adjacent to the site, proposed electric cart service and bike paths would help reduce the runoff of fluids from cars and barriers would be set up to keep residents out of ecologically vulnerable areas.
The Willow Beach project has passed first reading with the RDOS board of directors. Project manager Len Chaston recently told the Osoyoos Times he was not sure exactly when second reading might take place.
A public hearing on the development will follow second reading.