RDNO Says BX Ranch Lands Issue Still To Be Resolved

Sep 10, 2018 | 6:53 AM

Discussions continue about what to do with about 55 hectares of BX Ranch Land owned by the Regional District of Noirth Okanagan.

Last week, a citizens group expressed concerned the property could be sold and lost to the community forever.

RDNO Board Chair Bob Fleming says he and director Mike McNabb are pushing to keep the property.

“Because we feel that it’s a valuable property for park purposes. It’s a great big open green space and we’ve put forward some ideas as to how that might be retained and used.”

The BX Ranch Land Task Force has recommended various uses including parkland, agricultural and community gardens.

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The land is part of 67.5 hectares the district bought in 2016 and subdivided to create a 14 hectare Linear park linking BX and Mutrie dog parks.

The Agricultural Land Commission ordered the remainder land be rezoned from Country Residential to Large Holdings.

The RDNO and Greater Vernon Advisory Committee have been talking for months about what to do.

“It has not been resolved is the bottom line. But Also we aren’t in the position where there’s an initiative, so far at least, to tgry to sell our put up for sale, the remainder portion.”

Vernon and Coldstream are pushing for a sale.

The Ranch Lands Task Force worries the land will be put up for sale before the civic elections next month, but Fleming suggests there’s been no talk of that.

“I’m not sure that either way whether anything concrete will happen prior to the civic election, no, so yeah, we’re still a little bit in limbo but the file remains open.”

The citizens group proposes part of it could be used to house a new home for Vernon Search and Rescue.

Fleming says there are several options being considered for the SAR headquarters, which is still going through an alternative approval process to borrow money to buy land and construct a building.

by Tom Mark