Priority lake access points (photo credit: City of Vernon)

By Kevin Rothwell

Encroachment prevalent on several sites

Lake access points could result in landowner surprises

Apr 29, 2021 | 5:00 AM

Vernon council will tour six priority public lake access points on Okanagan Lake prior to a detailed review at the May 10 council meeting.

“I was looking at these pictures and the first concern I had was there seems to be a lot of encroachment on these sites, some may even have attachments to their buildings, that overhang on the right-of-way,” Coun. Akbal Mund stated.

Mund asked staff if the residents on either side of the rights-of-way have been talked to about the situation.

“I don’t want to go out looking if we haven’t talked to these residents to let them know we are going to be looking at these sites for future development and they haven’t had a chance to either remove the encroachments or change them a little bit,” Mund added.

It appears in aerial photos of the properties there are docks, driveways and even buildings constructed within the public rights-of-way.

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The property owners will be contacted by staff to let them know council members will be making site visits.

“Depending on how council prioritizes development of these sites, which we would bring forward for discussion on May 10th, we would start discussing further with adjacent property owners about removing encroachments and managing those,” Ellen Croy Vernon Transportation planner responded.

2021 council lake access tour sites:

Site 14 – 7806 Tronson Road (between 7796 and 7814 Tronson Road)

Site 15 -7700 Tronson Road (between 7688 and 7716 Tronson Road)

Site 20 – 7300 Tronson Road (between 7292 and 7304 Tronson Road)

Site 26 – 8835 Okanagan Landing Rd (between 8829 and 8839 Okanagan Landing Road)

Site 30 – 9499 Eastside Road (between 9797 and 9501 Eastside Road)

Site 37 – 114 Russell Road (between 110 and 111 Russell Road)

“At 114 Russell Road, I wouldn’t be surprised if the owners think that is their driveway, and we will be walking down what appears to be their driveway,” Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming said.

The ariel photo of 114 Russell Road (below) shows the right-of-way (marked in red) is clearly being used as the home’s driveway.

114 Russell Road (photo credit: City of Vernon)

“Why was this not caught? Was that driveway extended at some point, any of the encroachments? Why were they not caught?” Coun. Dalvir Nahal asked.

Staff indicate the encroachments have happened over time and they plan to deal with them as the 2018 lake access plan is followed.