By Corey Fischer

Sale Of Farm Land Deferred

Jan 4, 2018 | 1:10 PM

A capacity crowd was on hand for the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee meeting at the District of Coldstream office Thursday.

Local politicians have put off the possible sale of the BX Ranch Land for up to a year, while options are discussed.

The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee will decide if a 55 hectare site on East Vernon Road should be sold to private interests for farming — which was the original plan — or retained for public use, such as for an agricultural park.

Fourteen hectares of land was purchased in 2016 to provide a trail to connect the BX Ranch and Mutrie Road parks, and the original plan was to sell the remaining 55 hectares for farming.

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Paul Williamson from the BX Swan Lake Community Association says they are hoping to keep the land publicly owned.

“It was a good motion because it gives us more time. It gives us basically another year to gain community support, so I urge the community to learn about this issue and get involved, and make your feelings known,” Williamson told Beach Radio News.

The group has 1,500 people supporting their plan, but as GVAC director Doug Dirk noted, that’s only about 5 percent of the area population, and they need to hear from more residents.

Director Jim Garlick says the land could be turned into a local park and managed by the electoral areas.

“B and C, through the parks negotiations, reduced their requisition by I believe over 300-thousand dollars, so they do have financial capability to take that on if they want to.”

Both Mike Macnabb, Area C Director for BX Silver Star, and Bob Fleming, Area B (BX Swan Lake), spoke in favour of keeping the land public at Thursday’s GVAC meeting held at the District of Coldstream office with the RDNO meeting room under renovation.

“If the land stayed public, we would have no control over what is done with it. I would recommend we retain it. It would keep value in the community,” said Macnabb.

“We should move in the direction of a local park. I definitely want to keep it in public hands,”said Fleming.

Vernon director Akbal Mund thinks the committee should stick to the original plan to sell it.

“I don’t know why were showing so much interest in this piece of property. We all agreed to sever and sell it,” said Mund.

Williamson, from the Community Association, says he doesn’t blame the city for its reluctance.

“However, it is a large section of land adjoining the city boundary. And in 50 years time, are we going to be able to say that was a good idea to keep that land public? Are we going to say it’s too bad it’s all houses, or a big industrial farm, or something else?” said Williamson.

The motion to defer sale of the land for up to a year to explore options was made by Vernon director Bob Spiers.

by Corey Fischer