The Denciti Development Corp. bought the Kelowna Springs property last year expecting to redevelop it as an industrial park… Not so fast.

When the Vancouver-based real estate development company took possession of the 106 acre site just south of the airport last August, it looked like everything was in line to proceed for a change in use to industrial.

The change had already been made part of the community’s 2040 Official Plan back in January, 2022 earmarking it for “future potential industrial use.”

But even then, there was resistance to the change and last August the then city council had to vote down an attempt to reverse the decision spearheaded by long time Councillor Luke Stack.

At that point, Denciti moved forward with the purchase planning to spend 18 months deciding on how to approach developing the site.

In a interview with Castanet.net, Garry Fawley, CEO of Denciti voiced his excitement about the potential, “We are working alongside stakeholders to find a collaborative solution for the future of this property. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and work together to get this right for the people of Kelowna. We want to create a win-win situation for the entire community.”

Fast forward to February 27th of this year and everything came to a crashing halt as Stack re-introduced his motion and the new council then directed city staff to draft a bylaw to amend the official community plan to identify the zoning as “private recreational” (e.g. a golf course).

It was reported that more than 50 members at the Golf Club were in attendance.

Speaking later with Castanet.net, Fawley floated the idea of keeping a golf course as part of the development but wanted time to consider and present their options in a public forum, “We are saying give us the time to reach out to the community, to the golfers and see what kind of win-win situation we could develop. Make that public hearing a complete review before you change the OCP.”

During that interview, Fawley also mentioned that the price paid for the property paid the previous owners was "north of $30 million,” far more than the appraised value of $4.35 million from BC Assessments in July, 2022.

Councillor Stack, in an email response to BC Golf, made his position clear," Kelowna Springs is one of Kelowna's most loved golf courses. It is flat, walkable and affordable. Citizens have spoken clearly that the City must work to protect the quality of life that brought people to the Okanagan in the first place. Secondly, there are significant environmental and flood plain issues associated with this property. Water flows under this property which produces the natural springs on the site. Viewing this area with a climate lens perspective, there are good reasons to protect environmentally sensitive properties like Kelowna Springs."

No matter what the outcome, the golf course is confirmed to stay operational until the end of the 2023 season. Find out more at kelownasprings.com

See related Castanet.net stories at links below:
Denciti’s Purchase Announcement - Feb 24th
Denciti’s Reaction To Reversal - Feb 28th