A controversial roughed-in access route to Sickle Point in Kaleden should be returned to its natural state, says the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
RDOS rural directors voted unanimously to recommend to the provincial Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) to order the access road's removal.
Reum Holdings Ltd., which owns the Sickle Point property, wants to develop a five-lot subdivision. It has applied to the province for a new licence-to-use agreement covering access to the property via a filled-in portion of Skaha Lake created by the company's previous owner in 1992.
Allan Patton, RDOS director for Area C (Oliver rural), said the province has made no commitment to provide road access to the site. It is currently seeking public input.
"I would like to see that road removed and that area returned to its original natural state," Patton said.
RDOS administrator Bill Newell noted although the previous owners did have a permit to construct the access route, that permit has since expired.
The issue was reviewed earlier this month by the advisory planning commission for Area D (Okanagan Falls-Kaleden). The primary areas of concern include maintaining public access along the KVR trail corridor and the potential environment impact of future road improvements on the adjacent marshland.
West Vancouver developer Mel Reeves, president of Reum Holdings, was not present for the regional district deliberations last Thursday.
Tom Siddon, RDOS director for Area D, absented himself from the vote. Siddon, whose home overlooks the Sickle Point area, said although he doesn't consider himself to be in a conflict of interest position, he didn't want to affect the outcome of the board's decision.