WEST KELOWNA — The signatures have been collected and the papers are ready to be submitted to city hall.
A group of about a dozen West Kelowna residents, including Ian Graham, have spent every single day for the last month out in the community collecting Alternate Approval Process (AAP) signatures.
Graham is against the city’s proposal to borrow up to $10.5 million to construct a new civic centre on Elliott Road in the downtown area.
“I feel very comfortable, there’s a lot of people out there that have rushed to try and fill out these forms,” says Graham.
“I think there will be some surprise and I’m hopeful that the city will see the right way to do things.”
Eligible voters against the project can let the city know by taking part in the AAP, and have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday to do so.
In order for the project to go to referendum, 10 per cent of eligible voters, which is estimated to be 2,603 people, would need to sign the forms.
West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater says the signatures will be counted and the results will go before council on Tuesday of next week.
“Council will need to make a decision, there are two options: either to proceed to referendum or to scrap the project,” says Findlater.
Graham is feeling confident enough signatures have been collected.
“We are quite happy with the way it turned out, I had a good group they worked very hard. I am happy to see the job finished, but I’ll be happier to see what the city decides to do,” says Graham.
The new city hall is part of the plans for the West Kelowna civic centre project.
READ MORE: West Kelowna moves forward on new Civic Centre
The proposed development also includes two residential buildings, a commercial office building and a public plaza.
The developer, Strategic Development Group, also has a tentative partnership with Interior Health to lease a significant portion of the commercial building for the new site of the West Kelowna Health Centre.