It’s the first request of its kind received by the City of Penticton since the 1980’s.
The owner of a 300 acre parcel of land in the upper Wiltse area wants Penticton’s municipal boundary extended to include a proposed residential development.
If approved, the city would annex the portion of land currently within the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.
“As our community grows we need to look at areas that may be able to accommodate future growth,” said Anthony Haddad, Director of Development Services for the City of Penticton.
The Wiltse family has owned the parcel of land for decades but sold it to a developer last month.
Locals have grown accustom to being able to enjoy its natural elements including hiking trails and rock climbing.
Rock climbers who spoke to Global News said there is a lot of uncertainty about what the plan means for them.
Although it is private land, rock climbers say they have had access for years and there are a number of developed walls frequented by climbers within the proposed development.
But the former owner told Global News there was no formal agreement with the climbers, the former owner just chose not to enforce keeping people out.
A 2014 report prepared by CTQ Consulting for Wiltse Holdings Ltd. noted “unauthorized rock climbing activity does occur in portions of the southern parcel which is immediately adjacent to the Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park.”
“There will be a consultation process with all of the various user groups to ensure that those assets are retained. There is obviously some community benefit with some of the recreational opportunities that exist,” said Haddad.
The Upper Wiltse area is also home to a diverse array of plants and animals including Big Horn sheep, mule deer, coyotes and black bears.
“It is a fairly unique area in terms of topography and environmentally sensitive features that inhabit that area and there are a number of tools that can be put in place to look at preserving those certain areas,” Haddad added.
If the plan gets the go-ahead, Penticton could get a new neighbourhood with 180 single and multi-family homes close to nature.
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