The single biggest development in the history of Lake Country has changed its plans for boat moorage in Okanagan Lake in front of what will eventually be home to some 1,300 residential units.
The Lakestone development is now proposing to build a 21 buoy moorage facility in front of its lakefront development, a sharp downsizing from its original plans to build a full size marina that would include room for 105 boats.
According to the District of Lake Country, the change in plans came about due to various factors including parking in the area and after strategy sessions with municipal councilors.
The project is owned by MacDonald Lakeshore Properties. Until recently MacDonald owned all of the land that it is building its development on. But in July the group dedicated the 350 metres of lakefront property to the District of Lake Country.
That meant the district would have to give its approval for any moorage system.
At Lake Country council's Sept. 2 regular meeting, councilors heard about the changes and granted its approval, sending the proposal to higher levels of government.
Councilors were concerned about the impact of the buoys on the public beach area near Lakestone but were told that the buoys will not impact access.
"For the most part the moorage system is not in front of the public beach," said Mark Koch, Lake Country's director of community services. "It's an interesting series of regulatory issues for a moorage buoy system. the fact the district is now the foreshore upland owner does provide the district with some entitlement."
According to a report to council, the moorage buoy system will have less of an impact on Okanagan Lake than the original marina plan. Koch said it will reduce the potential for water intake problems, lessen the impact on the lake bed from a fish spawning perspective and also decrease the visual impacts on the area.
Lakestone is now into its second phase of construction with a planned 1,365 units planned over the entire project. The project is the largest single development to be on the books in Lake Country.