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Okanagan mine makes way for industrial project

Council holds a special meeting to rezone property
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Kon Kast is looking to develop the mine on Okanagan Centre Road West into an industrial project. (District of Lake Country map)

The dust is settling on an industrial project that has been in the works for five years.

Kon Kast is looking to rezone three Dick Road properties, totalling 11.24 hectares, from agricultural to industrial.

Lake Country council held a special meeting Tuesday, June 30 to review the zoning amendment, which staff are recommending be approved.

The company is already operating a mine on the property, which is currently accessed off Okanagan Centre Road West.

“The District has received no complaints regarding this operation that has been running for years,” Lake Country’s senior planner Paul Dupuis said in a December 2019 report.

The public also weighed in on the project last year with concerns around light pollution, traffic and safety and access onto Dick or Seaton Roads.

“In general, it is likely that most of the traffic to the area will not necessarily be heavy trucks once the project is completed,” Dupuis said.

“Additionally, at full build out the likelihood is that noise, dust and dirt could be much better. Of course, this will depend on the use of the property, but the General Industrial uses found within the Zoning Bylaw are generally less impactful then the existing mining operation, Kon Kast Ltd. (gravel extraction).”

The project will also bring an increase in jobs to the region.

“There is significant land as part of this proposal that could be home to a variety and number of businesses with various needs,” Dupuis said.

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Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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