A request for support by Sunnybrae residents to turn 19.5 hectares of waterfront industrial land into a conservation park will be addressed by a new board.
In an Oct. 21 email to Columbia Shuswap Regional District chief administrative officer Charles Hamilton and Area C director Paul Demenok, Rachel and Ian Sudbury asked the regional district to consider establishing the park at an area adjacent to Herald Provincial Park comprised of about six acres of lightly cleared industrial waterfront and 14 acres of untouched semi-waterfront forest, and a provincially leased 25.53-acre aquatic log boom.
The couple noted the area has long been used as a log boom for temporary storage prior to land and lake transportation of timber and that the parcel has been valued at $2.9 million.
The couple describe the property as a “heavily trafficked wildlife corridor,” with a groundwater aquifer that provides a water source for a variety of wildlife species.
“In an area where the vast majority of surrounding areas have been developed for human use, the maintenance of this corridor may be critical for species survival, distribution among various habitat areas and ultimately, ecosystem viability and resilience,” they write.
Among the benefits listed in their letter is that the park would make the lake more accessible to more people and provide an excellent eco-tourism opportunity.
The Sudburys also express concern that CSRD planning staff have indicated to them several large developers have expressed interest in purchasing and developing the property as high density residential.
Directors at the Nov. 13 meeting agreed unanimously to refer the letter to CSRD staff to be brought back to the board at a later date.