Houseboats moving up the bay
August 2010
News
Wayne Moore - www.castanet.net
The good news -- three houseboats have left the pristine waters of Gellatly Bay. The bad news for the District of West Kelowna -- they didn't leave municipal waters.
Three houseboats which were removed this past weekend have dropped anchor just a few kilometres to the north in the bay at Kalamoir Regional Park.
It's an outcome district officials had planned for but hoped would not occur.
"We had hoped they would have found appropriate moorage somewhere," says Communications Supervisor, Kirsten Jones.
"They are aware of the zones and that the zone applies to all the waterfront on district borders. So, as of now, they are in non-compliance again.
Jones says the municipality's lawyer is gathering information and she expects him to begin injunctionary before a BC Supreme Court judge later this week.
"We know who they are and they have been informed all about the zone. We know we have informed them about the water zone."
She wouldn't go so far as to say the houseboat owners were intentionally looking for a confrontation, saying only the houseboat owners have been made aware of the zone, that it applies to all waters fronting district property and that they continue to be in non-compliance.
"They've made a choice to just move it down the bay. I don't know why. They might have speculated we were concentrating on Gellatly Bay because it is such a premier waterfront."
She says the municipality has received numerous calls from angry residents in the Casa Loma area about the influx of houseboats into their neighbourhood.
"We have now received a great deal of concern from residents, including the Casa Loma Residents Association, who are not happy with the situation. They know it has just moved from Gellatly Bay."
Read more at http://www.castanet.net/news/West-Kelowna/56382/Houseboats-moving-up-the-bay
