While construction could start this summer on the Okanagan Gondola, water issues continue to weigh down restaurant options.
The multi-million dollar project, originally conceived in 2022, will see a gondola built in Regional District of North Okanagan Electoral Area B, 1,600 feet above Kalamalka Lake, near Bailey Road, across from the Okanagan Rail Trail.
The gondola is being developed by Ridge North America, which will feature a family friendly zone with tree houses, infant entertainment areas, and a treetop challenge course.
"They have the permits to install the gondolas, to build the buildings, but those buildings, as of now, will not include a restaurant or restaurant/bar combination," said Electoral Area B director Bob Fleming, also chair of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (GVAC).
With those permits in place, Fleming anticipates ground on the project being broken "soon."
GVAC members did not come to a decision regarding a recent memorandum that outlines issues for the Okanagan Gondola project at their meeting Wednesday, July 2.
Concerns have been raised regarding expanding the Greater Vernon Water (GVW) boundaries.
The GVW network is "constrained in its current ability to access the full extent of its water licenses, has concerns about the ability to support the full extent of potential growth within its existing boundaries and has not been successful in obtaining `water reserves' to facilitate long-term growth planning," said the report.
There is also a "significant" potential for water quality issues, and a connection would impact maximum day demand on the Longspoon reservoir.
"So far, they're (proponent) still doing more investigating, but they have just received two building permits, and in order to get a building permit, you have to prove the water is there, and they've done that," said Fleming.
"But the development that's been approved is somewhat restricted by covenant. A condition of the development, actually was, that they could not have on-site food preparation. They would be limited to off-site food preparation and food trucks could prepare their food off-site and be brought in and sold. But it would not be for an on-premise restaurant, and that was related to what was likely available from the wells."
Ridge North America has a water licence from the provincial government for the two wells they've drilled that produced water, but not to a volume that would change directors' opinions about whether there could be on-site restaurants and food service areas preparing food at the gondola.
"Doing all of these things would result in more water use which was felt would exceed based on what they had available," said Fleming.
In the past year, two motions have been defeated regarding the water service area extension, which has left the RDNO with "no formal direction on boundary extensions (generally) or specific direction as to the Okanagan Gondola project."
To view the report, click here.
Members deferred the memo to a future meeting, which at the earliest would be in September.
