Kelowna council moves to save golf course from industrial development

The City of Kelowna has decided to try and save a popular golf course from industrial development — an about-face from the plans of its former mayor and council.

On Monday, Mayor Tom Dyas and all eight councillors unanimously approved a motion to convert the Kelowna Springs Golf Club from land designated for industrial use back to land zoned private recreational.

But the new owners of the land, located on the northeastern edge of the city, say the city would be passing up on the opportunity to create jobs and over a million dollars in annual revenue if they go through with the change.

It's the latest development in the fate of the golf course, which became a major issue during the last municipal elections.

The move to revert the land's designation to private recreational was spearheaded by Coun. Luke Stack, who cited concerns from members of the public about the conversion of greenspace into business and industrial land.

"This is 106 acres of beautiful, green, treed properties," Stack told CBC Daybreak South host Chris Walker. "There's many, many citizens that use this on a weekly basis."

Stack said he'd also heard from non-golfers who were worried about the impact of industrial development on nearby agricultural and park land.

"This is a significant property," he said.

Council is holding a public hearing on the land designation change to get feedback from the community, after which a final decision will be made.

Land owner 'mystified' by council decision

Garry Fawley, CEO of Denciti Development Corporation, said he is "mystified" by council's decision.

Last October, the Vancouver-based company purchased the land on which the golf course sits, after former mayor Colin Basran and council approved the property for future industrial use.

Fawley said the city will lose more than it gains by keeping the land as a golf course.

"This [golf course] is isolated, used by possibly 2 per cent of the population … for five months to a year," he said on Daybreak South.

"If you look at it in balance, the losses to Kelowna are greater by not proceeding with industrial [designation]."

According to the company, redeveloping the land will address the growing need for business and employment space in the Central Okanagan, and help create more than 1,000 jobs and more than $1 million in annual tax revenue for the city.

New council, new priorities

The new plans for the golf course follow the election of a new mayor and council.

In January 2022, the previous council unanimously approved using the golf course for industrial development in what they said was the best use for the land.

Following community feedback, Stack — who was part of that previous council — tabled a motion last summer to reverse the decision. 

That motion failed to garner enough votes, with former mayor Colin Basran and three other councillors voting to keep the industrial designation, resulting in a tie. 

In his mayoral campaign ahead of the municipal elections last October, Dyas vowed to save the golf course from being turned into industrial land.

Now, with Dyas elected, and with a new council, Stack says he believes he has the votes needed to change course.

Property to continue operating as a golf course

Fawley said for now, the golf course will continue to operate for at least one more season, and that the company isn't opposed to indefinitely setting aside a portion of the property for golfers — a move he described as a "win-win" for the community.

He added that he looks forward to the public hearing where he can have more conversations with golfers, business owners and Kelowna residents.

"Our job is to roll up our sleeves and talk to dozens of people within Kelowna," he said, "bring them up to speed as to what the balance is [and] what is being lost for the [private recreational] designation."