Sewer expansion could lead the way to 400-unit hotel development on Skaha Lake

Is development of a 400 unit hotel situated on the western shore of Skaha Lake a potential reality for the South Okanagan lake?

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is preparing for that eventuality as it plans an expansion of the Okanagan Falls sewer system into the Kaleden waterfront.

Plans for the proposed extension of the Okanagan Falls sewer system to connect shoreline properties in Kaleden includes peak flow estimates for the project that would allow for a buildout estimate of 400 units for Ponderosa Point, a resort property that currently has 26 privately owned cabins available for rent.

In the question and answer section of the Skaha Estates and Kaleden Sewer Expansion Project and Updates on the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen website, Engineering manager Liisa Bloomfield said Ponderosa Point’s current zoning as tourist commercial allows tourist accommodation as a principal use.

Bloomfield says given the resort’s property size and per centage of property coverage, “a 400 unit hotel development is currently easily permitted on the Ponderosa property under the existing zoning and we needed to take this into account with the predesign estimates.”

Banbury Green, another resort on the Kaleden waterfront north of Ponderosa Point, has a different zoning designation, campground commercial, and doesn't have the same unit density as Ponderosa Point.

The website was recently updated with additional information stating RDOS representatives were told in August the present owners of Ponderosa Point had no plans to sell or redevelop the property.

The planned $10 million extension of the Okanagan Falls sewer system has completed the preliminary design stage and is ready for presentation to the public for comment and review, but the process, which includes a referendum, has been delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

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