‘Landmark’ spa, hotel strongly opposed by some West Kelowna neighbours

The Baden Spa and 188-room hotel proposed for a hilltop in the Shannon Lake area of West Kelowna was called “awesome” and a “landmark” when the city’s advisory planning commission gave it the thumbs up in June.

Now, more than 600 neighbours have signed a petition calling on city council to reject any rezoning application for the land.

“It’s completely surrounded by residential or by parks,” Friends of Shannon Lake petition organizer Tom Groat told iNFOnews.ca. “By coming in here, it would change so much of the characteristics and the aesthetic value that all the neighbours here have come to appreciate.”

The project was likened by some commission members to the Sparkling Hills resort near Vernon. The big difference is that Sparkling Hills is in a rural area, not an established residential neighbourhood, Groat said.

READ MORE: Proposed hotel, spa poised to be a West Kelowna landmark

He’s concerned that there are only 160 parking stalls proposed, about 100 short of what he believes there should be.

The four-storey building would stand at the top of the hill like a “monolith” and the project would have a major impact on traffic, he argued.

“You’ve got a 24-hour hotel,” Groat said. “You’ve got a day spa that has traffic coming in and out all day. You’ve got the service vehicles.”

In 2011, there were 49 townhouses approved for the 13-acre site. Now, along with the 188-room hotel and spa, there are also 10 cabins and housing for a dozen staff members.

Such a spa would be a great benefit to the city, Groat argued, but not in the middle of an established residential neighbourhood. Closer to the Westbank town centre or major roads would make more sense, he argued.

“It’s opening a Pandora’s box,” Groat said. “If the city approves changes to residential zoning to allow commercial development, that could be in anybody’s neighbourhood.”

The application has yet to go to city council for first reading but Groat wants to “to push back with the same amount of awareness.”

The Shannon Lake neighbourhood association is inactive so Groat is working with a committee of about a dozen people.

They’ve collected 627 signatures on their petition on GoPetition through Facebook posts alone but they will soon be doing a mailout and setting up an account to receive donations.

Ultimately, Groat would like to revive the neighbourhood association in an effort to have a stronger voice at City Hall.

READ MORE: Massive Blackmun Bay housing project in West Kelowna scaled back by more than 80%

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