There was a boatload of discussion at the Lake Country Council meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 19) regarding a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for the Oyama Yacht Club.
Applicant Pat Begoray sought a TUP to continue allowing boat storage and service at the Oyama Road property while adding watercraft sales for a proposed three-year period.
An , followed by a second in 2019 and a renewal in 2022, which expired in September this year. Under the Local Government Act, only one renewal is permitted before rezoning or a new TUP application is required to gather additional public feedback.
District Chief Administrative Officer Paul Gipps explained the rationale for issuing a new permit, citing the ongoing review of the Official Community Plan (OCP), expected to take 12鈥�18 months.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 want to go for rezoning because we鈥檙e on the precipice of a new Official Community Plan process,鈥� Gipps said.
Council agreed to hear from Begoray and members of the public, as concerns had been raised about potential impacts on the Oyama boat launch, Wood Lake, and the property鈥檚 uses.
Begoray stated that his operation currently accommodates 40 boat valet customers, but 60 of the property鈥檚 220 available spots would be repurposed to accommodate sales.
鈥淗ow many of those would be valet customers I鈥檓 not sure, but it shrinks proportionately,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 would say that use of the launch would drop probably 20 to 25 percent.鈥�
Begoray estimated selling approximately 100 boats annually, with 10 per cent of customers requesting test drives on the lake.
Local resident Brennan Spear, general manager of a 琉璃神社 boat dealership, challenged that claim, stating that up to 90 percent of boat buyers typically request water tests.
鈥淭hat launch ramp is not set up properly to begin with in terms of someone being allowed to unload properly with the docking structure,鈥� Spear said. 鈥淲ith the increased usage that would come with this, I think that鈥檚 going to create further problems for people trying to get in and out in an already busy area.鈥�
Carter Spear, another resident, voiced concerns about the potential for increased boat traffic on Wood Lake.
鈥淪eeing what we just went through on the Oyama Canal dredging project, traffic on the lake is already at capacity,鈥� he said.
Several councillors acknowledged the need for improvements to the boat launch, with discussions also addressing potential fees for commercial users.
鈥淚鈥檇 go a step further and support me financing a proper ramp there,鈥� Begoray said. 鈥淭he ecological damage being done launching boats the way they鈥檙e being launched now鈥攊t鈥檚 not real good.鈥�
Andrew Spear, another resident, raised concerns about the addition of boat sales, which he argued represented a change of use, and questioned potential building modifications. Gipps clarified that the TUP is only one step in the process.
鈥淭hey still have to apply for a building permit,鈥� Gipps said. 鈥淭he permit will be reviewed to ensure it meets the requirements of the building code.鈥�
After extensive discussion, council made two amendments to the TUP. One limited the permit to two years instead of three, and the second required the applicant to track boat launch use and storage numbers to better assess the operation鈥檚 impact.
鈥淭o allow the OCP to take place and to strategically prioritize the idea of licensing commercial use during that time frame,鈥� explained Coun. Cara Reed.
Mayor Blair Ireland expressed reservations about allowing boat sales and raised concerns about building modifications.
鈥淚 want to make sure staff are aware that we鈥檙e concerned about how that building gets modified and looked after,鈥� Ireland said.
The amended TUP was approved unanimously approved, however, Coun. Heather Irvine, who attended the meeting remotely, appeared to have lost connection and did not vote.
