Kelowna city council is being asked to reject an application to allow an existing seasonal agri-tourism RV park to operate year round.
According to a staff report, the proposal for 2062 Morrison Road is inconsistent with the city’s Official Community Plan and agricultural plan.
“To protect and enhance local agriculture, the policy direction provides support for non-farm use applications only where the proposed use meets certain criteria,” the staff report states.
Criteria includes being consistent with zoning and the OCP, providing significant benefits to agriculture, not requiring extension of municipal services, not utilizing productive agricultural lands, not being harmful to adjacent farm operations and not precluding future use of lands for agriculture.
Staff say the year-round RV use is prohibited within the Agricultural Land Reserve zone.
“While the subject property has an active agricultural operation, the inclusion of full-time residential units does not benefit local agriculture,” the report states.
“It would preclude future use of agricultural lands, as it would permanently convert agricultural land for non-agricultural use.”
Staff also indicate recreational vehicles and specifically CSA-Z241 Series Park model trailers are not recognized as dwelling units as per the BC Building Code.
The property owner was granted a permit to operate a seasonal RV park on the property in 2010. The 10-stall operation is able to operate between April 1 and Oct. 31 yearly.
A similar application for a year-round RV operation on the property in 2017 was not supported by council.
The city’s Agricultural Advisory Committee reviewed the latest application in May and also recommended non-support. Council will review the application Monday.
Should council support the application it would be forwarded to the Agricultural Land Commission for approval.
