The Village of Kaslo is once again considering a proposal to develop a recreational vehicle park near the south side of the Kaslo River, following a May 27 council meeting where members voted 3-1 to reopen negotiations with QP Property Developments.
The proponent seeks to rezone the privately owned waterfront site to allow for a strata-titled RV park.
The land in question, while privately owned, has been informally used by residents for years as a point of access to the river.
“It’s become an issue because (residents) feel that it’s been established, that they’ve had unfettered access to the waterfront through his property,” Mayor Suzan Hewatt said, as reported by Castanet on June 10.
An earlier version of the proposal was rejected by council earlier this year. QP Property Developments has since revised the plan, reducing the number of lots from 90 to approximately 70.
Despite the changes, the project continues to face strong opposition from the community, with the village receiving around 200 letters against the development and only about 10 in support.
Concerns raised by opponents include environmental risks due to the property’s location on a floodplain and the potential social impact of a seasonal ownership structure. .
One letter opposing the development warned that it could “change a beautiful, quiet, lakeside part of the village, for visitors and residents.”
Critics also fear that increased traffic and transient visitors could strain village resources and alter the character of the area.
Coun. Matthew Brown, the lone dissenting vote, said the new proposal was not significantly different from the original and cited cultural and environmental concerns.
“I think that there’s a large group that looks at it the way that Joni Mitchell said, ‘You paved paradise and you put up a parking lot,’” Brown said.
Council is now working to draft a revised purchase and sale agreement that includes conditions such as environmental protections, seasonal usage limits, and restrictions on the number of strata lots.
Once the draft is presented, the proponent can either accept the terms, propose amendments, or walk away from the deal.