A public meeting will be held in Tatla Lake on Tuesday, Aug. 27 about a proposed new development between Bluff and Middle Lakes.
The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tatla Lake Community Hall, which is located at 16452 on Highway 20 in Tatla Lake.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about a proposed rezoning of two properties in order to develop a tourist accomodation lodge facility to support adventure tourism activities in the valley and surrounding areas.
Dave King, the applicant, and representing King Family Ranch holdings, has applied for the rezoning of a portion of two properties on Bluff Lake Road.
The rezoning would allow for the development of a tourist commercial resort, with the applicant proposing eight cabins, a two-story main lodge with 20 units, a spa, heli pad and shop. The proposal includes 25-person staff housing on the site. In total, the development would accommodate 52 commercial guests.
The properties for the proposed rezoning and development are located three km northeast of Middle Lake, 10 km south of Bluff Lake and 28 km southwest of the community of Tatla Lake. The properties consist of an upland area, where the development would take place, as well as lowland areas forming part of the Mosley Creek valley and floodplain. The Bluff Lake Forest Road traverses through the properties.
Currently, the properties are zoned as Rural 1 and Resource/Agricultural. The application is to rezone a 27-hectare area as Special Exception C 2-5.
Due to the remote and undisturbed nature of the area and being within the vicinity of a known archaeological site, the CRD also recommended the applicant consult with a registered professional archaeologist.
A petition in opposition to the proposed rezoning and development has been started online by some area residents and is posted on Change.org.
The petition is titled Prevent agricultural land rezoning for commercial development in West Branch Valley. The page authors, calling themselves West Branch Residents, say the proposed development is "an environmentally devastating land development prospect in the West Branch Valley."
The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is reviewing the proposal and both the CRD and Dave King are receiving public input, which can be sent to: Applicant/Property Owner: Dave King P.O. Box 126 Tatla Lake, BC V0L 1V0 250-476-1285 fathergoosedave@gmail.com and written comments can also be sent to: Cariboo Regional District Suite D, 180 North 3rd Avenue Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A4, by phone: 1–800–665–1636 or fax: 1–250–392–2812.
More information can be found at www.cariboord.ca planning@cariboord.ca.
