Penticton’s lease on Sudbury Beach runs out this summer, but the process has started to renew it.
Back in 1987, the city entered into a 29-year lease with the province for the foreshore adjacent to Airport Beach and Sudbury beach, and that portion of the old river channel forming part of Sudbury Beach.
In 2014 the city released its interest in the portion of the foreshore in front of Airport Beach, after the agreement with the Locatee owner of the beach itself ended.
The current lease expires on June 30, 2017 and renewal is required to retain control over the foreshore, which includes a portion of the parking lot and the concession.
The new lease includes the parking lot, concession, and the foreshore in front of the beach over to the creek. Peter Wallace, the city’s land administrator, said that beach is also held by a locatee landowner, Lester Lezard, who has granted the city a lease through to 2016.
“As part of the renewal, the province will require that we get in touch with any affected provincial agencies and the Penticton Indian Band for referral process,” said Wallace “We will be getting in touch with the PIB shortly to get a letter of agreement from them to proceed with this.”
In his report to council, Wallace noted that since the lease area is adjacent to reserve land the PIB will likely look at it closely and may have concerns over the tenure and could require an archeological review.
The existing concession is expected to continue, Wallace said, but the former tenant’s two-year lease ended and they decided not to renew.
“We did have someone lined up for it, but we cannot extend them a new lease past June 30,” said Wallace. “I have talked with the province and they say we can go month to month to finish out this year, but we can’t do a longer term lease.