To the Editor:
As a member of the Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake, I would like to voice my objection to the government’s plan to sell Crown land at the east end of Lac des Roches.
I spent an hour April 17 adding up the properties listed for sale in the real estate supplement of the current edition of the 100 Mile House Free Press.
I found the following. Waterfront: 29 homes, 11 cabins or mobile homes, 46 lots, 16 larger acreage and 11 resorts.
Properties with water view and/or water access were harder to identify, but I could definitely find 34 homes, 10 mobiles or cabins, 67 lots and three larger acreage. There were also four guest ranches listed without waterfront or view.
This supplement covers a large area, and although this was not a scientific count, it shows a total of 216 properties and I’m sure there are many more.
It seems strange to me that Land and Water BC has decided to go into competition with the local real estate market with the plans to sell to a developer property for up to 500 homes and cluster cottages.
Land and Water stated that there is a demand for recreational and year-round properties and yet I drive by the same ‘for sale’ signs every time I go to town.
There are developments on Watch, Green and Deka lakes that have been waiting for buyers for years. Some of the lots have changed hands several times, but to date have not had a home or cottage built on them.
There is a large development overlooking Lac des Roches that has been on the market for several years and has only one foundation (with a cease and desist order on it).
Strange indeed, that the original plans for Lac des Roches and Birch Lakes includes two hotels and a golf course.
There is a golf course laid out in the development at Watch Lake but it has never been built. Strange that there are 11 commercial resorts for sale in an area where Land and Water BC plan to add two hotels.
I’m not sure where Land and Water BC got their information on the development needs for this area, but I would recommend they go back to the drawing board and take another look before they totally destroy a beautiful lake with unneeded homes and hotels.