Yacht Club will oversee marina
Image: Contributed
Penticton Yacht Club has won a bid to be the new long-term operator of Skaha Lake Marina and lands.
Penticton city council approved a request for proposal for the management operating agreement in September, for a period of up to 25 years.
The city’s Parks and Recreation civilian advisory committee gave its blessing earlier in the summer.
According to a city press release issued Wednesday, the yacht club was one of three organizations who submitted for the project, and was chosen by the review committee after scoring highest for best meeting the objective of securing a long-term investment in the marina lands while supporting the vision sought by the community during the creation of the Skaha Lake Park East Plan; protecting and enhancing park land; supporting local use; revitalizing the marina lands; and providing a knowledgeable local team that will be a strong partner for the community.
The PYC, a non-profit society that currently operates the Okanagan Lake Marina, will make a $45,000 annual payment to the city, subject to re-evaluation as larger investments are made, and will make initial capital upgrades valued at approximately $565,000 to the marina docks and slips, fuelling system and fire suppression.
They also plan to make a $2.5 million investment into the current building, turning it into a licensed restaurant run by the owners of the Hooded Merganser and Barking Parrot, as well as accommodating the existing cafe.
More parking will be added, and boat storage will be relocated. A boat valet will be established from an off-site storage facility.
“This decision marks a big step towards council’s goal of realizing the community-led vision contained in the Skaha Lake Park East Plan and, with the Penticton Yacht Club on board, securing a needed long-term operator to manage the Skaha Marina Lands, along with improvements occurring at the site with no cost to the taxpayer,” Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki said.
“On behalf of council, I want to acknowledge the time and effort each proponent invested into the development of their submission and the subsequent depth of discussion and review that led to the Penticton Yacht Club being the successful bid. I also want to extend a special thanks to Randy Gallagher who has operated the Skaha Lake Marina for the past three years while the city developed the plan for its future.”
PYC commodore Mark Tougas said he is excited for the opportunity “to bring to life the long-term vision for Skaha and strategically grow the marina to align with our common goals as communicated throughout the last community engagement forums.”
Find the full details of the PYC plans for the marina here.
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