Kelowna city council has deferred its decision on whether it will endorse plans for a culinary school at Summerhill Pyramid Winery.
City staff recommended council㽶Ƶֱs support for the concept of an educational culinary facility built on the Summerhill Pyramid Winery property located on Chute Lake Road. If council gave the thumbs up, the project would㽶Ƶֱve gone to the provincial Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for consideration.
But council tabled the discussion on Monday (March 1), wanting to first hear from the developer himself.
Stephen Cipes, the owner of Summerhill Pyramid Winery, is the man behind the 㽶ƵֱCulinary College for Humanity㽶Ƶֱ and claims the proposed facility is unique both provincially or nationally. It would include a culinary facility, educational stays, wine tasting, food-producing gardens, and parking. The eight-floor, 35,000-square-foot building would consist of 150 rooms to be used solely by students and faculty, Cipes stated in his application to the city.
㽶ƵֱMy concern about this is, while it speaks to a really unique opportunity 㽶Ƶֱ I don㽶Ƶֱt want it to be used as a hotel in a vineyard,㽶Ƶֱ said Coun. Mohini Singh.
Several councillors expressed that same fear, saying there㽶Ƶֱs a risk of the facility becoming a culinary travel destination rather than the proposed educational use.
㽶ƵֱAs somebody who is looking at a seven or eight-storey, 150 unit potential hotel on agriculture land outside our permanent growth boundary, that㽶Ƶֱs frightening to me,㽶Ƶֱ said Coun. Gail Given.
Mayor Colin Basran was the lone supporter of the project, saying it would be a tremendous benefit to the city㽶Ƶֱs agriculture in the long term.
㽶ƵֱAgri-tourism, culinary tourism are the hallmarks of this valley,㽶Ƶֱ said Basran. 㽶ƵֱI appreciate council㽶Ƶֱs concerns about the form of the building, but we can control that in the next phase.㽶Ƶֱ
The project should come back before council next Monday, pending Cipes㽶Ƶֱ availability. If endorsed by council and approved by the ALC, Cipes would have to apply for a zoning amendment. At that point, council would give input on building height and proposed use.
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