Large Kelowna Nursery Kelowna, BC

Area Overview

The Regional District of Central Okanagan is centrally located in British Columbia's southern interior. Within close proximity to both Vancouver and Calgary, the Okanagan Valley has an estimated population of over 360,000 and offers a skilled workforce, excellent infrastructure, a diversifying economy and a quality of life that is truly unmatched anywhere else in Western Canada.

A very popular domestic, national and international tourist destination, the Okanagan offers a range of lifestyles that take advantage of the regions features, particularly the impressive Lake Okanagan. Winter activities are also very popular with two major ski resorts attracting visitors from across Canada, the US and internationally. Characterized by its semi-arid climate and its notorious dry, sunny summers with daytime temperatures that often exceed 30 °C, the Okanagan offers incredible four season activities and a stunning backdrop for residents and visitors alike.

The majority of the area's residents live in the City of Kelowna, the region's main centre. Other notable communities include West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland. Kelowna ranks as the 22nd largest metropolitan area in Canada. The Smith Creek lands are situated in West Kelowna approximately 18 kilometres from Kelowna's downtown core.

The Central Okanagan Regional District is easily accessible. Kelowna has an international airport, while an excellent highway system links the Okanagan with Vancouver, only four hours to the southwest. Flying time between Kelowna and Vancouver is only 50 minutes, while Calgary to the east is only one hour.

Property Overview

Located in Kelowna's popular Mission area, this nursery property is situated just east of Gordon Drive less than two kilometres from the shores of Lake Okanagan, and less than eight kilometres to Kelowna's downtown core.

Although the property consists of 231 acres and 11 titles in total, the current owners intend to retain two titles. The current offering therefore consists of 210 acres and nine titles. A complete list of all the titles is available in our full detailed package.

The area surrounding the nursery consists of predominantly agricultural uses; however residential subdivisions are located to the immediate south and west. The property's slightly undulating topography provides some excellent view corridors over Lake Okanagan and beyond. Each existing title within the offering is different and offers its own unique set of attributes.

The property is serviced with city water, hydro, natural gas, cable and telephone. Sanitary services are currently provided via septic system. The nursery utilizes city water for irrigation.

Given the property's historic use, improvements are limited and consist of an approximately 8,200 square foot warehouse and office.

Existing access to the property is off of Stewart Road which runs along the property's eastern boundary. Stewart Road connects to Saucier Road to the east and Casorso Road to the north. Crawford Road represents the property's southern and western boundaries. In the event a purchaser intends to sell the nine titles individually, access to each can easily be provided.

Zoning

The property is zoned A1Agriculture 1. The purpose of this zoning bylaw is to provide a zone for rural areas and agricultural uses as well as other complementary uses suitable in an agricultural setting. A full copy of the zoning bylaw is available in our full Detailed Package.

The majority of the lands associated with this offering are located within a land designation known as the Agricultural Land Reserve, or ALR. Created in 1973, the Provincial Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) is an independent Provincial agency responsible for administering the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), which is a land use designation, intended to encourage agricultural use. The purpose of the ALC is to preserve agricultural land and encourage farm uses in collaboration with local landowners, local governments and the First Nations.

ALR boundaries were set in the early 1970's and determined based upon the capability and suitability of land for agricultural use, uses at the time, local zoning and public input. Approximately 5% of British Columbia's land base, the most agriculturally important, is located within the ALR. The ALR covers approximately 4.7 million hectares of land within British Columbia, including both private and public lands and takes precedence over other land uses; as such, local and regional government bylaws are planned in accordance with this provincial policy.

Generally, land within the ALR is intended only for agricultural purposes. However, recreational and agritourism related businesses might be permitted on a conditional basis. Furthermore, a residence is a permitted use on any title (subject, of course, to setback and building requirements) within the ALR. Accordingly, these titles are ideal estate residential lots.

Opportunity

The subject property offers the opportunity to acquire a large, contiguous agricultural land with the outright potential for large estate lot development based on the existing title configuration. A purchaser could also apply to the Agricultural Land Commission for boundary re-alignment, which would provide more flexibility for lot size, shape, location and access. Under the existing configuration, there are 8 titles under 25 acres with an average size of 11 acres, and one large title of 121 acres.

Continued comprehensive use of the property for agricultural purposes is of course also an excellent option. The agricultural market within the Okanagan remains strong with limited opportunity to acquire larger contiguous properties in prime locations.