IndexOpinion ....................... A6View Point .................. A7Life & Times ............... A8 Sports ................... B1-B5Arts & Events ....... B6-B8Time Out ..................... B9Vol. 103, No. 23, 64 pages

This weekSalmon Arm’s CT scanner works banker’s hours. See page A3.

Rep soccer season winds down with hot action on local pitches. See B2.

WednesdayJune 23, 2010

www.saobserver.net$1.05 GST INCLUDED

JAMES MURRAY/OBSERVER

Council proceeds with SmartCentres

The SmartCentres application

for a shopping centre has passed its

fi rst procedural hurdle at city hall,

with just one change to its latest,

reduced proposal.

At the city’s planning and devel-

opment services meeting Monday,

which stretched to a record four

hours mainly because of the in-

clusion of both the SmartCentres’

and the Askew’s developments on

the agenda, the majority of council

voted for a change to the CD8 or

comprehensive development zone

proposed.

The CD8 zone, to which Smart-

Centres would like the property

rezoned, includes fi nancial institu-

tion in its list of 35 allowed uses.

Other uses include service station,

car wash, automotive repair shop,

tire sales and repair, and building

supply establishment.

Coun. Chad Eliason moved that

fi nancial institution be removed,

noting an earlier consultant’s report

had suggested in order to protect

the downtown, fi nancial institu-

tions, drug stores and alcohol sales

should be confi ned to downtown

only.

Coun. Ivan Idzan spoke against

removing fi nancial institutions,

saying that, as he had discussed pre-

viously during the Askew’s rezon-

ing application at the

east end of town, he

would like residents

to be able to have ac-

cess to banks or credit

unions where they are

or will be living.

Coun. Debbie Can-

non said she, too,

would not support

restricting fi nancial

institutions to the

downtown, noting

she had voted to al-

low the credit union

to be included in the new Askew’s

development.

“It wouldn’t feel right.”

Mayor Marty Bootsma said al-

though he had voted

to allow fi nancial

institutions in the

Askew’s develop-

ment, he had done it

reluctantly and had

said it wouldn’t deter-

mine his future votes.

Coun. Alan Har-

rison said he doesn’t

see this situation

as the same as the

Askew’s proposal,

because on the west

end of town there are

not a lot of residences, whereas the

Askew’s development is surround-

ed by them.

Coun. Ken Jamieson noted that

the credit union is simply expand-

ing to the Askew’s site and not va-

cating its premises downtown.

Coun. Kevin Flynn, who spoke

against removing fi nancial institu-

tions at the beginning of the discus-

sion, changed his mind.

“I’m rumoured to be infl exible,”

he began, but noted that after hear-

ing the arguments of other council-

lors and being reassured a banking

kiosk would be allowed in the new

shopping centre, he would support

Eliason’s motion.

In the fi nal vote, just Idzan and

Cannon were opposed.

Eliason also proposed liquor

By Martha WickettOBSERVER STAFF

See Right-of-way on page A2

SALMON ARM

ObserverClose encounter of the worst kindAustin Baptiste, the fi rst rider out of the chute, gets pinned under Double Dragon at the second annual Braby Motors World Professional Bull Riding Championship held Saturday evening at the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds. Baptiste did not ride again that night, but was not seriously injured.

Nathan Hildebrand

SMARTCENTRES

Shopping centre: Company agrees to remove fill it dumped in what is now a protected area.