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“We’d likely use the money to make greater accessibility of the waterfront in other locations,” Baker said.

“There are a lot of places where we’d like to create more usable waterfront spaces for the public with new amenities.”

Proceeds from the sale could also be used to repay part of Lake Country’s $2.5-million debt to the City of Kelowna, incurred as a result of acquiring the abandoned CN rail corridor for conversion to a long-distance recreation path, much of which goes along the shore of Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake.

The three town-owned properties, which total a quarter-hectare in size, eyed for sale are all north of the existing Gable Beach Park and the Gable Road beach access point in the Carr’s Landing neighbourhood.

“We are not selling any land that is currently used as a park,” Baker said. “We’ve told (critics) this again and again, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference to what they say.”

The three lots vary in width, but average about 15 metres, and are located between the lake’s high-water mark and the upland private properties. The town inherited the lots from the provincial government when Lake Country incorporated in the mid-1990s.

Lake Country already owns 21 kilometres of lakeshore, almost half of all foreshore in the municipality.

If the proposed sale of the three Carr’s Landing lots goes through, the public would still have access along the beach between the high- and low-water marks, Baker said.

But critics worry the owners of the three newly enlarged lots would try to build docks or other structures that might impede public access along the shore.

And they say it’s simply a bad idea for the town to even consider selling waterfront land, no matter how inaccessible the properties might currently be or however the proceeds might be used.

“Money comes and goes, but land is forever,” says Rose, the former town administrator.

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