Dear editor,
Why does the Regional District staff and board members not want to see Stotan Falls as a park?
This is one of the most beautiful and highly utilized recreational areas in the Comox Valley. It is also mentioned prominently in tourism brochures and information distributed and promoted by Comox Valley Visitor Info Center.
Although I find it hard to understand how this ever happened, the fact is the area is privately owned and that the use of the area by the public is only permitted as a courtesy by the landowner. How long can we expect that to continue?
There should be an effort to secure the lands, one of the jewels of the Comox Valley, for public use.
To date, the present Regional District and staff have deferred to the Regional Growth Strategy when the landowner offers to donate the lands in exchange for development rights on the remainder of its lands. Has anyone ever sat down with the landowner to see if there is a solution that can be worked out rather than rejecting any proposal outright? Has any effort been made to see if it could be purchased? Maybe there is common ground. No one knows until one tries to find out.
It seems that the people of the Valley and visitors to the Valley may end up losing this asset for good. I cannot believe any “strategy” was ever intended to prevent the acquisition of such a great public amenity if the opportunity arose – let’s elect someone who is willing to try!!
Bob Kallio
Comox Valley