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Amphitheatre planned for Kamloops area winery

Monte Creek Ranch Winery can finally proceed with amphitheatre plans
12387036_web1_180619-KTW-monte-creek-amphitheatre
Kamloops this Week

-Kamloops this Week

With a covenant in place to mitigate noise, Monte Creek Ranch Winery can move ahead with an amphitheatre at its property east of Kamloops.

“The zoning is in place and the covenant is on title, so they can develop when they’re ready to develop,” Thompson-Nicola Regional District manager of planning services Alex Krause told KTW.

More than two years ago, the winery requested site-specific zoning amendments from the regional district to build an open-air amphitheatre that would seat up to 1,800 to host events like concerts and weddings.

The winery initially hoped the new facility would be operating last year. A public hearing in November 2016, however, revealed concerns from neighbours about the impacts of noise in the area and hours of operation. As a result, the board approved zoning amendments on the condition a covenant be put in place to mitigate noise. That covenant — which includes design parameters and a curfew — has since been secured.

“The owner had to work to get it drafted, so we were in agreement with that,” Krause said. “They’ve done that, they’ve registered it.”

Under the covenant, seating and surrounding walls must be constructed of sound-diminishing materials and ground level must be at least five metres below the average grade for sound containment.

In addition, the stage and band shell must face the forested slope and focus sound into the amphitheatre, including an overhead structure that reflects sound into the audience. The north wall of the stage and band shell must be 13 metres wide and nine metres high, with a minimum sound transmission of 60 decibels to prevent sound from projecting to neighbouring properties. The amphitheatre must shut down at 11 p.m.

“It’s like any bylaw, any regulation. It’s up to them to respect that. If not and we get complaints, we would have to follow up from there,” Krause said.

The project also needed support rom the Agricultural Land Commission and the Ministry of Transportation, both of which have given Monte Creek approval. The next step for the winery will be to secure a building permit for the structure.

KTW contacted Monte Creek Ranch Winery for comment and timelines, but has not yet received a call back.

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