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Letter: 'Sad thing' Marriott turned away by Kelowna council

…when we moved here…it was a nightmare for us due to Enterprise Road being only about 20 feet away from our room, and we hated it.
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Marriott hotels artist renderings

To the editor:

I read the article on the proposed Marriott Hotel that is up for discussion, or better yet, turned down by our city council. [Kelowna Turns Down Hotels Footprint, June 15 Kelowna Capital News.]

I don't understand their thinking on this, as it would give even more work to our local workers during construction, as well as when it is ready for business.

But [council turned down the application] because some of our city councillors, as well as mayor, say that they don't want a blacktop desert here.

What a crock! How is it that McCurdy Corner is the way it is then, as well as the many other areas that are not forced to do something with their parking lots. This is a sham on the part of our city council, and is unfairly forcing a very reputable hotel chain to do something that is not right at all.

I know what the Marriott is saying, because when we moved here, and stayed in [a Kelowna hotel]—in their "new" tower section—it was a nightmare for us due to Enterprise Road being only about 20 feet away from our room, and we hated it.

I am sure that the Marriott would put in islands between the parking rows, with trees in the islands, so that there could be shade on the parking area, as well as look very nice to view, and even put up a raised ground barrier, between the highway and parking lot, so as to not see much of the parking lot, and to alleviate some of the sound from the highway.

But, was this even talked about between the Marriott and city council? It doesn't seem so, and just turn the hotel chain down flat with their building proposal.

As I said, it is a sad thing, when a very good thing like this can be done for our city, and turned down, yet, such a ridiculous thing, like the proposed Tourist Info Centre be built on the downtown shore of our beautiful lake.

Well people, you have to wonder just where some of our city councillor's interests are. I applaud our two councillors [Brad Sieben and Gail Given] who voted for the approval of the hotel, and just wish that there was more like you that sit on council.

I have always said that "men make mistakes, but...it takes an even bigger man to admit that he made a mistake."

Thank you, and hopefully Marriott Hotels will be given a fairer shake on this.

Trevor Martin, Kelowna