Mayor Gord Milsom has announced that the City of West Kelowna has secured property in Lakeview Heights for the relocation of Fire Station #32.
The City has agreed to purchase 2509 and 2513 Harmon Road and will relocate the Lakeview Heights Fire Station, currently located nearby at 2708 Olalla Road. This station has served its community well for decades, however, the current location and state of the building is past its life expectancy and can no longer accommodate the needs of the growing community.
“In order to provide the best possible fire protection to West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation, we needed to find a location in the same area that can grow with our community,” said Mayor Milsom. “The new location will provide an opportunity for us to build a safe, suitable fire station that meets our needs now and into the future and provides appropriate space for West Kelowna Fire Rescue to continue to protect our community.”
The properties secured for this future fire station are within the required area to ensure that the travel distances meet the requirements of insurance providers. This location will allow the City to design a safe fire station, with better access to key transportation corridors, like Boucherie Road. The location was analyzed for traffic safety and it has been determined that visibility for the fire department, motorists and pedestrians is improved in all directions.
Station 32 will continue to complement the fire service we provide from our other neighbourhood fire stations; Glenrosa - Station 34, Rose Valley - Station 33 and Westbank Centre - Station 31.
West Kelowna Council remains fully committed to the safety and well being of the community. The first step was securing the land and, now a rezoning process will begin. Residents can visit www.westkelownacity.ca/subscribe to sign up to receive automatic emails regarding this rezoning process. The City will then undertake the detailed design of the fire station, which is expected to begin in 2020. A timeline for construction of the new hall has not yet been determined.