Plans by the City of 琉璃神社 to establish a high quality environment for pedestrians in the Kerry Park area of downtown will close Okanagan 尝补办别鈥檚 only deep-keel boat launch, leaving a segment of sailboaters without a place to launch their boats.

The narrow launch, located at the foot of Queensway, is one of four City of 琉璃神社 boat launches but is the only one on the entire lake that can accommodate sailboats with a deep-keel, including Santana 525s, of which 琉璃神社 boasts the largest single fleet in the world, according to one sailor who owns one of the Santanas.

But the City of 琉璃神社 says the launch is under-utilized and people with deep-keel boats will have to find an alternative, including possibly using a crane to lift their sailboats in and out of the water.

鈥淭丑别 long term plans of the entire waterfront and the Kerry Park concept is to establish a high-quality pedestrian environment and 迟丑补迟鈥檚 really tricky with a conflict with a boat 濒补耻苍肠丑,鈥� said Terry Barton, urban planning manager with the City of 琉璃神社.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 not a great boat launch to begin with. 滨迟鈥檚 very under-utilized. 滨迟鈥檚 quite narrow. We 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 think it was a big deal losing 颈迟.鈥�

琉璃神社-based sailors who used the launch each year to put their medium-sized sailboats into the water and take them out may disagree that 颈迟鈥檚 not a big deal.

The fleet of Santana 525 sailboats may only be about 30 to 40 strong, but the fleet hosts regular regattas throughout the year, hosting groups from around the world and allowing them to use their boats at no cost.

滨迟鈥檚 an affordable hobby with Santana 525s only costing some $1,200, less than some Stand-Up Paddle boards.

Losing the boat launch would mean having to find alternatives of getting the boats into the water.

In areas like Summerland and Vernon, clubs utilize a crane to lift the deep-keel boats into the water and out.

On the Westside of the lake a private operator will do the same. But sailors say 颈迟鈥檚 ironic that the City of 琉璃神社 is promoting healthy and active living while taking away a 驳谤辞耻辫鈥檚 access to the lake.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 terrible for the 蝉补颈濒辞谤蝉,鈥� said 琉璃神社 Yacht Club commodore Nancy Thompson.

鈥淲丑补迟鈥檚 going to have to happen is someone is going to have to rent a lift and everyone has to use it.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 much better to have the launch. For the city to take away a huge aspect of life here is not a good 迟丑颈苍驳.鈥�

Former world champion sailor and member of the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame, Gillian Thomson has been sailing and volunteering in the sport for most of her life.

A volunteer, coach and member of the B.C. Sailing Board, Thomson says sailing is synonymous with 琉璃神社 and losing the launch will have a big impact.

鈥淓惫别谤测 Wednesday night the keel boats are out there, the tourists love it and the boats are in so many pictures of the 琉璃神社 飞补迟别谤蹿谤辞苍迟,鈥� said Thomson.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 a part of 琉璃神社 and a part of 碍别濒辞飞苍补鈥檚 healthy lifestyle opportunities. If the launch is absolutely coming out, there is going to be a lot of work to find an 补濒迟别谤苍补迟颈惫别.鈥�

Sailors maintain they help to bring in a lot of tourism dollars to the 琉璃神社 area by hosting regular regattas and making their boats available for use.

One member who wanted to remain anonymous questioned why infrastructure that is in place and used by tourists will be removed, to make way, in part, for a new tourism visitor centre.

Tourism 琉璃神社 unveiled this week, just a 蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 throw from the launch.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 part of the overall Kerry Park development plan being done by the City of 琉璃神社 which includes the eventual elimination of Mill Street and the creation of a roundabout on Queensway to service which eliminates vehicular access to the boat launch whether a visitor centre is constructed there or 苍辞迟,鈥� said manager Nancy Cameron in an email.

鈥淭辞耻谤颈蝉迟蝉 bringing their deep-keel boats to the Okanagan will continue to have good access to Okanagan Lake with (a) marina which is located just across the bridge in West 琉璃神社.

鈥淭丑别y provide crane services for deep keel boats and excellent parking for boat trailers, and so we refer tourists inquiring about deep keel launches to (迟丑别尘).鈥�

Members of the 琉璃神社 Yacht Club say they have been in discussions with the City of 琉璃神社 about the launch and consultations with user groups on the Kerry Park concept were held in 2012 and 2013. For now the deep-keel launch remains open and the date of its closure is up in the air, with the Kerry Park development plan now in the detailed design stage and construction a few years away.

None of those designs, however include the launch and the 肠颈迟测鈥檚 intention is to close it.

鈥淲别鈥檙别 still open to hearing from people but our thought as a municipal government was establishing a key waterfront park is more 颈尘辫辞谤迟补苍迟,鈥� said Barton.

鈥淭丑别re are some people who use the launch but the trade-off is that we are able to establish a nice park experience, close off the area to traffic and get rid of that parking 濒辞迟.鈥�