Photo: Contributed
Where are the Kelowna folks who “demand luxury, private accommodations”?
Apparently nowhere.
That could change if the city steps in with a proposal to convert a famous property on Lochview Road from a single family home to a “private guest residence”.
The 44-acre estate, which includes a 15,000-square-foot six-bedroom property, beach house, guest house, tennis court, private vineyard, and winery, made fame a few years ago when it rose to more than $ 13.5 million was valued as the most expensive property in the city.
Since the property is A1 – agriculture, any use similar to a bed & breakfast or short-term rental requires a location-specific text change that is approved by the council.
Such an application was officially submitted to the city by the owner of the property late last week.
In its application, the owner suggests using the term “private guest property” which would temporarily provide up to eight guest rooms and private facilities such as restaurants, banquets, drinks, meeting rooms, leisure facilities, boutique wineries and personal services.
To accommodate the rental, the owner suggests converting the beach house into two additional bedrooms.
Caretaker units would be built over the current garage.
An adjacent six acre lot south of the property has also been purchased and is being planted with grapes to provide a buffer for neighboring lots.
A dedicated access road would be built on Prince Edward Drive if the application is accepted.
The motion suggests that the property “is underutilized as a single family home and (the owner) wants the magnificent features of this property to continue to be enjoyed and appreciated”.
“As a private guest property, the property will retain its meticulous shape and character, but offer its guests exclusive use of the property and function as a private residence as it is today.”
The house would be “remodeled” to accommodate guests.
Built in 2005, the home was built with many amenities including a tennis court, boat launch, swimming pools, spa with sauna and steam room, billiards room, theater, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, and plenty of terraces to enjoy the views and natural surroundings.
When approval is given, the owner says the property will be managed on a full-time basis by staff serving the guests while “ensuring the peace of guests and neighbors” is maintained.
The property is compared to other luxury experiences in the province and costs between $ 2,400 and $ 23,000 a night.
The employees have not yet commented on the application.
Photo: Contributed
