A developer wants to build a gas station and drive-thru restaurant near the summit of the Okanagan Connector.

The Regional-District of Okanagan Similkameen is being asked to rezone the Elkhart Lodge property, located on Highway 97C west of the Pennask Summit.

The rezoning would allow for a gas station, restaurant, service station and a highway maintenance yard.

“Basically the kind of commercial, tourist uses that cater to the motoring public on the highway,” RDOS planning manager Chris Garrish says. “There’s essentially some commercial zoning on the property from when it was previously used as a gas station. And the applicant is essentially looking to update that zoning; changes have occurred to our bylaws over the years and the current zoning doesn’t allow for the range of uses that they want to pursue now.

Garrish points out a gas station opened on that property not long after the Connector opened and operated through the 1990s.

The closest community to that property is Merritt, which is nearly 60 kilometres away.

Garrish says the RDOS is not aware if the applicant has any interested business owners who would be looking to move into that area if rezoning is approved.

(Photo: RDOS)