While some groups are cheering on the opportunity to create more recreational space, others are heckling the proposal. The controversial Aberdeen Road and Highway 6 sports complex proposal continues to drive debate within Greater Vernon. Although groups on either side of the fence have differing opinions on the project, everyone involved, including politicians, has one goal in mind – to inform the public. Most of the information, including rough preliminary costs on the project, will be available at a public meeting Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at Coldstream Elementary.
Coldstream council agreed to hold the public meeting before deciding whether or not to forward the project to the Agricultural Land Commission, for approval of non-farm use. Coldstream residents can also learn more about the project at a town hall meeting held by the Coldstream Ratepayers’ Association Thursday at 7 p.m. at Kidston Elementary. And the Outdoor Sports User Group will hold an information session about the proposed complex at the indoor soccer facility at Marshall Fields in Vernon Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m.
The proposed project design for the approximately 118 acres of former Coldstream Ranch lands includes a 60-acre footprint for: parking for 1,000 vehicles, four dog agility fields, two baseball fields for ages five to nine, a soccer/rugby field, one football/rugby/ultimate field, four soccer pitches (two with lights), six slo-pitch/fastball fields (two with lights) and a lit stadium with a track and football field plus room for a banquet hall, storage, offices, washrooms, change rooms and bleachers. The lands are to be purchased by Greater Vernon Services Commission, but the sale price is not being revealed.
Al McNiven, GVSC parks and recreation administrator, said this isn’t a project that will happen overnight. He suggests bits and pieces would come together as funding is available. “I don’t think it was anybody’s anticipation that it would be done all at once,” said McNiven of the project that has been in discussion for several years. While he expects to have a rough estimate of the cost of the project for the public meeting, McNiven said it is too early to determine what the cost may be now.
Bill Tarr, spokesperson for the Greater Vernon Outdoor Sports User Group, said each of the groups involved are ready and willing to contribute to the project. Those funds are on top of Funtastic’s commitment of $300,000 plus a servicing debt of $75,000 per year. But, Tarr adds: “We can’t do it all on our own either. We’re going to have to go to capital grants.” Yet those funds may still not be enough, therefore the burden on the taxpayer is a big concern on everyone’s mind, said Tarr.
Paul Christie, who serves on the Coldstream Advisory Planning Commission, is also concerned about the cost to taxpayers. “This is a multi-million dollar project,” said Christie. “I think the thing’s a non-starter anyway and why are we wasting our time?” Christie says the agricultural land is too valuable to alienate for any use. “I think that what we’ve got to do is plan for more people and preserve our agricultural land.” Christie’s concerns echo those of Andy Danyliu, Coldstream Ratepayers’ Association president. “We’re just going backwards,” said Danyliu, who is worried about the loss of land that could be used to grow the community’s food, meanwhile minimizing effects of global warming, instead of adding to the problem with the volume of traffic that will be driving back and forth from town to the sports complex. He too is also concerned about the cost. “This will be a sponge that will suck every recreational dollar into it.”
But the user groups see the project as a great investment into recreation, at a time when they say soccer fields are being used to capacity, football is still suffering from the Polson Park grandstand fire and the uncertainty over continued use of DND fields. For the amount of space needed, Tarr says: “It’s going to be hard to find say 10 to 12 other 10- to 15- acre parcels of land.” The Agricultural Land Commission will not comment on the project or the possibility of non-farm use being permitted, but public comments can be sent to the Okanagan’s land use planner Brandi Ridout at brandi.ridout@gov.bc.ca, or by calling 604-660-7014.
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Sep 02 2007 EDITORIAL http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
The lobbying efforts over a proposed sports complex in Coldstream are reaching a fevered pitch. Both sides in the debate are trying to win the hearts and minds of the general citizen, as evidenced by back-to-back meetings Thursday. The Outdoor Sports User Group will be first out of the gate when it provides information about the potential need for the facility from 4 to 7 p.m., at the indoor soccer centre while the Coldstream Ratepayers Association, which opposes the plan, will hold a town hall meeting for Coldstream residents at Kidston Elementary School at 7 p.m.
Obviously both camps want to get their views across to the public, and specifically the Coldstream resident because that municipality’s council must decide if it will support changing the land use from agriculture to sports and recreation. And there is nothing wrong with the lobbying. In fact, open and honest debate should be welcome in our democratic system. We would encourage all Greater Vernon residents, but especially those in Coldstream, to become better informed about the issue, including any positive aspects from expanding sports facilities and the potential negative implications from developing farm land and the financial burden of a complex on taxpayers. From the information garnered at these two meetings Thursday, hopefully residents will be able to formalize an educated opinion and then provide those views on to Coldstream council for consideration when it meets Sept. 11.
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