Council backs sports facility

Jennifer Smith - Vernon Morning Star Published: December 07, 2010 7:00 PM
With full council support, Coldstream is eager to get the ball rolling on plans for a proposed sports facility.  The Okanagan College community sports facility is a $7.8 million project including a running track, sports field and other activities.  Mayor Jim Garlick says a referendum to borrow the funds will likely coincide with civic elections in November, if not sooner.  “Some of the user groups say they would be willing to put some money forward to do it sooner,” said Garlick of an earlier referendum.
The North Okanagan Regional District has signed a 40-year lease with the college to use 10 acres bordering Highway 97 and College Way for the facility.  But there are still some steps that need to be in place before Greater Vernon residents are asked to borrow the funds.  Coldstream council has unanimously thrown its support behind the project and is awaiting an application from the college to allow for non-farm use on the agricultural land.  Council anticipates dealing with the application, which includes forwarding it to the Agricultural Land Commission for approval, at its Dec. 20 meeting.

Although he was opposed to a sports complex on Aberdeen Road in 2007, Garlick is throwing his full support behind this application.  “It’s a different scale. It’s smaller and its on land that’s not farmed,” said Garlick.“I say the positives outweigh the negatives. It has the potential for some really positive spin-offs. It has a broader range of use than just the sports groups alone.” Comparing Greater Vernon’s 57,000 people to Kelowna’s 130,000, Garlick says the complex is an exciting opportunity for this “smaller” community. But he added it will take the co-operation and support of everyone to make it a reality.“We are much smaller so I think we have to use our resources.”Garlick encourages all residents to get out and vote when the referendum is presented. “I want to see the community either support or kill this.”