Sports activity parks sitting on valuable lands

Town Council

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The Town of Saugeen Shores has engaged the consulting firm of Monteith Brown to review the usage and locations of sports parks throughout the area.

According to Community Services Director, Mike Myatt, the town has some planning issues surrounding existing lands such as ball diamonds.  "When Biener Park, for instance, was built 15 or 20 years ago, there wasn't the development that there is today.  We need to seriously look at the locations of ball diamonds and soccer fields.  Residents are complaining that balls are landing in their yards."

The town will be meeting with the consultants, who will be paid $14,000 to complete the study, however Myatt said that it is the town's view that the existing diamonds should be moved.

Vice Deputy Mayor Doug Gowanlock pointed out that there has been rapid growth in the past five or six years and said, "We need to take a look at our activity parks.  Lakeview for instance is a wonderful park but does it make sense to have this valuable land taken up by units that pay only $1600 each?"

Councilor Fred Shildroth wanted to know if the study is also going to look at demographics and, Southampton also be considered.

Myatt said that the ball diamond and soccer fields in Southampton are also going to be looked at in the study although CAO, Larry Allison said that there isn't the development pressure in Southampton that there is in Port Elgin.

Shildroth agreed that the parks should now be moved out of residential areas.

Councilor Victoria Serda that she supported doing more planning and that she had always advocated it [planning].  "I am concerned however, that we award contracts like this to one company that we work with a lot and we are just engaging the same people.  I would personally feel more comfortable it it went to tender."

Council approved the motion to have Monteith Brown move forward with the study. 

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Wednesday, May 05, 2010