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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWD-38-98 THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON X~XIJi2K~~X~~~x REPORT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE File # Res. #6PA -403 Jl'D By-Law # Date: JUNE 22, 1998 Report #: \VD-38-98 File#: Subject: REQUEST FOR SOCCER PITCHES AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF HIGHWAY NO.2 AND CENTERFIELD DRIVE, COURTICE. Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report WD-38-98 be received; 2. THAT the property located at the northeast comer of Highway No.2 and Centerfield Drive, Courtice, represents an undesirable location for a soccer pitch; and 3. THAT Mrs. Marie Racine be advised of Council's decision. REPORT 1.0 ATTACHMENTS No.1: Key Map No.2: Letter from Mrs. Marie Racine dated April 5, 1998 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 At a meeting held on April 27, 1998, the Council of the Municipality passed the following resolution: "THAT the correspondence dated April 5, 1998 from Marie Racine regarding the property located at the northeast comer of Highway No. 2 and Centerfield Drive in Courtice, be received and; ""me t:\ '''''' . PAPER "'tJ:I RECYCLE THIS IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 11 66 REPORT WD-38-98 PAGE 2 THAT the correspondence be referred to the Director of Public Works for review of the feasibility of developing soccer pitches on the subject site and preparation of a report to be submitted to the General Purpose and Administration Committee; and THAT Mrs. Marie Racine be advised of Council's decision." 3.0 REVIEW AND COMMENT 3.1 Letter from Mrs. Racine In her correspondence of AprilS, 1998, Mrs. Racine requests that the Municipality purchase a vacant parcel of land located on the northeast comer of Highway No. 2 and Centerfield Drive for the purpose of constructing soccer pitches. 3.2 Property Information The subject property is irregular in shape and comprises a total area of 0.58 hectares, located at the northeast comer of Highway No.2 and Centerfield Drive. The Official Plan designation is commercial and the present zoning is Special Purpose Commercial Exception (C5-1). The on-site terrain is fairly steep in some areas and the site has an overall vertical grade differential of approximately 6.0 metres. A large concrete and asphalt pavement area remains from a demolished motel building. 3.3 Park Location Review The selection of this site as a park, at an unsignalized intersection between a collector road (Centerfield Drive) and a major arterial road (Highway #2), from a traffic and pedestrian safety perspective, is not preferred. Minimizing the exposure of pedestrians (especially children playing at a park) and vehicular traffic is a prime concern. 11 67 REPORT WD-38-98 PAGE 3 3.4 Preliminary Conceptual Park Layout In consideration of the site size, geometrics and the existing terrain, the development potential of the site is limited to the installation of a junior soccer pitch, 30 metres wide and 60 metres long with a north/south orientation and the construction of a parking lot. The site, because of its proximity to Highway #2, will require the installation of a minimum 6-foot high perimeter fence. (Refer to Attachment No.2). 3.5 Feasibility and Conclusions The construction costs of installing the soccer pitch and the parking lot will be at a premium, largely due to the extensive excavation, grading and landscaping of the site required to accommodate the regrading and drainage of the existing terrain and the removal ofthe concrete and asphalt pavement that exists on the site. Although a detailed design and cost estimate have not been prepared, it is apparent that the cost of purchasing the subject property with a commercial zoning and the construction of a junior soccer pitch and the parking lot considering the existing terrain, will increase the costs of developing this site as a park substantially. The development potential of the subject property as a park is not considered cost effective. The costs of purchasing commercially zoned lands as parkland, increased construction and maintenance costs, the limited size and development potential, do not make this property an ideal choice as a park. It is therefore concluded that the subject site is an undesirable location for a soccer pitch. 11 68 REPORT WD-38-98 PAGE 4 Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by ~1A--- Stephen A. Vokes, P. Eng., Director of Public Works ~ W. R. Stockwell, Chief Administrative Officer SA V* ASC*BM* June 9, 1998 Attachments (2) Mrs. Marie Racine 11 Centerield Drive Courtice, ON LIE IR5 1 i 69 - -----,---,--- -----.- _._---~--_..~----~ - -----~~7.. 7--~==~c~/11 ~:YC~: D:-- ------_/ / ,I ~~/ I: --- .. /~_/../ ,I I[ I[ II [i (-I \1 Q) > "i:: o "0 Qi If: Q) C Q) () ~ o .....J .....J ~ 1-= ~ a ~ ct RESIDENTIAL LOTS PARKING ILOT -~~--~ ---- PROPOSED SOCCER PITCH ---t-. I .-----.J ~ cJ..0 ~ ~ <<'If e Highway N o. 2 - King Street ---" ------- - ----------- - -~ - -~ \- :~r-/7 II?! ii., cO~~Ti~E ~DJllT -~~,l] - _ - __= - - - . J', _ _J l N", RO~"J I =/ 2:J L ,i .. -J - (~Jr -I'(lrt -~J~ - ----~ ./~: , -~J' I :rSf}:JE~TSI}E - / '<",i ,. 1/ - s !~lr1{1\~ III ) C I, 'I H! I [jJ;)1 1 ( r~clI I: ;:;~:~ J;~_3BJ:A TEJUNE 19981 Ill..)) ~LL~ll ,) i:i"';! }(()~~ MAP ATTACHMENT NO.1 , l._cc=c _, ,_, 11 70 .. COUNCIL DIRECTION 11), mr1'Tl'TI\\:!y"ft ~ ~lJlt.~l.!\ . '. J 0-7 Sunday, April 05, 1998 AGENDA fI .....nf.! APR l. u 1...;;0 <.- Mayor Hamre Councillor Mary Novak Planning Department MUC~.CIPALITY Of ClARINGTON MAYOR'S OFFICE My name is Marie Racine. I live at II Centrefield Drive in Courtice. The reason r am writing this letter is in regard to the property on the north east comer of Hwy 2 and Centrefield Drive in Courtice. This property is an empty field right now but was once home to a motel. fm sure you are aware of this area. It was once an eyesore when the motel was there and a tire hazard when it was abandoned. My family and I were truely grateful when the city ordered the motel taken down. Now my reason for writing you this letter. On Saturday April 04, 1998 my two oldest son's decided to play soccer in the back yard. After watching them play for a few minutes we realized that they were ruining the lawn because it was so moist still from the rain we have been having1ately. My son's didn't want to go to the park on Cherryblossom because it is not big enough to play soccer. So my husband suggested that they go over the motel. The grass is still short enough that they want loose the ball in the field and the bee's aren't out yet also(something I will bring up more in my letter later). So they went over and started playing. We were watching from our kitchen window. The light bulb went off for both my husband and 1. This area ofland could be turned into a couple of soccer pitches for the minor age groups. The older age groups in our opinon could not play there because they kick longer and harder and the ball going onto Hwy 2 is more likely, but the younger kids don't kick as hard or as far. Before I go any further I do want to state that my husband and I are part of the executive ofCourtice Soccer, but it wasn't until we saw our son's playing that this idea came to us. I'm sure you are aware of the shortage of soccer pitches in Courtice. This year we expect about 1000 children to play soccer and we just don't have the facility's to provide them with, Another reason this would be a great thing for Courtice would be that it would not be another plaza. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get a1ittle tired of seeing all these plaza's popping up and staying more that half empty. I was talking to a friend ofmine from Oshawa one day and I was telling them about the plaza that was going up which would eventually become the plaza that the Dairy Queen is in. They just looked at me and said "that Courtice is starting to look like a sripma1l that can't find any tenants". I have heard many comments from different other people both from Clarington and Oshawa about the way Courtice is starting to look. Personally it is alittle embarassing having people take about the place I live like they do. When you look at the malls that are in Courtice you see one that has been here for &tleast 4 years and is still half empty (Swiss Chalet Plaza). The new Price Choppers Plaza even though is slowly filling up is 8tiU more than half empty. I can't see why anybody would want to build another plaza in Courtice. I live directly across from the Westcastle Plaza and about 750 ft east from me is the Prestonvale Plaza (which as just lost a tenant) artd going west is the many empty plaza's. It's about time that the town of Court Ice get something that is not a Plaza. I realize that these plaza's bring in a lot of revenue for the region, but once in every little while something that dosen't generate revenue also has got to go up. The Courtice Community Centre was a long awaited venture for this town and I supported and still support this project. (My family bought one of the bricks being offered to help build it). I know people who moved out of Courtice before it was built because there was nothing to d6 and they would get angry that plaza's were going up but nothing for the community. About a year ago Mayor Hamre, I talked to you on the phone when you were on a local talk show and I asked you why when the plans for the Community Centre were being drawn up there was no baseball diamond or soccer pitches. You told me that they will be part of another phase of the project but will probable not be around for another 5 to 10 years. We can't wait that long. Like I said earlier we are at 1000 kids this year and probable will be growing in the future. Unfortunatly if the Soccer club does keep growing we are going to have to do the one thing we have never done and that will be to turn children away because we want have the facilities to provide them with. The problem with that is that if children don't keep themselves busy during th~ summer months and start to get bored we all know what they end up doing. According to some reliable sources the mini-fields at the Hydro Fields on Solina South may be turned into a parking lot for the Wildlife Trails. I realize that the new fields up on top of the hill will contain Mini fields but the purpose of building those fields was to have more fields. Now we will be at the same number offields as last year without gaining anything. Our minor divisions have the most amount of children and they have tbe least amount of fields. Four years ago we had 7 mini soccer fields. Penfound Parle, Emily Stowe, S.T. Warden, two at Hydor fields, Zion and Maple Grove. We are now down to just 4 fields, 2 at Hydro, Zion and Maple Grove. ( It was to dangerous for us to continue playing soccer on the school fields because the school children pretty much ruined tbe field and there were just to many pot holes for us to allow children to play on them, so we quit using them.) As you can see, not one of these fields is in Courtice. I realize that Hydro Fields is in Courtice, but there is no fields within walking or bike riding distance to any house. This is a problem. Not everyone has a car and they have to depend on someone or not play. That is not a good choice to have to make. The property on Hwy 2. can be accessed by using the Oshawa 1 1 7 1 ATTACHMENT NO.: 2 REPORT NO.: WD-38-98 Transit. This would eleminate alot oCtravel worries for some parents. We estimate that this property Gone could house up to four mini fields with plenty of space to spare. Four fields in one area that would be a god send to a10t of people. ff some people have more than one child but they play at different levtls they could possible play at the same field and the tunning around time would be etiminated,another good thing. I know over the years you have had a few heated discussion with past members of various soccer committee's within Darlington. but even as much as some of them can annoy you, you have to realize that some of what they say Is right. Courtice now is the biggest hamlet in Darlington when it comes to soccer but we also have the least amount of fields per team. It has to change. The suggestion I gave about the property beside me according to a10t of people could be a start. I don't want this only because it would make my house more attractive. About 8 years ago a plaza was to go on this property. After a few details were changed between the builder's and the nieghbours, we had no problem with it. It seems that the problem came from the Ministries ofEnviroment and Transportation who would not allow them to drain run off on to there properties. It's been empty for nine years ever since. My husband and I took a close look at the property yesterday and realized that if a fence were erected on the Hwy 2 side and parking be put along that side and the entrance to the facility be off' of Centrefield Drive then the soccer pitches can be build on the far northeast comer oCthe lot. The benefits of having the land made as a soccer pitch are 1. It gives another place for the children to play. 2. It keeps the land as natural as possible and the creek that runs on the east side of the field does not get effected. (I myself have seen deer come out of those fields as well as foxes, racoons and various other types of animals. I beleive that if a plaza goes up here it would take away a10t of the view that alot of us enjoy and also it would take away alot from the animals). 3 It would not be another plaza. 4. I know the town would appreciate it more than you would know. 4. Show the people of Darlington Soccer that you are willing to work with them instead of against them all the time. S. Another reason and maybe the most important atleast to me is that ifthe land is cleared and maintained the population of bees may go down. J have never seen so many bees before in a restricted area. Sometimes I can't even go outside on my patio and eat lunch or supper because of the bees. We know they come from there because we see them fly over the fence and then back. Last year we realized we hated bees even more than ever. My 4 sons were playing baseball in the backyard and the ball went over the fence 3 of my sons went to go look for the ball. One of my sons accidendentally stepped on one of the many bee hives that are in the ground and a swann of bees came out. Andrew the one who stepped on the hive got stung on the neck and my other son Patrick: got stung on the eybrow. They both came home and we looked at them and they seemed to be fine. About five minutes later my son Patrick started shacking and breathing very shallow. My husband rushed him to Urgent Care in Oshawa and it took two Epi-pens to get the reaction under control. He is severally allergic to bees. We were told five more minutes and he would be dead. He now goes for venom therapy which is suppose to boost his ammune system, but its not a guarentee. We inspected the ground after this happened and found atleast five bee hives. [ know that by putting a soccer field there it wiD not eleminate bees but it will cut down on them. If a plaza goes in the garbage will promote bees and this will put my son in danger. I know this just with the store across the street from me, bees are always around the garbage or if some one has dropped their garbage and it is sweet the bees are around that. I believe the saftey of the children will not be effected by this being build there. If a fence is erected along Hwy 2 and parking is designated to that area there should be no problem, If these fields are Mini fields then there is no chance ofa ball being kicked onto Hwy 2. These children would range from ages 5 to 8 there is no way they could kick that far. No one on Hwy 2 would be put in danger oC a ball being kick on to the road. Also if land is available a tittle parkette can also be established. And if the saftey is still a problem then you have to look no further than the soccer fields in Orono. They are right up against Hwy lIS. A fence is there and it dosen'! seem to be a problem. I have sent some lette\9)ut to corporations in hopes that if someone donates the land it would cost the town the least amount as possible and if we can get a donation hopefully with a little hard work we can also get other companies to donate other products for this venture, (e.g fencing, landscaping etc...) We need the help of the town though more than you know. I have never done this before and hopefully with the co-operation of the town we can get ourselves a beautiful place for the kids to play In closing I would like to remind you that Courtice is like the front door to Clarington. It's the first place people see when travelling along Hwy 2. The plaza's are making Courtice look junkie. You may not want to admit that but I live here every day. I would like to see something nice go up along Hwy 2 for once. Courtice has got to stop looking like a strip mall and start looking like a place that people will be proud of. Something needs to be put up along Hwy 2 that the community can be proud of. Please take my suggestions into consideration and I would like to here from you soon. ~~~ Marie Racine (qDS) 43(e, - ~oq3 1172