Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutADMIN-18-00 ~ ~ ~, ,. THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee File # Date: Res. #c;fff- 35"'1-00 July 3, 2000 Report #: ADMIN-I 8-00 File #: By-law # Subject: STORAGE SPACE - VISUAL ARTS CENTRE RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report ADMIN-18-00 be received; 2. THAT Council authorize staff to continue discussing accommodation needs and that the BowmanvillelNewcastle Baseball Association be relocated by June 2001; and 3. THAT a copy of Council's action be forwarded to the BowmanvillelNewcastle Baseball Association and the Visual Arts Centre Board of Directors. 1.0 BACKGROUND: 1.1 Council received a delegation from the Visual Arts Centre Board of Directors at their meeting of May 8, 2000 requesting use of the small backroom which is presently used for storage by the Clarington Baseball Association. 1.2 In 1986, Council approved a revision to the Lease Agreement between the Town and the Visual Arts Centre to allow the Baseball Club to utilize the small backroom until suitable alternate facilities are found. 1.3 In 1989, the Visual Arts Centre Administrator submitted in a letter to the Community Services Department outlining several concerns including the retrieval of space being used by the Baseball group. 12U 1 . REPORT NO.: ADMIN-18-o0 PAGE 2 1.4 The Community Services Department responded that since the Baseball Association still requires the space for their operation, they did not plan to make any changes which could hinder their function in the Town. 1.5 Discussions have been ongoing over the past few years to relocate the Baseball Association to another location in Bowmanville. Unfortunately, no suitable sites have become available. 1.6 Staff did allow the Association the opportunity to inspect Kendal Public School, which was purchased in late December 1999 by the Municipality. Due to the location of the building and in consideration of their volunteers, it was decided that this was not a suitable alternative. Discussions continued with representatives in early Spring and alternative sites were identified for the Club. One of the sites was the former East Beach Pumping Station that is used for miscellaneous storage. The building can accommodate the existing storage needs that is presently offered in the Visual Arts Centre. 1.7 A copy of the letter from the BowmanvillelNewcastle Baseball Association dated June 23, 2000 is attached. Staff will continue to meet with the Association to discuss other concerns as it relates to their program. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS: 2.1 In review of the space expansion requests for programs at the Visual Arts Centre for their programming, it is recommended that the BowmanvillelNewcastle Baseball Association be relocated to the East Beach Pumping Station Garage in the interim to a maximum of 400 square feet, and that staff and Baseball representatives continue to meet to discuss their long term needs prior to the end of the 2003 playing season. 2.2 Also it is recommended that Council authorize staff to continue discussing accommodation needs and that the Bowmanville/Newcastle Baseball Association be relocated from the Visual Arts Centre no later than June 2001. lL02 . REPORT NO.: ADMIN-18-00 PAGE 3 Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by, cJ H-JlQ-s ~ Franklin Wu, Chief Administrative Officer Fred rick J. Horvath, Property Manager and Health & Safety Officer FH:sa Attach. 12U3 ,. ., BOWMANVILLE NEWCASTLE BASEBALL ASSOCIA nON, P. O. BOX 346, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO, LIe 3LI. ____________________________M________________________________________________________________ Dear Mr. Horvath, The BNBA (Bowmanville Newcastle Baseball Association) would like to take this opportunity to thank the council for hearing our situation. It is important to do so given that this volunteer organization provides the chance for so many local children and their families to enjoy baseball. It is indeed a challenge for volunteers to do all the work required. However with the help of this assembly the work will certainly be able to continue. We are here due to the repeated requests for our removal from the building at Soper Creek Park by the Arts group that shares that building. The facilities have served us reasonably well since 1 986. The BNBA's players, members and executive are grateful for its use. The close proximity to Soper Creek Park baseball diamond has been a blessing. As there are no suitable baseball facilities in the area we would be glad to stay at this location and look at ways of enhancing the park to accommodate the growth of our community and the area at larga. While we do recognize that this park is not expandable to meet the growing needs Soper Creek Park is surely a iogical place for us to be currently. It would seem premature for the BNBA to move at this time as there are no long-term solutions in place and no suitable space has been located. There are other obstacles for baseball in general in this area and these need to be addressed as well. We currently have a registration of some 500 boys and girls and given the projected growth of the area major immediate steps need to be taken. For baseball to grow even survive the proper planning and changes must take place. As you know we have never come to the Town for financial assistance and we are proud of this fact. Our efforts have enabled us to hold our registrations fees to the same level for the past three years. Forecasted population increases will make your assistance a necessity in coming years. As this provinces fastest growing community, Bowmanville needs to be an example to the rest of Ontario of how to serve tax payers. A drive through the area underlines the fact that Clarington has much to offer. Sadly however we as a community, unlike our neighbors in Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering, Ajax and Kendal, have not provided facilities that promote baseball either locally or outside our borders. For example there are no local parks that would support a tournament that would generate revenues for local business. At local games parking tickets are issued on a regular basis to players, parents, grandparents. volunteer coaches and umpires. These neighborhood parks do not have washroom facilities making them less attractive and difficult to attend. Lack of lighting forces a short season and single game evening use redu . e pportunity for the enjoyment of the sport. These factors and others factors combine ma . g basebal arder to promote. If the quest for our;ernovai must be satisfied immediately there are several conditions that need equal s . faction to make ij possible for us to continue to provide baseball for your townspeople. " ./ // YOU2( "-~ President BNBA 6/23/00 lLU4 . " . FOR THE PRESENT: (The survival and current availability of Baseball in Bowmanville) . Due to the volunteer nature of our program and the fact that the season has already commenced a move at this time would put undue hardship on the league and potentially disrupt the season and perhaps the BNBA itself. A move prior to next season may be possible if not practical and ensure completion of this season at least. . Suitable temporary facilities must be located and prepared. . Suitable temporary facilities must include: 800 square feet of storage space, appropriate shelving, phone line, water and weatherproof structure, parking for at least 40 cars at one time, meeting room, washrooms, humidity control and security. . A suitable temporary facility needs to be located in Bowmanville itself. Most of our families and volunteers are in Bowmanville. The distance traveled needs to be kept to a minimum to serve the most people in the best way. . All of the costs of any move would need to be funded by the town. These would include vehicle rentals, telephone relocation, lighting installation, appropriate shelving purchase and/or installation, insurance for damage during the move, change of address and any other costs resulting from a move. FOR THE FUTURE: (The development and promotion of baseball in Bowmanville) . We would need a formal written commitment from council that we as an association would be included in the development of any long-term sports strategy that would provide an appropriate building and baseball diamonds for the use of the BNBA and its teams. . Part of this plan would need to include the opportunity for the BNBA to run concessions within this facility to help offset its cost as other associations do. We would therefore be able to promote the rental of this facility to others for tournament use as well as other functions bringing business to the area. . We would need to stay rent-free in the temporary facility until the new facility is in place. This would make it possible for us to develop and continue the appropriate fund raising activities to aid that plan and to keep the cost of membership in the BNBA at current levels. . The opportunity to discuss any surplus or vacant municipal lands to accommodate a training facility and would accommodate our other needs lLU5