Plans for artificial turf field in Newmarket move forward

YorkRegion.com
Jan. 14, 2016
By Chris Simon

Newmarket is inching closer to the construction of an artificial turf sports field.

Council is expected to endorse a partnership between the town and York Region District School Board for the building and operation of the field, during a meeting Monday night. This comes after town officials tried unsuccessfully to negotiate an operating expense and revenue split with the board.

“YRDSB was not agreeable to a cost and revenue sharing on operations,” town recreation and culture director Colin Service said in a report to council. “Their position was that they were providing land for the project and contributing 50 (per cent) of capital. Further, they have agreements with (six) other municipalities in which they pay none of the ongoing maintenance expenses.”

Town staff and school board representatives have met several times over the past few months, in an attempt to draw up the framework for a 10-year turf agreement. Under those draft terms, the board wants the town to take responsibility for maintaining the field, at a cost of about $60,000 per year. The facility would be located at Dr. J.M. Denison Secondary School.

The municipality would also have the exclusive right to rent out the field after 6 p.m. each day and all day during school breaks. The town would collect all related revenue, estimated to total about $10,000 per year.

The project is expected to cost about $2 million to construct, with each partner covering 50 per cent of the price tag.

It will likely include the field and an accompanying washroom and storage building.

Once complete, the field could accommodate soccer, lacrosse and football, among other sports. The field would provide consistent playing conditions and could increase the length of seasons.

“This is a good opportunity to have a sports field that can be utilized in the early spring months and later on in the fall as well,” Councillor Tom Hempen said. “The Recreation Playbook has identified this as a needed resource to the community. Neighbouring municipalities have facilities like this; we’re really one of the only in York Region who doesn’t have this type of field. I’m looking forward to seeing this happen.”

Construction is expected to begin this year. The field should be operational in 2017.