Town of Newmarket, York Region District School Board may build artificial turf field


Yorkregion.com
March 30, 2015
By Chris Simon


Construction of an artificial sports turf field in Newmarket should wait until the municipality's recreation master plan is complete, Councillor Tom Vegh says.

The statement was made during a debate on the proposed project, which took place during a town committee meeting last week.

The committee eventually endorsed a plan that allows staff to develop a construction and operation cost-sharing agreement with the York Region District School Board. Council is expected to ratify the direction to staff today and a report on the matter will be presented to councillors in mid-April.

The field and an accompanying change room and storage building could cost roughly $1 million to construct, though specifics have yet to be worked out. Any draft deal reached will be brought back to council for final approval.

Funding for a turf field at Dr. J.M. Denison Secondary School has been proposed in the town’s draft 2015 capital budget, but if the project moves forward, it would do so outside of the scope of the ongoing Recreation Playbook master plan process. That long-term strategic document is expected to be presented to council within months. The town has delayed other recreational projects with the playbook under development, and should do the same in this instance, Vegh said.

"I'm not sure this is a priority for the town," he said. "In talking to parents, I'm hearing other things; it hasn't been identified as a priority. We have our study coming forward. I'm worried we're leading the board down a false path. I'm not convinced that's the right direction to go."

Town staff suggested there's a risk in asking the board to wait because its ability to fund the project may change in a few months.

"This is an opportunity that may or may not exist a year from now," town recreation and culture director Colin Service said. "We're trying to capitalize on the opportunity to do construction this year, so it's operational for 2016. The way their funding works, they may not know years in advance ... To get an indication of how long the offer's on the table is a bit of a challenge."

Dave Hanson, president of the Newmarket Soccer Club, pushed for the project to proceed. He said the facility would be well used by soccer, field lacrosse and football players.

"The need for a turf field has been well documented. The less-than-flattering comparison with other municipalities, who have at least one such field, is well known," he said. "This provides a quick way to deliver a major asset. (The club) will be one of many user groups prepared to rent the facility when it opens."

Councillor Dave Kerwin agreed, comparing some Newmarket soccer pitches to "dirt patches" and stressing the need for a quality playing surface in town.

"It's a fact-finding mission. We've had many ongoing partnerships with the board," he said. "These (cost sharing) partnerships are the way to go. Artificial turf is the way to go. It's relatively low maintenance and you can start the season early and continue it later. It gives our youngsters and adults a place to train and qualify for sports scholarships."

However, construction approval would be premature, Councillor Christina Bisanz said.

"I concur with the concern around making a decision before we really have a fulsome discussion on our other strategic priorities," she said. "We don't understand the degree to which it may be used by other organizations. I'd like to understand better what the school board's plan is. If we don't do this, are they going to take this offer to another municipality?"