The 1989 land-transfer deed which sold to the city property slated for its planned, controversial sports field and parade grounds states it can be used for recreational purposes.
Supporters of the sports field’s location, east of Military Heritage Park, have said the deed shows the property’s intended use was not always naturalized land as it is now, with trees, grass and walking trails.
Bill Scott, past-president of the Allandale Neighbourhood Association, is aware of the land-transfer deed, and said this property is where Canadian National Railway at one point stored its stockpiles of coal.
“The reason that it specified only recreational use is the risk of (hitting coal) if they dig deeply,” Scott said. “That’s the story, that’s why that specification.
“If they built (synthetic turf) and if they were really careful not to go deeper than a metre, they’d be all right," he added.
But Scott said his hope is that it won’t come to that.
“It’s not any more scary than the thought of putting the bloody thing there to start with,” he said of the sports field and parade grounds. “Our hope, of course, is it’s not going to happen there and we’re still working on that basis.”
The synthetic turf, multi-purpose youth sports field and parade grounds on city property east of Military Heritage Park was essentially approved by council May 15.
It would be for soccer, rugby, football and lacrosse, as well as marching for the Sea Cadets/Navy League, and there could be amenities such as lighting, benches and site furnishings. It’s to measure 120-by-78 metres, an open-air facility, without a dome or stadium and for community use with a paved asphalt, 35-stall parking.
A permit is still required from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, because its regulated area crosses the sports field’s top portion. An archaeological assessment is also needed.
Opposition has centred on the location of the sports field and parade grounds, that it is still too close to the waterfront, despite being moved back closer to Lakeshore Drive, and its size, despite being smaller than the original design.
A consultant’s report is coming on Barrie’s planned but controversial sports field along Lakeshore Drive. Marshall Green, a retired lawyer with a specialty in municipal law and land-use planning, has met with some stakeholder groups and will be summarizing their position in a report to council to help guide its path forward.
When that report is ready for council is unknown.
City councillors are scheduled to meet next Aug. 14, then Sept. 11.
Where the process is to build the field, as identified in the May 8, 2024 general committee staff report, is also uncertain.
It refers to the project’s tender preparation, the requests for proposal (RFP), from June to July, the RFP bid evaluation and award, August to September, its design from September to December, and construction from October 2024 to July of next year.
The field would be open for sports use in August 2025.
From the date of project approval by council to completion, the proposed sports field/marching grounds require a minimum of 16 months to build, including the winter season.
But Michelle Banfield, Barrie’s executive director of development services, has said that since Green came on board, the project schedule might change, that city staff will update the schedule when it has a better understanding of the timing of Green’s work.
The project is estimated to cost $4.6 million, which would come from three city reserves — development charges, tax capital and cash-in-lieu of parkland. Washrooms/change rooms are not part of the plans, although the May 8 staff report says the cost would be $650,000 to $1 million.
The Sea Cadets, long located near the Spirit Catcher, would move to an addition to the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre, a northerly extension to the basement of the existing building. It comes with a $4.55-million price tag.
At this point, $300,000 has been committed for the addition’s plan and design.
City staff will report back to councillors for future construction funding approval, once costing is refined through the design process.
No funding source for the Southshore’s Sea Cadets addition has been identified by the city.
This sports field idea arguably goes back to last fall.
The May 2024 staff report states that on Oct. 4, 2023, city council approved the following motion: "That staff in the corporate facilities department be directed to develop a plan, in consultation with the Sea Cadets and the Navy League of Canada, to relocate the Navy cadets to a new building east of Military Heritage Park, including a parade ground and multi-use outdoor space, and report back."
Staff were directed to explore the potential to locate a multi-use sports field in Allandale Station Park, the staff report says, with the capacity to host a parade ground.
A zoning review shows that the development of a multi-use sports field in Allandale Station Park is permitted.
The park is designated in the Official Plan as open space (OS), which permits the development of playing (sports) fields. Accessory uses permitted in OS zoning include bleachers, a club house, concession stand, refreshment pavilion or booth.
