The gallery in the council chambers was packed last night with several residents voicing their opposition to a sports dome — or a "white blob," as one resident put it — being built behind Nouvelle-Alliance high school on Anne Street.
A public meeting was held Monday at Barrie City Hall regarding an application for a zoning-bylaw amendment which could pave the way for a 58,000-square-foot sports dome, as well as a fieldhouse and a building containing mechanical equipment.
The Ballsports application requests special provisions to build the recreational facility on the school property, not exceeding 20 metres in height.
If approved, the air-supported structure would be replace the sports field behind the French-language Catholic high school.
The MonAvenir school board owns the 10-acre parcel of land fronting onto Anne Street and tapering back toward Sunnidale Road, but Ballsports would be responsible for all costs associated with the dome, from design to construction.
The site is surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and open space, such as a cemetery and nearby ravine.
Greg Barker, a planner with Innovative Planning Solutions, made a presentation on behalf of Ballsports. He noted the developer would satisfy requirements regarding noise and light, and that vegetation around the site would be retained to create a buffer between the dome and the neighbourhood.
The dome would be similar, albeit larger, to a facility on Hanmer Street, which is just a few kilometres away and is a jointly run venture with the City of Barrie.
If council OK's the Anne Street dome, it would operate year-round, but Nouvelle-Alliance students would have exclusive use during the school year, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and up to 10 weekend days per school year. Ballsports would retain use of the dome beyond school use, including from 5-11 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on weekends.
"It's important to note that dual use of the school and the dome will not occur," Barker said.
Residential neighbourhoods in the area that could be affected include Kearsey Court to the south and Oakridge Drive to the north.
Several people spoke out Monday night against the dome proposal. Some of their concerns included traffic, hours of operation, noise, improper use of the land, property values, drainage, and security, with a pedestrian walkway to Sunnidale Road, which is located behind the school.
"Simply put, from my perspective it's the wrong project in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Brian Tamblyn, who lives on Oakridge Drive. "I just look at it from a common-sense perspective and say, 'How does it make any sense to put a 65-foot white blob in the middle of a 40-year-old neighbourhood?' It doesn't make sense."
The former Georgian College boss said he appreciates the benefits of private-public partnerships, but doesn't believe it works in this scenario.
"I really see this as a test case in Barrie," Tamblyn said. "If it can happen in our neighbourhood, it could happen anywhere."
Tamblyn presented a petition to council with 265 signatures against the proposal.
"We're very confident we can secure a lot more signatures if that's necessary," he said.
Drew Forsyth, who also lives on Oakridge Drive and is opposed to the dome proposal, said it "would create a dangerous precedent" for the city and publicly funded education facilities. He noted the project would be in direct competition with the Hanmer Street dome.
Forsyth also questioned what would happen if the Anne Street dome was built and failed.
"If this business doesn't go well, then who will bear the responsibility? The city or the school board? There's no market assessment to indicate the viability of this proposal," he said, adding it doesn't meet the needs of the community.
Some suggested it would be better suited to the city's south end, which is devoid of a sports dome and continues to growth rapidly. Other concerns raised by residents about the Anne Street proposal itself included emergency access, the limited space and whether alcohol would be allowed in the facility.
"Permitting this sort of structure on a postage stamp of land that is tucked in behind a school is far from ideal," Forsyth said.
Janet Foster, a retired planner who made a presentation on behalf of local residents, said any projects in the area "should be in harmony with existing uses," and dome would not fit that definition.
Susan Place resident Stephanie Hayes said there's already not enough parking or space for the students on the property as it is, let alone adding a dome to the site.
"It's already a zoo in there," she said. "It wouldn't be very functional at all."
Deputy Mayor Barry Ward asked why the Anne Street site was chosen, given its surrounding land uses and proximity to another dome.
"The Official Plan specifically allows for recreational uses on institutional lands, so that was generally the support and why we felt comfortable moving this forward and provided the planning rationale," said Barker, who noted other sites were examined and there are other potential candidates.
"There certainly were a number of school sites that could be considered," said Barker, who added an agreement was struck with the MonAvenir school board. "We feel it sort of nestles into the site."
Michelle Banfield, the city's planning director, said the application was initially seen as a recreational use, but city staff are getting a better understanding of the commercial aspects involved. Key policies will be weighed on both sides as the application is reviewed, she added, noting a recommendation report will come back to council.
The dome could be configured a number of different ways to accommodate various sports, such as soccer, rugby and flag football.
"The most intense set-up would provide for three reduced-size soccer fields, which would go side-to-side as opposed to end-to-end," Barker said. "This would accommodate roughly five to seven players per team for a total of 30 to 42 persons in the dome at a time."
Blake Street resident Doug Young, who built the Barrie Sports Dome on Hanmer Street some 20 years ago, said the Anne Street proposal is "a ridiculous place for a dome." If it was built at the Anne Street site, he said the operators would run into parking issues.
"We have two fields in our dome, one large and one practice field," said Young, adding the developer's numbers regarding the amount of people on site are "ludicrous" because it doesn't take into accounts things such as parents, spectators and officials, as well as people waiting to play or preparing to leave after a match.
"People come and go. The parking lot cannot possibly handle that," he added.
A staff report is expected in January 2020.
