Two artificial turf fields, a surfaced track, a throwing area, a warm-up field and a change room building no, this isn't the Legacy Fund proposal from the Squamish Soccer Association. It is the crux of a design report presented to council on Tuesday (Feb. 8).
The two designs are nearly identical in structure, but the estimated cost discrepancy is nearly $7 million - one from a report commissioned by the District of Squamish and completed in September 2010 and one from the Legacy Funds proposal submitted by the Squamish Soccer Association.
"That [discrepancy] is one of the reasons council authorized this work - to have a more accurate estimate," said Mayor Greg Gardner after the meeting.
"But this was a project the district was contemplating even before the (Legacy Funds) proposal came forward."
He said council would have to make a decision at a future Legacy Fund discussion whether each option left on the table needs to be accompanied by a similar district-led report.
"We obviously realize these non-profit groups came up with the best estimates they could given their limitations," Gardner added.
The report prepared for the District of Squamish by Athletica Sport and Recreation Architecture included a geotechnical investigation into the sub-surface soil conditions. It estimated the entire project would cost $9.3 million.
Council members were taken aback by the estimate.
"That seems to me a huge amount of money to put towards this," said Coun. Corinne Lonsdale. "We just spent an hour discussing whether to spend $1 million on a diking emergency."
Currently, the only turf fields in Squamish belong to Quest University. Squamish rep soccer teams rent out the university's turf fields for $150 per game.
Gardner said most Sundays the fields are booked all day, particularly during the winter months.
Coun. Paul Lalli said minor soccer teams don't use the fields because they're too expensive, but the usage only proves the need for public turf fields in Squamish.
"This is a something the community has been asking for," he said. "About 1,000 kids in our community play soccer and instead of bringing other teams to our community, we travel to Vancouver or pay the expensive fees at Quest."
That's because Squamish's climate often makes the regular fields unusable, he said.
Staff recommended waiting to move forward on the project until the Recreation Master Plan, designed to put the proposed artificial fields in context with other municipal recreational priorities, is completed.
Coun. Patricia Heintzman agreed and said that before the district invests in new infrastructure, it should subsidize youth soccer teams so they can use the Quest fields, at least until the Recreation Master Plan is complete.
"Subsidizing minor soccer probably wouldn't even equate to the interest we'd pay after financing a project this size," she said.
Lonsdale said she doesn't consider using Quest fields as a sustainable solution.
"I'm concerned about relying on Quest's fields because as their population grows, which it will, there will be less field time available and the students are obviously the university's priority," said Lonsdale.
She also wasn't keen on waiting for a plan she wasn't sure would materialize any time soon.
"I don't want to put this off until the completion of a Recreation Master Plan that may or may not happen," she said, adding that she recalled the last recreational plan completed four years ago has done nothing but sit on the shelf.
"If we're just going to put this off until the Recreation Master Plan is completed, why are we even considering it in the Legacy Funds?" asked Lonsdale.
Gardner said the district could hold off on distributing the Legacy Funds until the plan is completed.
"We don't have to allocate all the money right now," he said.
That prompted a strong reaction from Lalli, who reminded council the community was already fed up with waiting for an Olympic Legacy.
"I am concerned if we're going to be putting turfing off the all-weather fields until after the Recreation Master Plan gets done, if it gets done, then we really are putting off this project," he said.
"From my perspective, and I think many in the community, the Legacy Funds are for projects that are real and that are going to be done in the near future."
Lalli made it clear he thinks the field project is one of the community's priorities.
"The community has really pushed council to support this," he said. "I feel it's in the best interest of the community and owning and operating a field is much better than subsidizing someone else's.
"I think we should refer it to the budget process so we can have a real discussion."
Lalli put forward a motion to refer the report to the budget process for 2011. Lonsdale seconded the motion.
"I truly believe that we should be enhancing all affordable sports amenities," she said.
Coun. Doug Race said it wasn't fair to just look at one project without considering other necessary recreational upgrades such as another hockey rink for Brennan Park.
"I can't support this motion," he said. "It makes no sense to make a commitment without some sense of community policy."
Coun. Rob Kirkham agreed, despite having spent countless weekends in Vancouver when his kids played soccer.
"I would love to have all-weather turf fields but I don't want to move ahead without a community strategy," he said.
Lalli's motion failed with Heintzman, Race, Gardner and Kirkham opposed. Coun. Bryan Raiser was not present at the meeting.
