Woodstock to spend smart dollars on Woodall park in 2013
By Mark Schadenberg
I need not need to say where I sit on the issue of the
Woodall Woods Farm becoming a recreation complex for the City of Woodstock.
As chair for the past three years of the Woodstock Recreation
Advisory Committee, we have analyzed the need for additional ball diamonds in
Woodstock from 90 degrees – looking at all the angles from first to second to
third and back home again. The need not only exists the building of a dedicated
ball facility is extremely long overdue.
On four occasions I have spoken about this supply and
demand need at city council.
Keep in mind, when prices like $24 million are tossed
around, that tag includes more than roads, parking lots, a concession stand
with three bathrooms, plus naturally five ball diamonds with lights, but the
dollar figure also includes additional projects that may occur in future
phases.
I have always pushed for a free splash pad for kids -- not
with a wading pool requiring lifeguards, but a water feature patrolled by
parents with an abundance of spouts, small dumping buckets, water tunnels, and
large sprinklers.
Other amenities down the line could include a long
shopping list: outdoor pool, arena(s), curling club, library, gymnasium,
outdoor basketball court, tennis, and a youth centre.
The Southwood arenas twin-pad complex opened up 17 years
ago – 1996 and included a gymnasium dedicated solely to gymnastics. All these
years later, it continues to be a very viable municipal facility. Within one
year it will be fully paid for (debenture).
As the story below from The Sentinel-Review notes, many
studies must be conducted before any baseball backstops or home run fences can
be installed. Hats off (ball caps too) to city councillor Paul Plant for
putting forward the motion to get the (base) ball rolling on these important
hurdles to be crossed.
Approved is an expenditure of $120,000 for this year’s
budget. The City has monies in reserves for such projects and some of it should
be spent. The microscope would be utilized in the autumn of 2013 on items like
topography, archaeology and environmental.
Remember, Woodstock is one of very few cities that
carries practically zero debt. In Stratford, each citizen would have to pencil
a cheque for about $10,000 to balance the long-term books. Another reason not
to complain about our municipal tax levels as we are not paying off years of
interest we are operating facilities and integral services.
Plant talks about this complex to be shovel-ready in case
higher levels of government introduce funding options to communities with 2017 to
be a 150 party for Canada. My stand / platform – if this was an election
campaign – is that the ball diamonds should be built before 2017 and that any
grants could be applied to the next phases.
THE
LATEST LINK:
http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2013/07/12/council-pushes-up-rec-complex-studies
Updating you on our community
Mark
Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Royal
LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas
St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com (519) 537-1553,
cell or text
Email:
mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter:
markroyallepage
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