Three ball diamonds is main focus of phase one
Project also includes servicing and grading the property, and building roads and parking lot
By Mark Schadenberg
Play ball!
Not quite yet, but time and excavating
equipment are both moving forward.
The earth moving machines have arrived,
so is part one of a multi-part project for The Friendly City?
I can't use the word phases as that
would indicate I'm talking about the next 20 years at Woodstock's new
recreational facility known as Woodall Farm Park.
Just in the past few days heavy
equipment has arrived on the scene to start the earth-moving process of
servicing and grading the brand new park, which for now will include 3 lit ball
diamonds, parking lots, plumbing and wiring (water and power),
drainage systems, and the main driveway entrance. The ground-breaking
contractor work by Network Sewer & Watermain Ltd (Network) based
in Cambridge, also includes the servicing for a playground equipment
area, some sort of future free community splash pad, and a concession
stand (which will also include washroom facilities).
The Network company had the lowest bid
of 8 applications the City of Woodstock received for this initial
project. Network, by the way, is a very well respected contractor for
this type of work and have completed many new servicing projects in
many communities in southern Ontario including the giant Brant County
industrial / commercial park along the 403 at Rest Acres Road.
As chair of the Woodstock Recreation
Advisory Committee (WRAC), I would profess to say that this
construction work is terrific news for the city and long overdue. The
WRAC and its on-going ball diamond ad-hoc committee has been lobbying
for more than a decade. I will include previous blog posting links by
myself, but suffice it to say the slo-pitch leagues had not only
out-grown the current ball diamonds due to technology (ball is hit
much farther and faster) and numbers (supply and demand). The
popularity of all slo-pitch leagues in Woodstock – you could say –
defies trends seen elsewhere. Woodstock has a large competitive
women's league, a multi-tiered men's league, oldtimers leagues,
several non-competitive recreational co-ed leagues (more than 50
teams combined), plus the Southgate Centre teams for retirees.
You must remember – all these groups
– pay rent to use the ballparks as there are no free fields for any
user groups.
The sense for this project is there and
its timetable is actually overdue (speaking for myself only), but
the dollars and cents are important to all tax payers, and I
certainly qualify in that category as well. The Network successful
bid was $2,161,076.85, which is actually below what the city's
capital budget had estimated. Network – as mentioned – was 1 of 8
firms submitting a bid. The entire list of companies was not posted
on the Woodstock city council agenda, but 3rd place was local GRT
Excavating at $53,000 higher.
Woodall Farm is located at the east end
of Devonshire Avenue, next to Ecole Ste Marguerite Bourgeoys school
and across the street from Holy Family Catholic church.
The original zoning for the lands would
have been light industrial, so translate that to quiet and indoors,
or possibly a warehouse. The total of 96 acres may never be
completely utilized for the Woodall recreation park, but the
remaining lands can not be residential due to a perimeter created
around the TMMC (Toyota) manufacturing facility of approximately 1
acre distance from Toyota for any residential uses. Naturally,
existing farms, homes and Sakura House are not part of that
circumference.
As big budget items go at municipal
levels, every community must prove (feasibility study) and
double-check the necessity for big spending, whether it be a
community centre, art gallery, fire station, an addition to an
existing police station, or a second library. Where Woodall is
concern, the city's Recreation Needs Assessment Study (Studied,
surveyed and prepared by consultants Monteith-Brown) was both good
news and also a minor setback (in my opinion) for ball leagues in
Woodstock. The terrific news was the recommendation that the demands
and proven need for more ball diamonds existed locally, but the
report as passed by council suggested three ball diamonds and not
five.
As a long-time WRAC member, I've been a
delegation three times at city council to discuss the needs for this
park. The two diamonds, for example, at the gates to Southside Park
will likely be re-purposed for minor ball or solely for women's
slo-pitch as they are certainly obsolete for competitive ball (i.e
launching pad). The term re-purposing current diamonds is a necessary
plan as some of the first phase of Woodall is being funded by
development dollars or monies set aside for only new projects from
bank accounts (reserves) collecting money from developers and
builders.
Woodall will also include a connection
of hiking / cycling trails to the south shore of the Pittock Lake
system.
One of the keys to getting phase one
moving now is that it creates a 'shovel ready' mode for future phases
when the City is in a position to apply for grants from the upper
tiers of government. Also, if the city were in the process of
negotiating corporate support for naming rights or other
sponsorships, city officials like Brian Connors (pictured above) in the recreation
parks department can promote the successes of what is already
occurring and why it is so positive for Woodstock.
Woodall may eventually have five ball
fields. There could be many future phases and additions to the mix,
possibly including, but not limited to:
1 An arena to replace Civic Centre
2 Outdoor or indoor swimming pool
3 Satellite library
4 Free outdoor splash pad. Seems odd
that I would have to note outdoor as the City of Windsor spent
gigantic dollars on a 12-month water fun facility.
5 Indoor gymnasium for youth groups
(basketball, in particular) and activities for all ages, including
banquets and wedding receptions. (Adjoining meeting rooms would also
be required)
6 The outdoor recipe list could include
basketball courts, pickleball, tennis, football field, or an
entry-level skateboard park
7 Curling club. Yes, it is on the list
of possibilities as the (club-owned) Beale Street facility is aging.
All, some or none of those amenities
could eventually be part of the Woodall Park.
I think it's exciting times.
OTHER PARKS UPDATE
Chris Kern is in charge of parks for
the City of Woodstock, and smartly his office is found in Southside
Park, so I asked him for a list of parks due for refurbishing of
their playground equipment over the next three years. These items
must always be approved by city council during negotiating the annual
municipal capital budget, so sometimes spending is accelerated and
sometimes it's slowed, and sometimes a plan never reaches fruition.
The City is also building new parks in
new subdivisions as the Senator Homes neighbourhood is on the docket
for 2015.
Due for a new-look in 2016 are Edgewood
Park (On Edgewood Drive near Springbank and Sloane streets) and
Cottle Park. I had to get out my magnifying glasses to read a city
map to locate Cottle, but it's the green strip park between the Down
At Cedar Creek golf course and Odlum Drive – off Parkinson. As for
Edgwood, I've included a picture of one apparatus that is spending
its last full summer at its destination.
In 2017, Broadview and Hunting Estates
(Part of the Springbank School yard; entrance off Pearson Drive) are
on the list.
Keep in mind, the city uses a 5-year
long-term spending cycle which flows from one year to the next, so if
your neighbourhood park is not in the 5-year window (or radar
screen), contact the parks department and make your argument for an
updated playground. Better yet, go door-to-door and receive
signatures.
The 2018 calendar includes the city's
portion of the park at Cree Avenue (St. Michael's schoolyard is not
all schoolyard) as this playground is entered off the Seneca
cul-de-sac.
LINKS:
My 2014 blog on topic:
My 2013 blog on topic:
My 2011 blog on topic:
http://markroyallepage.blogspot.ca/2011/12/woodall-farm-could-be-should-be-park.html
Mark
Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior
Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal
LePage Triland Realty
Brokerage
757
Dundas St, Woodstock
www.royallepagetriland.com
(519)
537-1553, cell or text
Email:
mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter:
markroyallepage
Facebook:
Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
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