Additional flush toilets, form to be determined, are slated for Coopers Green’s future.
Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors recommended planning to add washroom facilities separate from those in the existing hall in the April 17 electoral services committee meeting.
Along with approving staff’s suggestion to start the process of investing $633,283 in amenity funds and federal grant dollars not committed to the new Halfmoon Bay community hall project, the committee asked to review the project plan before shovels hit the ground. At this point, if there are funds left over from this potential washroom construction initiative, those are slated to be used for enhancing play and public assembly spaces at that SCRD park in Halfmoon Bay.
Both motions require board endorsement to be finalized. If all proceeds per the current proposed plan, “Staff anticipate the final design to proceed once a decision is reached, with construction to begin in late 2025,” according to a staff report on the meeting agenda.
Elected officials chime in
“These are expensive washrooms,” area E director Donna McMahon stated in debate on the matter, adding “I have swum on this beach and changing in a port-a-potty is not ideal." She stated her hope was that additional grant funding from another source can be located so that park improvements can go past the addition of washrooms. Avoidance of elected official “micro-managing” of the project was another thing she said she wanted to see.
Halfmoon Bay area alternate director Landon Dix voiced a desire to be more involved in selection of the facilities and technologies used in the project when he spoke at the meeting. He suggested that elected officials get a second look at the initiative plan before final decisions are made. Alternatives such as ‘flush-style” pit toilets, a potential above grade septic field and “rapid flash” septic capacity (where a smaller sized septic system has technology that will allow it to accommodate short term high demands, such as might happen during a large event at the park) need to be explored he stated. Such options, he said, could reduce the amount of excavation needed at the site, and thereby lower costs, especially the costs of archaeological permitting and monitoring.
“I just feel there needs to be more focus on the septic design to understand what the best recommendation is; not a one design fits all,” he stated.
How we got here and what’s next
Staff brought forward the committee meeting report based on feedback from a phased public engagement. That was launched after the SCRD Board opted to build the new Halfmoon Bay community hall at Connor rather than Cooper's Green park, due to challenges with the original proposed building site. Three conceptual plans identifying park enhancement options were shared in the first portion of the outreach program and “concept strategies” were presented at an open house attended by 60 people in January. A report appendix with graphs on the input received was provided.
The report stated, “Washrooms again emerged as the primary desired feature and a natural play area that would double as a social space was the secondary priority in the second phase of engagement."
