The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board has set the combined budget for the Sechelt aquatic centre and Gibsons ice-based community centre at $22.739 million. The design components presented at last June's referendum will be included. To help reduce the previous estimated budget overrun of $4.5 million, the board decided the Gibsons ice rink will be NHL sized and the Sechelt pool will have a one-metre diving board, according to SCRD administrator Doug Holmes.
The $3.7 million difference between the $19 million approved to borrow at referendum and the $22.7 million budget will include Construction Aggregates $375,000 commitment and debt proceeds interest of $700,000, totalling approximately $1 million and taxation, Holmes explained.
The service establishment bylaw approved at referendum sets out how much the SCRD can tax. The board decided to stay within its legal taxation limits and raise more in the first two years to go toward construction, Holmes said.
The board made its decisions at a closed-door meeting March 2 during an infrastructure committee meeting. The community centre design charrette was taking place in the next room. On March 3, the SCRD board issued a press release outlining its decisions.
"The board, in 2006 and 2007, will raise an amount above that projected at referendum time while staying within the legal taxation limits and purposes of the bylaws," the release states.
Corporate services manager John France said the SCRD will tax an additional $1.4 million in each of the next two years, totalling $2.76 million.
The parcel tax will apply to all eligible parcels within the Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt, Sechelt Indian Government District and regional areas B, D, E and F (Half-moon Bay, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound).
"This cost escalation is consistent with that faced by virtually every other capital project of this nature in the province of British Columbia today," SCRD chair John Rees said in the release. "Most notably, considering construction of a similar nature, the 23 per cent escalation of cost faced by the Vancouver Olympic Committee for their facilities. The questions the board has had to wrestle with are: How much building program and functionality can be preserved so these buildings will meet the objectives of the public as envisioned on referendum day? And, what resources will be required to do that? I am pleased to say that virtually the entire program has been preserved. However, to do this, we had to employ an integrated approach to the project's financing."
In an interview, Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk pointed out the international-sized ice was not part of the original plan presented at referendum. "That never was a part of what we went to the public to provide," Janyk said.
The board also decided to incorporate sustainable design measures into the facilities, according to the press release.Janyk said if the projects could follow LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards within the budget, the board would suggest LEED to the architect. He thinks the board should take another look at the LEED option, after it gathers more financial information about LEED certification costs.
Sechelt Indian Band Chief Stan Dixon said that with rising construction costs, he is happy to see the projects getting started.
"We're all happy that we finally made a decision to go ahead on it," Dixon said.
The results of the community centre design charrette were presented to Gibsons council at a special meeting Wednesday. Richard Bolus presented the architectural drawings, which include an ice rink, fitness centre, racquet courts, a seniors' room, a family room, a youth centre, a multi-purpose room, a community kitchen, change rooms and washrooms. The design also allows for a future gymnasium.
In the drawings, the facility was situated along the Sunnycrest Road side of Brothers Park. Coun. Bob Curry suggested the facility be moved over as a mirror image to the Park Road side on the west of the property.After discussion and debate, council unanimously passed a motion, which they will pass on to the SCRD board, that council approves of the facility's footprint location on the west side of the site. The motion also states that the architects will work to reduce the impact of the building's wall on Park Road and that the main entrance will face northeast; also, that the motion will satisfy council's request in a June 17 memo to the SCRD that siting, orientation, massing and parking be considered. Coun. Chris Koopmans said there is more opportunity for expansion if the building is on the west side.
"I think it's a much better fit," Koopmans said.
Coun. LeeAnn Johnson agreed the western location has better potential in the long run.
Coun. Gerry Tretick also said the western location was the best, long-range option but noted there may be negative feedback from Park Road residents because the building would look like a long wall.
Municipal planner Chris Marshall suggested the community centre portion of the wall, but not the rink, could have a positive street presence and be pedestrian oriented.
Curry said after the meeting, "I'm confident the architects will find a way to give it a look and feel that will not be objectionable to Park Road residents."
The community centre design was to then go to the SCRD planning committee meeting and board Thursday for approval, past Coast Reporter's deadline. After that, site details would be worked out. The architects intend to keep the new Gibsons skateboard park close to the youth centre.
Before council voted on the motion, Peter Moonen of the Gibsons Area Community Centre Society pointed out from the gallery that the west side siting means the entrance to the youth centre will be directly opposite residents on Park Road.
Unlike the east side siting, the architect noted, the west side siting on Park Road would not retain an existing cluster of trees. The entrance to the site would be off Sunnycrest Road.
