It is interesting how we all rationalize our “needs”. The Outdoor Sports User Group representing Soccer, Slo-Pitch, Baseball, Fastball, Football, Rugby, Field Lacrosse, Ultimate, Track & Field and Dog Agility established a host of “needs” and presented their proposal. Unfortunately, it has to be established on prime agricultural land in Coldstream and paid for by the taxpayers.
The plan can be viewed in the previous article.
There are some problems with this plan. The most obvious problem is the fact that it would remove from production 120 acres of prime agricultural land, creating a precedent no future Councils would like to face. How could they deny support for requests from owners of any grade of agricultural land to be removed from the reserve?
The support for the change in use of those lands MUST BE the sole right of the taxpayers of Coldstream who jointly developed the Coldstream Community Plan. No matter how much people from outside Coldstream want this OCP change they have no standing on the issue.
The other fundamental problem is that this proposal was developed in isolation by special interest groups without consulting the taxpayers who will have to foot the bill, the cost of the land and the cost of developing and maintaining those fields.
The proper procedure would be to prepare these plans, have them reviewed by the taxpayers and hold a referendum. That is what we call DEMOCRACY! If the taxpayers agree to pay the bill then we proceed with the plans.
There are other problems. We are constantly being encouraged to save energy, yet we keep supplying more and more playing fields with high-powered spot lights.
Do our children really need all these lit fields to practice their games? Are these playing fields really for the children or are they for adults who prefer subsidized recreation rather than paying for their own? I don’t think most taxpayers would mind subsidizing children but shouldn’t adults pay their fair share?
Is it essential that all the sport facilities be concentrated on a single field? No wonder we need a 1,000 car parking lot for this “sports gulag”.
In the last seven years the taxpayers have had a whole string of expensive projects loaded on them. We have the Theatre, the Multiplex, the new sewage treatment plant, the new Municipal Hall in Coldstream, the farcical water “referendum” (still no improved water), and major increases in service costs. Where will it end?
The plan can be viewed in the previous article.
There are some problems with this plan. The most obvious problem is the fact that it would remove from production 120 acres of prime agricultural land, creating a precedent no future Councils would like to face. How could they deny support for requests from owners of any grade of agricultural land to be removed from the reserve?
The support for the change in use of those lands MUST BE the sole right of the taxpayers of Coldstream who jointly developed the Coldstream Community Plan. No matter how much people from outside Coldstream want this OCP change they have no standing on the issue.
The other fundamental problem is that this proposal was developed in isolation by special interest groups without consulting the taxpayers who will have to foot the bill, the cost of the land and the cost of developing and maintaining those fields.
The proper procedure would be to prepare these plans, have them reviewed by the taxpayers and hold a referendum. That is what we call DEMOCRACY! If the taxpayers agree to pay the bill then we proceed with the plans.
There are other problems. We are constantly being encouraged to save energy, yet we keep supplying more and more playing fields with high-powered spot lights.
Do our children really need all these lit fields to practice their games? Are these playing fields really for the children or are they for adults who prefer subsidized recreation rather than paying for their own? I don’t think most taxpayers would mind subsidizing children but shouldn’t adults pay their fair share?
Is it essential that all the sport facilities be concentrated on a single field? No wonder we need a 1,000 car parking lot for this “sports gulag”.
In the last seven years the taxpayers have had a whole string of expensive projects loaded on them. We have the Theatre, the Multiplex, the new sewage treatment plant, the new Municipal Hall in Coldstream, the farcical water “referendum” (still no improved water), and major increases in service costs. Where will it end?
Do you, the taxpayer, have bottomless pockets? *******************************************************************************************************
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