Lions’ Proposal for a Community Multi-Use Facility at John Phillips Memorial Park

Interim CAO Schaffer presented a report to Council including a letter from the Sooke Lions, which was received for information. Listen to the presentation/discussion from the November 28, 2022 meeting from 2:22:45 to 2:29:43.

The letter from the Sooke Lions reads as follows:

Many years prior to Sooke incorporating, the Sooke Lions had the foresight to purchase land on Murray Rd and develop a Park. Due to vandalism issues and the development of other Parks in the District this land has not been utilized fully. For over a decade the Sooke Lions have been negotiating with the District of Sooke to trade Murray Rd property for another venue that will provide better needs to the community.

The District of Sooke is growing exponentially and needs more community multi-use facilities. Our latest vision was to sell the District Murray Rd at a reduced cost and develop an active facility in John Phillips Memorial Park. Initially we appeared to have Council's full support for this endeavour.

After our Town Hall meeting and the subsequent consultants report we see the community is divided. They desire a new facility to anchor events, but not at the cost of giving up park lands. Currently we do not feel the Council is fully supportive of our plan and therefore have decided to pause and reflect on what would best serve our community and our Club.

The ideal solution would have been for the developer to cede the two acres at the south end of the Park. If those negotiations succeeded it would have been a win-win for all.

The disposition of our Murray Rd property will be the subject of further discussion amongst our members. We have received offers to purchase the land. The District is invited to make an offer separate from the previous negotiations. The Club may keep the land and build a smaller hall.

In closing I would like to thank Christina Moog and Jennifer Royer Collard for their support and efforts in this process.

Interim CAO Schaffer will present a report to Council for information, providing an update on the Sooke Lions' proposal for John Phillips Memorial Park.

In short, the Sooke Lions are opting to "pause and reflect on what would best serve our community and our Club."

The Sooke Lions Club held a public information event on September 25th, 2022, to gather input from the public regarding their proposal to lease a portion of John Phillips Memorial Park for use as a community service facility; a subsequent survey was conducted to gather further information. A consultant was hired to compile the input and to provide a report to the Lions Club summarizing and presenting that feedback. A letter was provided to the District of Sooke noting the decision of the Lions.

See more in the meeting agenda (pp. 153-288). The public meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel.

The Sooke Lions welcome your input. Please comment on functions and a potential location of a community multi-use amenity space, if not at John Phillips Memorial Park. This survey will remain open until October 10, 2022.

Note: Completion of the online survey is limited per IP address.

Please call 250.642.1634 to complete the survey over the phone.

SURVEY CLOSED

Residents are encouraged to save the date for September 25, 2022, when the Sooke Lions will host a town hall event to hear more from residents about the possibilities for a multi-use community amenity facility at John Phillips Memorial Park.

“The Sooke Lions are in service to our community and are looking to better understand what type of facility and related amenities could best meet the needs of Sooke,” said Sooke Lion, Danny Willis. “Our members will be on hand to answer resident questions and address concerns about the potential project.”

The District has not yet entered into a lease arrangement with the Sooke Lions, as we continue to listen to the community. Speaking to this Mayor Maja Tait shared, “We need to understand more about the proposal before we can make a decision.”

“How best to use John Phillips Memorial Park is certainly not a new conversation. For years we have heard from residents about optimizing the use of the space while also respecting the park ecology,” Tait continued. “We have a reputable community organization looking to establish a not-for-profit society to oversee the facility, including its construction and management, following existing zoning; it’s certainly something that warrants consideration.”

The event will take place at the Sooke Community Hall, located at 2037 Shields Road, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 25^th, 2022, with a complementary information station in the park at the same time. In advance of the event, signage will be displayed in the park, along with markings to outline the park boundary and the potential footprint of a facility.

“On behalf of Council, we are grateful to the Lions for their tremendous service in Sooke and their interest to continue the conversation on a potential multi-use community facility at John Phillips Memorial Park so we can make the best decision possible for our growing community,” Tait added.

Questions or comments about the potential multi-use community facility can be made through the Sooke Lions’ website.

Learn more:

• 2022 Public Invited to Participate in Sooke Lions Town Hall Event
• Potential Community Multi-Use Community Facility Area Map for Scale
• Sample Facility Drawings – NOTE: for event discussion, not actual renderings

Public are invited to provide input on a proposed multi-use space at John Phillips Memorial Park at a Town Hall event on Sunday, September 25^th and through an online survey available after the event, closing on October 10^th, 2022.

“The Sooke Lions are in service to our community and are looking to better understand what type of facility and related amenities could best meet the needs of Sooke,” said Sooke Lion, Danny Willis. “Our members will be on hand to answer resident questions and address concerns about the potential project.”

The District has not entered into a lease arrangement with the Sooke Lions, as we continue to seek input from the community. “We need to understand more about the proposal before we can make a decision,” said Mayor Maja Tait.

After an alternative approval process was undertaken by the District last year and yielded 9.13% vote against leasing land to the Lions, not far from the required 10% vote needed to reject the proposal, District Council is giving careful thought to their decision. Likewise, the Sooke Lions want to ensure the project is in the best interest of the community.

The proposed project aligns with existing zoning, which is Public Recreation (P1). The permitted uses vary widely with primary uses that include ecosystem preservation, institutional uses accessory to public parks, a nature centre and playground (to name a few); accessory uses that include concession, country market and parking lot (among others).

“Since 2005 there have been numerous conversations about optimizing the use of John Phillips Memorial Park while also respecting the park ecology,” said Mayor Maja Tait in a release last month. “We have a reputable community organization looking to establish a not-for-profit society to oversee a multi-use community facility, including its construction and management, in a growing community that needs program and event spaces,” Tait added.

The event will take place at the Sooke Community Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 25^th, 2022, with a complementary information station in the park at the same time. A survey will be available at the event and online (after the event), until October 10, 2022 at letstalk.sooke.ca/lionsproposal.

The Sooke Lions will present their findings from this round of community engagement to District Council later this year. Should the project proceed, the District of Sooke would purchase the Sooke Lions’ property at 2008 Murray Road, using the Park Reserve Fund to retain this space as a town core park.