The Million Dollar Outdoor Building

When I heard about the "Royal Reno" project, as it is so appropriately named, I was somewhat excited of the prospect of what might come to fruition in a new pavilion. However, once I received the "fundraising" package at my home my jaw hit the floor and my tune changed.... 1 million dollars.... WOW!!!

I then spent many hours looking over the fundraising materials to try and understand both the scope and the perceived need for such a mammoth facility. 

Last year sometime the committee sent out surveys to get our ideas for a new pavilion in the park, I even submitted a couple of my own ideas. 

So as I reviewed this information package, and I pondered... 

• did they take all of the ideas and try to integrate them all into the plan?
• is the cost is due to the large parking lot?
• who asked for such a grand building?
• is this going to interfere with the "Step dance and fiddle" campers?
• is this project going to interfere with the Airstream club campers?
• how did safety get overlooked with the entrance to the park?

The million dollars basically covers the cost of the building and the excavating. 

Also, be sure to review the package that you received closely, it is deceiving because most of the trails, parking lots and additional buildings are marked with the word "FUTURE" (so the cost does not cover the entire project). Furthermore, not only is the drawing misleading, but the actual cost of the project is actually more than the package tells you. The new entrance to the park (which has it's own safety issues) is being funded through a different project... that's right... it is being funded as a part of the controversial "Angled Parking" project! So, the cost is likely more in like 1.2 million dollars. And if you add phase 2 to the project, you could probably get close to 1.5 million dollars. Who knows what the real cost is and what kind of overruns will burden the EZT tax payer. 

And if you think the cost to the Township will stop there, you are wrong. There is a huge safety issue with the new proposed entrance to the park. These safety issues will most definitely result in lawsuits to the Township. The issues are:

1. The proposed entrance is on the bend where Decew and Hendershot streets meet.
2. Minerva street is just metres away from this entrance where most drivers turn towards the new entrance.
3. This road is very busy and provides access to the arena, the soccer fields, the memorial hall, the public school and the medical centre for most residents that live on the east side of town.
4. There is no sidewalk on the the park side of the street.
5. There is no cross walk planned for this street.
6. The street is very narrow.
7. The street has no facility for bicycles.

So this new entrance is a safety nightmare and it is clear that the Committee and the Council are ignoring this fact. It will only end up costing the tax payer more money in lawsuits when someone is injured at this entrance.

Another concern is that this building is replacing a 30 year old building that barely gets used.... hmm maybe we don't need a new pavilion if the old one isn't getting a lot of use?? Maybe we don't even need a pavilion at all... Maybe Queens park isn't the best place for a pavilion... Maybe Queens park should be turned into more of a park than a parking lot with all sorts of pavement.... But, one thing is for sure, we certainly don't need such a large scale project.

And what makes a park a nice park? Trees right, well in order to build this new building, they will be cutting down 14 old growth trees... what a waste and for what? An outdoor palace that the majority of residents don't want.

I have now sent two emails to the "Royal Reno" Committee to voice these concerns and I've only received a response on one of them which took 10 days to receive a response and it has been more than a month since I last emailed the committee with no response. 

In both emails sent to the Committee, I asked them who is asking for a new bigger pavilion and they have not yet answered, I really don't think that there is an answer to the question and that's why they haven't yet answered the question.

In the conversations that I've had with residents, many do support a new pavilion, but they are in support of a much more reasonable project, something that is scaled back that can be funded by grants and township money alone!

In conclusion, Tavistock doesn't need a "Royal" pavilion, there are a number of other things that Tavistock could use before we a "1 million dollar outdoor building".

Return to this blog in the next couple of days to see what we think would be a better way to lay out the park to provide a much safer entrance.

Regards,

Jon