HomeMy WebLinkAboutSHCAC - 2013-09-05 - Leisure Facilities Master Plan
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The following provides all the recommendations contained in the 2013 Leisure Facilities Master Plan
Update:
A. Foundations
1. That the City of Kitchener approve the following vision statement to help guide future development of
leisure facilities and services:
Kitchener residents will have access to a diverse array of accessible leisure opportunities that
-being, strong and
vibrant neighbourhoods and community capacity-building.
B. Service Delivery Policies and Strategies
2. That the city utilize the Leisure Services Delivery Policy Framework when considering any city
involvement in leisure services delivery based on the following criteria:
Identification of demonstrated need at reasonable participation levels;
Evidence of long term sustainability;
Assured public accessibility, participation and affordability;
Involvement by the city reflective of the scale of the benefits to be achieved to both the
participants and the community at large;
The use of business case analysis and preparation as a basis to support city investments in
leisure services initiatives
Community Resource Centres
3. That the city work with community leadership and residents to increase the awareness, opportunities,
recognition, training and enhanced utilization of community volunteers in the program and service
delivery and leadership roles within community resource centres and within neighbourhoods.
4. That the city develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy aimed at increasing
residents awareness of community centre leisure programming and encouraging more residents to
utilize the centres in the future.
5. its relationships with and supports to
neighbourhood associations promote and facilitate residents participation in local decision-making
while recognizing the uniqueness of each individual community centre in serving the needs of their
local neighbourhoods.
6.
across the city.
7. That the city conduct a comprehensive review of its community resource centre operations to
facilitate the sharing of best practices amongst centres, and to identify opportunities to improve
service delivery and strengthen individual neighbourhoods.
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Inclusion Services
8. That the city develop stronger internal governance and reporting mechanisms for issues related to
inclusion and the provincial requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
(AODA).
User Fees and Subsidies
9. That the city undertake a comprehensive review of its leisure services user fees as a basis to create a
transparent, integrated and equitable policy.
10. That the city regularly review its Leisure Access Card (LAC) program to ensure it is continuing to
meet the needs of users while remaining financially sustainable.
Volunteer and Community Engagement
11. That the city develop a comprehensive neighbourhood strategy that considers a wide variety of
factors in the strength of any neighbourhood (e.g. people and cultural connections, leisure
opportunities, the built form, neighbourhood design, public safety) and focuses on three objectives:
Engaging and empowering more residents in planning, building, sustaining and supporting safe
and thriving neighbourhoods based on the unique character and needs each individual
neighbourhood;
Building a stronger sense of belonging and connection between residents and their
neighbourhoods as a way of increasing civic pride in the community;
Aligning municipal staff behind a focus on building safe and thriving neighbourhoods as the basis
for a healthy community.
Community Use of Schools
12. That the city increase its efforts to work with local school boards to develop policies, procedures and
mechanisms that ensure the maximum use of indoor and outdoor school facilities to the mutual
benefit of the schools and city residents, and which minimize the need for additional, duplicated
leisure facilities and services
Residential Reurbanization
13. That the city actively assess and respond to evolving residential reurbanization in regards to the
leisure services needs and impacts that will result over the next decade or more related to:
Continuing to work with developers and service providers to enhance the availability of parkland
and leisure facilities within potential partnership models for proposed and existing development
projects;
Pursuing strategies to secure directly or indirectly school lands resulting from school closures that
have historically acted as neighbourhood parkland and are vital to urban neighbourhoods;
strategic imperative and enlarging them as opportunities and needs arise.
Partnerships and Joint Ventures
14. That the city actively assess and pursue more innovative partnership and joint venture strategies for
leisure services and facility development and delivery based on the Leisure Services Delivery Policy
Framework outlined in Section 4.1 of the 2013 LFMP Update.
15. That the city conduct a comprehensive study into the partnerships, joint ventures and alternate leisure
service delivery models other municipalities have undertaken in building, financing and operating
leisure facilities.
Leisure Services Funding Models
16. That the City of Kitchener explore the use of an expanded mix of leisure services funding models
through research, pilot projects and comprehensive policy development, involving:
The development and implementation of a corporate sponsorship strategy;
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Engaging developers to explore additional opportunities to improve the timeliness and scope of
neighbourhood and district parks and facilities development;
Potential application of private public partnerships for larger capital facility investments;
Implementing a mix of facility design standards that align with differentiated user needs;
Potential application of capital surcharges on user fees.
Research and Innovation
17. That the city continue to develop its research, evaluation and innovation capacities for the
development and the delivery of leisure services, with a particular focus on the increased use of
partnerships and joint ventures.
Organizational Development
18. That the city undertake an initiative that supports the achievement of a more integrated and focused
leisure services delivery model w
19. That Kitchener actively develop education/training, mandate, policy and other frameworks that inspire
an organizational culture of innovation, experimentation, and support for alternative leisure service
delivery models and funding approaches.
C. Leisure Services Initiatives/Facilities
Parks and Open Spaces
20. That the city more urgently pursue the completion of the vision for the Grand River corridor including
open space land acquisition and a Riverside Park master plan, in order to ensure that the unique
opportunities presented by the Grand River are realized.
21. That the city explore opportunities to accelerate/increase the community garden program as a way of
strengthening neighbourhoods, promoting healthy living and addressing food affordability issues.
Southwest Area District Park and Facilities
22. That a master plan for the southwest district park at Huron and Fischer Hallman Roads be approved
and implemented.
23. That the Williamsburg Community Centre be maintained over the short and medium term until a
permanent community centre is developed.
24. That the city develop a plan to relocate the community garden plots currently on the Huron and
Fischer Hallman Roads site to a suitable area.
Sports Fields Development
25. That the city work with soccer organizations to maximize the use of existing soccer field capacity in
parallel with developing new outdoor soccer facilities over time, focusing on:
Developing artificial turf soccer fields in the Southwest District Park;
Developing a strategy to replace the Budd Park fields if they are no longer available;
Over time, introducing artificial turf and lights as a soccer field capacity builder that reduces the
longer term need to acquire land by significantly enhancing existing individual field capacity;
Examining partnerships with local school boards to determine the availability of secondary school
football / soccer fields in terms of whether unused capacity exists, along with working with
multicultural clubs, private soccer service providers and others to develop an integrated strategy
towards the development and operation of future soccer fields on a timely and more
comprehensive basis.
26. That the city ensure it has a minimum of two, and possibly three, multi-use outdoor sports fields to
support other sports activities such as cricket, field hockey, rugby, field lacrosse, disc sports, football
and related activities.
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27. That the city pursue the development of an additional indoor multiuse artificial turf facility, potentially
with a private sector partner, to support a variety of sports and other leisure activities that could
benefit from a facility that operates year round.
28. That the city actively work with community sports field groups to develop strategies, policies and
procedures that ensure the maximization of the current sports field inventory on an equitable basis,
potentially reviewing the user fee and the sport field classification system to determine whether the
current model can be made less complex and more aligned, in terms of field quality and user needs
based on the differentiated needs of the community groups.
Community Resources Centres
29. That the city undertake a comprehensive 20 year Community Centres Development Master Plan to
identify the needs for additional community centres or enhancements to existing centres in both urban
intensification and greenfield development areas of the city.
30. That the proposed strategy for the potential redevelopment of the Rockway Centre be pursued,
particularly with its emphasis on a possible private sector partnership.
31. That the current planned community centre additions for Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre and
Mill Courtland Community Centre be implemented.
32. That the city conduct a review of the Breithaupt Recreation Centre as to the renewal or replacement
strategies that best meet the needs for the programs and services offered in that facility and for the
residents of the north area of Kitchener.
Arenas and Aligned Venues
33. That the city consider the redevelopment of the existing Queensmount arena into a permanent multi-
use indoor sports facility that could potentially support additional activities such as roller skating,
rollerblading and other dry land sports.
34. That the city consider medium term strategies for the potential need to replace single pad arenas, and
the longer term development of a new twin pad facility to increase overall ice capacity when
warranted.
35. That the city develop a long-range master plan for the future of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
Complex, Jack Couch Park and Centennial Stadium property.
Aging Leisure Facilities Renewal, Replacement and Reuse
36. That the city complete a comprehensive assessment of its aging leisure services facility infrastructure
over the next five years and develop long term asset management plans for their renewal,
replacement and reuse in support of more effective planning of their capital maintenance, new capital
investment and reuse strategies and opportunities.
37. That the city undertake to develop and implement a short term strategy for replacing the track and
field venue at Centennial Stadium, potentially in partnership with local school boards.
Regional Facilities
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That Kitchener participate in any discussions that may occur amongst the municipal partners in the
Region of Waterloo regarding whether there is interest and feasibility in pursuing the joint
development of higher quality regional facilities for community aquatics and track and field programs
and potentially other larger scaled services
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