Lakeshore council is putting the concept plan to develop the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre on the back-burner - for now.
Council met Tuesday evening with one report presented asking for council to approve the next step in a long-term multimillion concept plan to enhance and develop the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre property.
Administration was asking that council approve a plan to guide the projects in the future, with each project to be phased in when funding is available. The plan for the project would see construction spanning nearly 20 years at an estimated total cost of $85-million.
The plan included a number of new amenities, such as soccer fields with lights, new baseball diamonds, a skate park, a BMX pump track, pickleball courts, tennis courts, storage areas, batting cages, among much more.
After a long discussion, council came to the decision to only receive the report as information as many of the councillors felt that other improvements needed to be made in the municipality prior to this large investment.
Councillor Ryan McNamara was opposed to receiving this report as just information and says the Atlas Tube currently sees thousands of people daily, and continues to grow.
"These types of amenities are what draws people to come and live in this community. A lot of our future debt financing is based upon our growth, and if we don't put the amenities in place that the people want, they won't come and we will default, then that goes back on the levy. We have to be creative, I'm not saying spending $85-million today, I'm saying let's get the plan together."
Councillor Ian Ruston was in favour to receive as information and says the municipality's current infrastructure can't handle this project.
"To put this as an official plan that we're going to work towards, I don't see any method forward in the near future of where we can afford to do this stuff. So, that's the reason the way I feel, it's not going to disappear, we're still going to have this plan sitting there and if things change let's look at it then."
Councillor Larissa Vogler was also in favour to receive as information and says there needs to be a more realistic lens on what the municipality can afford for the future.
"Residents should not have to bare these types of costs, they will not come back to us, there won't be enough economic growth, there won't be enough user fees to fund it, it's going to come down to the taxpayers. And if you did a referendum on this issue, I am confident that residents would not support this - the majority of residents - and it would become a bit of a nightmare."
Councillor McNamara, councillor Kelsey Santarossa, and mayor Tracey Bailey opposed the motion to receive as information.
The Atlas Tube Recreation Centre is located at 477 Renaud Line. Currently the centre offers three ice pads, a gymnasium, community rooms, a community pool complex, a splash pad, outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, the Essex County Library Lakeshore branch, and multiple soccer fields.