Empire Field
At the next City of Vancouver Council Meeting of January 19, Councillor Raymond Louie has a motion on notice on the agenda that will, in effect, rubberstamp the control of the Empire Field from the PNE Board to PAVCO. What is curious about this motion is that there is no staff report attached to it. In effect, Councillor Louie is asking City Council to approve a “proposal” when there has not been any public disclosure of what the proposal is and how it is a benefit to the Vancouver citizens.
Empire Field Motion
Check out the “WHEREAS” of this motion and my response to them; I am sorry about the sarcasm but I could not help myself:
“WHEREAS BC Place Stadium is to be renovated in time for the Grey Cup game in late 2011;”
Everyone in Vancouver loves the Grey Cup and is proud to host the game, so we should give away a public facility to a professional team and displace amateur sports teams.
“AND WHEREAS the professional sports teams currently accommodated at BC Place Stadium represent a significant economic benefit to the City of Vancouver, and will urgently require an alternative venue to be ready by June 2010;”
Everyone loves football and enjoys the BC Lions and it makes money too.
AND WHEREAS PAVCO has only recently come forward with a development proposal, after obtaining funding approval from the Province;
Oh yes, a “proposal” has “recently come forward” and where is the proposal and where is the proposal’s appraisal? Who did the proposal go to at the City? Where is the staff report? Was Vancouver Park Board consulted on the proposal? Was the community consulted on the proposal?
“AND WHEREAS the PNE Board has instructed their staff to negotiate the accommodation of a temporary stadium facility at 3311 East Hastings Street (Empire Field) and located where the previous Empire Stadium existed on the basis that:”
“The PNE board has instructed their staff”, as a citizen of Vancouver I don’t remember voting for the PNE board. Why is an unelected board with no transparency or accountability instructing their staff to make a deal that gives up a public facility without consulting or seeking the authority of Vancouver City Council before a deal has been sealed.
As a result of these compelling “Whereas” the motion goes on to “endorse the use of the City-owned land located…. as the site of a temporary stadium”
Not only does the motion ask for a public facility to given over to PAVCO, but the motion goes on to instruct staff to “expedite the processing”.
Then after “giving away” and “expedited the process” the motion goes on to “consult” with the public.
Even with all sarcasm it may seem like a good deal for the city. Possibly there could be a “legacy” for the citizens of Vancouver as the stadium is going to be upgraded and artificial turf from BC Place will be transferred and retained at the Empire Field. What is not referred in the report is that many community sports groups such as MoreSports, Vancouver Youth Soccer Associate, Vancouver Metro Men’s Soccer League, Metro Women’s Soccer League, Old timer’s Soccer League, Crosstown Slo Pitch, Vancouver Advertising Slo Pitch and Citywide Sports Softball use this field and there are no plans that are resourced to help these groups to move to another field. This in a city that already has an identified shortage of public playing fields for amateur sport.
At the Monday, January 18, Vancouver Park Board meeting Commissioner Loretta Woodcock moved a “emergency motion” that simple notes the flawed process that has happened, but also speak to the urgent need to resource a plan to support the existing field use and to find a new home for the amateur sport groups after being displaced from their public facility without consultation.
Photos from VPB Meeting Jan. 18, 2010
Here is her motion:
“Whereas on December 21, 2009 a public announcement outlined plans that a temporary stadium with synthetic turf will be erected in 2010 by the PNE and the BC Pavilion Corporation at Empire Bowl in Hastings Park
Whereas the surrounding community, amateur sports groups across the city, and the Park Board which maintains and programs Empire Fields, were not consulted prior to this agreement being announced
Whereas a number of local and city-wide amateur sports teams that use Empire Bowl will be displaced, including MoreSports, Vancouver Youth Soccer Association, Vancouver Metro Men’s Soccer League, Metro Women’s Soccer League, Old timer’s Soccer League, Crosstown Slo Pitch, Vancouver Advertising Slo Pitch, Citywide Sports Softball and others
Whereas on January 21, 2010 City Council will be approving a public consultation process within the timetable available, to identify and mitigate where possible, the operational impacts of the temporary stadium on the surrounding neighbourhood, including those impacts related to traffic, noise, parking and lighting
Be it resolved that City provide support and resources to Park Board to locate and to upgrade if needed, alternative facilities to support displaced sports groups while the Empire Fields are unavailable for public use”
The motion was unanimously endorse by all commissions of the Vancouver Park Board. I shot video at the meeting and will post it to Utube when I have time to edit it.