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Home My WebLink AboutCatholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project - Ottawa Citizen - 03/01/2018 - Ottawa Citizen - 03/01/20183/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $21M sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen TH"',AH`S-r- °,,,� 1 n � / I %"r Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project JON WILLING (Moira fir-ormn Join Willing (HTTP://OTTAWACITIZEN.COM/AUTHOR/JONWILLING) IPulblliished oirn„ IMairclhi ' , 2018 11 ILast Updated: IMairch :i, 201 „27 IMM (EST http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-n ews/cathol ic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consultation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 1/7 3/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen Jowl �i 0i1 1"T"[ra `rir;ld r:�'r l r[I ria>>,l 11,a, Ii S Irr'll f ,,.,a. JEAN LEVAC / POSTMEDIA A deal between the Catholic school board and a local soccer organization to build a $2 -million artificial turf field at Immaculata High School has offended neighbours because no one asked what they think about the project. "The big concern is this is an area that was a shared space between the school and the community;" Joanne Lostracco said Thursday. "It's a beautiful green space and there are few of them left in our community" Lostracco lives with her husband, son and two step -daughters on Glenora Street, which stops at a dead-end at the high school's sports field. The school is in Old Ottawa East along the Rideau Canal. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consultation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 2/7 3/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen The Ottawa Catholic School Board announced in February_ .(http://ocsb.ca/2018/02/26/news-feb-13-2018/)_that it's partnering with the Ottawa Footy Sevens to install the turf surface and LED field lighting starting in mid-April. The work is scheduled to be done in August. The soccer organization is paying for the construction and operation of the field. The school board is paying to replace the stone -dust running track with a synthetic surface. The school will have exclusive use of the field until 6 p.m. on weekdays and some evenings for games, tournaments and community events at no charge. The Footy Sevens get the field after 6 p.m. and can collect revenue off renting the field. A report received by the school board on Feb. 13 says the deal is for 21 years, with a possible five-year extension. Footy Sevens must keep a reserve fund to replace the turf and be responsible for any maintenance to the field, the report says. A similar partnership between a school board and Footy Sevens organization in Brampton, Ont., .(http://toronto.footysevens.com/about/whereWePlay)_is considered the successful test case for the project. According to the report to the school board, talks with Ottawa Footy Sevens have happened for the past year. That's news to neighbours. Lostracco said she didn't find out about the project until it was posted on the school board's website. "People were shocked. People were not informed," Lostracco said. "It's going to significantly disrupt the neighbourhood and nobody knows what that's going to look like" Lostracco is particularly worried about the field lights shining onto neighbouring properties. In a written statement, director of education Denise Andre said the LED lights being installed by the Footy Sevens are very precise. "We expect minimal light spillage beyond the (high school) property," Andre said. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consultation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 3/7 3/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $21VI sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen The school board says Immaculata is one of its few high schools with just one sports field. Space near St. Paul University is no longer available because of development. The high school has been considering artificial turf to allow for activities in the spring and late fall. Pedestrian traffic has also left a worn-out strip across the grass field. A newsletter to the school community included information about the project, and the school board sent out a news release and published details on social media, Andre said. There's a meeting scheduled for Friday with the Old Ottawa East Community Association, she said. "Board and school staff are excited to partner with Footy Sevens to provide these enhancements to the current field while increasing the availability of an artificial turf field for the community," Andre said. Chris Surgeoner, co-owner and administrator of the Ottawa Footy Sevens, said the high school field is a perfect location since it's near bike paths, public transit and main streets. There's plenty of parking at the school. The multi -use turf field will be surrounded by a fence with access granted only to those who have permission to use it. The Footy Sevens have no plans to put a dome over the field in the winter months, Surgeoner said. Surgeoner said public consultation for the project would be something that the school board or city would undertake. "We're open and available to talk to anyone who wants to talk," Surgeoner said. From what Capital Coun. David Chernushenko has researched so far, there only needs to be a drainage plan submitted to the city and an adherence to bylaws enforcing fence height, lighting and noise. Meanwhile, neighbours have started a "save our field" campaign on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/saveourfieldimmaculata/)_. Lostracco said that even if she has to build a porch, she has to get permission from the city, so she doesn't understand how the school board can construct an illuminated sports field without a consultation and municipal approval. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consultation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 4/7 3/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen "I'm willing to talk about it and I think many neighbours are willing to talk about it, but nobody asked," Lostracco said. jwilling@postmedia.com(mailto:jwilling@post media.com). twitter.com/JonathanWiIIing_(http://twitter.com/JonathanWilling). TRENDING STORIES ESi. 14T3 �I� III il'� itl I yj /A '/ % Comments HOVER FOR FLYER MKLp Hide and c Skof: SIU rules foll medical emergent sense On June 28, 1988, the municipalities making up the... IRead Il eii°e 41 ► < Previous We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consultation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 5/7 �'"� UN0 Nd tl B�"G'iC IIR1 HOVER FOR FLYER We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consultation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 5/7 3/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen keep your C0ozuleut9 relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "}{" in the upper right comer 0fthe comment box 0report spam or abuse. We are using Faceb0okcommenting. Visit our FAQ page (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/story.html?id=7195492) for more information. 8 Comments Add aonnlmenL � James MacDonald - Queen's University I kind of wish my neighbourhood had more of these types of problems. Not that I live in the midst --- — —ofthevvorstprnb|ennsperse.but just afew blocks away there are massage parlours, people dying from gunshot wounds, pot dispenseries pawn shops, etc. etc... And yet, it sometimes seems as if whether or not a school installs lights for it's sports field trumps majoraonieta|prob|enneand blights on the oonnnnunib/ Uke-Reply - 4- Mar 2.2D1G11:23om Maggie Williams -Administnative Control Clerk adQueensway Carleton Hospital Foundation As a past student of immaculate the turf field is great because it gets damaged from people ------ cutting through it. Also if the argument is that it was a shared green space with the community and will ruin the look of the neighbourhood. |'nn pretty sure 8t Paul's University's field was much more ufagreen space than our field was, and it was turned into condos! I did not see any petition about that! Uko-Roply - 1- Mar 2.2O107:2bpm-Edited Graham Collins - Plymouth College | walk across that field every morning on nnyway bz vvohc | hope the new fence is not going to cause me to walk an additional 100 metres to go around it. that would be the end of the world for me! Uke-Roply - 1- Mar 2.2O189:OAam IDain IMetcall-fe Oh my god, lighting a field so that people can be active and get exercise. The nerve! Nice problems. Seirgio A.. SaUamunovUc-1131loch - Inside Sales at Ideal Roofing Save our fie|d???Whose field ioit? | think it's being soved... tubeused for sports and not a|noo| dog toilet. Uk*-R*ply -3hns http://ottawacitizen.com/news/loca1-news/catholi��ool-board-a��-of-Ieaving'consuUation-out* ��s-turf-project 6/7 3/5/2018 Catholic school board accused of leaving consultation out of $2M sports turf project I Ottawa Citizen 1, Id 20'8 AH �gflh's U r[ a t.. t, � (), rail ",,Uy :c,,d http://ottawacitizen.com/news/loca1-news/catholic-school-board-accused-of-leaving-consuItation-out-of-2m-sports-turf-project 7/7