Below is an expanded version of the community flyer being distributed in the Komoka-Kilworth area by our great volunteers. It summarizes our position and also points you to the Middlesex Centre website for more information and their perspective on this Commercial Development.
Update April 21st, 2022: This flyer has been updated to remove the statement that there was a closed meeting at the April 6th meeting on this project. The closed meeting on that date titled “Partnership” was not about this development.
MIDDLESEX CENTRE IS PLANNING TO SELL OFF 25% OF THE KOMOKA COMMUNITY PARK TO A DEVELOPER
HELP US SAVE YOUR KOMOKA PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Please give us a few moments of your time for us to ask you for your voice in saving a big part of our Komoka Community Park and Community Centre on Queen St. We believe what is happening is wrong. We need your support!
So what is happening?
Municipal staff are working with an orthopedic surgeon from Strathroy and a group of unnamed investors to enter in to a partnership (details unknown) to build a private for-profit athletic training, coaching and health care centre (not eligible for OHIP) on municipal park and Community Centre land. The concept design has a rink, basketball courts, physio room and restaurant. The original focus was on training and rehab for high level athletes and pro hockey players, but has now expanded their revenue opportunities to include amateur/recreational athletes. For more information see middlesexcentre.on.ca and the notice about Komoka Community Centre being declared surplus in the Public Notice/News section. We have been unable to find out if this development needs the Municipal land in order to proceed.
The Physical Impact to the park
- Tear down the Komoka Community Centre, Optimist storage garage and Train Museum Maintenance shed.
- Take the cleared land and another +/- four acres of parkland to make up the six acres required.
- Eliminate the Kids t-ball diamond and sand volley ball court (kid’s sand box!).
- Soccer field behind the Centre, gazebo, washrooms and basketball courts will be relocated on what is left of the park under Municipal ownership.
- Tennis/pickle ball courts will relocate and be privately owned. Access will be free until dome is installed.
Community Negative Impact
- Someone in authority has made the decision that no bookings can be made for the Komoka Community Centre after June 30th.
- The users of the park will be left with a significantly smaller and tightly packed park to enjoy. A loss of 4 acres of green space.
- Commercial development dropped in the middle of parkland and residential zoning.
- Loss of the Community centre for community events. i.e. Breakfast with Santa, some Canada Day activities and others. The Wellness Centre does not offer the same amenities with respect to banquet rentals and large Community events.
- The tennis/pickle ball courts, parking lot (except for nine spaces), vehicle access to the park in that area will all be under private ownership. Regardless of the nature of the deal with the Municipality, access to these areas will be under private control and subject to revenue based decisions.
- The Komoka-Kilworth Optimists will be rewarded for their fifty years of contributions to the park/centre/community with an eviction notice. The Train Museum will lose a building and open green space.
- Loss of enjoyment and likely the use of park amenities during construction. It is doubtful that the developer is going to wait till all amenities are relocated and fully functional before starting construction. A lot of the building is on one of the soccer fields. It takes years to build a soccer field.
- One of the entrances is too close to the playground.
- Many more residents will be negatively impacted by this development than those benefiting. Build it somewhere else and everybody wins.
The process so far:
Feb 2nd: Developer gave a generic presentation about building a facility somewhere in Middlesex Centre. No mention of using Municipal property.
March 31st First public disclosure through a Municipal website news article to inform residents that at the next Council meeting they were voting on declaring the Community Centre surplus and on moving the process forward. The community had 5 days to respond.
April 1st to Apr 5th: eighty one residents submitted comments to defer or turn down the staff recommendation.
Apr 6th: 9:00 AM Presentation of the staff report and comments from the public. Staff asked to defer the vote to allow further consultation with the Public.
Another meeting will be held shortly to gather additional public comments. The vote may happen at that meeting.
Let’s wrap this up and move on! We have some unanswered questions comments:
- How does this project benefit the average resident of Komoka?
- What increased benefit does the public get by building this facility on Municipal/tax payers land?
- Why did you not go to a Public Consultation process first?
- Why the lack of notification? Why was it not mentioned in the March Newsletter? Why no motion by Council for staff to look at Municipal land?
- Why are you dealing with one developer? Why are there no other options for the Community Centre land being looked at? If the Community Centre becomes surplus why is it not put up for sale at market value?
- As this is Komoka’s Main Park how does losing 4 acres of green space to our growing community reflect good planning? Over the next few years thousands of new residents are coming to Komoka-Kilworth. We need to make the park larger not smaller.
- This is an unprecedented partnership and the Developer is undertaking a very costly and financially risky enterprise. What happens if this venture goes bankrupt?
- Other than possibly not selling this property at market value, will this proposal cost the taxpayers any more money? Who is paying to demolish the buildings and move the amenities?
- Unfortunately the Community Centre is collateral damage to make room for this commercial development. If the additional 4 acres of green space is not made available then that will likely save the Community Centre.
- Middlesex Centre does not need this facility so badly that it needs to give up community amenities and very precious green space. This Developer needs to go to the open market to find their land just like all the other commercial developers. We are happy with our existing facilities and all of the volunteers and coaches that support our youth & senior fitness activities.
- The Community Centre and some park amenities were made possible through fundraising and the time and effort of volunteers from Komoka-Kilworth it has been a part of this community for decades. The Wellness Centre was largely funded by Middlesex Centre tax dollars and grants and is rightfully considered to be a facility for all Middlesex Centre. Komoka-Kilworth residents are proud of the Wellness Centre but are as equally proud of our Community Centre.
- The Community Centre loses money each year and this is being used to help justify this plan. This is not the only facility that operates at a loss and for other community centres this may be a concerning precedent.
- The Wellness Centre does not replace the Community Centre for sports or community events. For those that can afford it, Middlesex Centre athletes will have access to services/amenities. That access is still there if the facility is built on private land. To be profitable the overall majority of clients will have to come from outside Middlesex Centre.
- Once you lose this green space it’s never coming back. If we tragically lose our Community Centre then the land should be repurposed to support outdoor recreation.
Call to action:
Some things should not be for sale. This is a time for young and old, new and long-time residents to come together to let Council know that this project is unacceptable. A special meeting of council will be happening soon. We need you to send in your comments (as simple as “I do not support the Komoka Community Centre being declared as surplus property and any sale of parkland property.”) and ask to be informed about upcoming meetings on this proposal. You can also request to speak at the meeting. Send this email to clerk@middlesexcentre.ca Please copy Komokastp@gmail.com so that we can gauge the community response and keep you informed of our committee activities/dates.
Our Councillor Sue Cates has voiced her opposition to this proposal. We need three other Councillors to back her up.
We encourage your active participation. If you have any questions please email us at Komokastp@gmail.com. Please go to KomokaSTP.ca for more information.
Thanks for your support,
Save The Park Committee (STP)
Paul and Anne Miniely / Paul and Frances Houghton
“......you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone, They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot” lyrics from Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi