Port Coquitlam will replace the sod at the Thompson Park ball fields in time for umpires to yell “play ball” next spring but a couple of city councillors think the decision to do so is far from a home run.
The work will come at a higher than anticipated cost and will be a temporary solution while the city searches for a long-term one.
The city began to look at renovating the fields in 2017. They sit on a bog backfilled with wood chips that have decomposed and settled over time, creating undulations in the playing surfaces, fencing and facilities.
Jason Daviduk, PoCo's manager of capital projects, told council Tuesday work is expected to start in September on removing the turf, levelling the surface, replacing the sod, building a new fence and expanding the irrigation system.
The work is expected to cost $185,000 after being estimated at $120,000 a year ago. The city originally set aside $800,000 to deal with the significant geotechnical issues at the park but when the numbers came back for fixing it long term, the price tag turned out to be actually $1.6 million, and even then the fields could have significant challenges in the future, said a staff report from July 2018.
So staff recommended a short-term solution costing about $120,000 that should should last for about five years, with $30,000 annually to address problems as they develop. In the meantime, the city would look for a long-term solution somewhere else.
Daviduk told council the city awarded the contract in June and work is expected to start in September, with the fields to be ready for next spring’s minor baseball season.
Coun. Glenn Pollock, chair of the sport and recreation committee, opposed the short-term solution at the time and reiterated his position when Daviduk updated council Tuesday on the upcoming work.
“I actually think we’re throwing money into a hole in the ground. I think it’s just a Band-Aid,” said Pollock.
Coun. Laura Dupont said the city should be putting more pressure on School District 43 to come up with a joint agreement that would benefit both the city and the district.
“I feel uncomfortable at what we’re doing now at continuing to throw money at Thompson Park.,” said Dupont.
The city's chief administrative officer, Kristen Dixon, said she thinks there are properties in the city where a long-term solution could be found, although she admitted last year none are owned by the city. She praised the local minor baseball community for being “incredibly patient.”
Mayor Brad West told Pollock and Dupont there’s no use going over old ground.
“It’s important to note council has made this decision,” said West. “Obviously, there was a prioritization on making sure the field was usable for the upcoming baseball season.
“The investment made now is, granted, short term, but it makes sure baseball has a place to play. I don think it’s important for the city to find a solution that is going to be longer term. There’s no amount of money to be dumped into Thompson Park that it’s going to offer a long-term solution.”
West added it’s important the city keep talking to the school district, although he said he believes the district didn't put in much of an effort in searching for a location when initially approached last year.
