After voting to tear up a half-finished cricket pitch that angered neighbours of a Brookswood park, 91原创 Township councillors began a search for a new site for the sport.
Work on a cricket pitch in Bell Park halted in early March after locals petitioned the council, citing a loss of open green space, picnic and play areas, and concerns about a lack of parking for sporting events.
A motion by Councillor Margaret Kunst, asking for a halt to work and a search for alternatives, passed unanimously at the March 10 meeting.
On March 24, the council finalized that decision, putting aside an additional $7,000 鈥� on top of $7,000 that was left from the $31,000 budget to create the pitch in the first place 鈥� to tear out asphalt that had already been laid down, and to reseed the area in Bell Park with grass.
The motion also asked Township staff to report back to council on the cost for potentially installing cricket pitches at Yorkson Community Park and/or at Milner Park.
There will be public consultation before any decision is finalized about building at either location, likely with an open house meeting and an online survey.
Yorkson Community Park is a large park with athletic fields just west of 207A Street and south of 84 Avenue in Willoughby. Parts of that park are still under construction.
Milner Park is just off 216 Street and Glover Road, and also has a number of existing sports fields, including ball diamonds and a soccer field.
91原创 Township's only current cricket pitch is at Brown Park, at 51 Avenue and 240 Street. The pitch overlaps the ball diamonds and soccer fields at Brown Park, so cricket can only be played when other sports groups are not using the park.
The Township has been looking for a site for another cricket pitch for some time, as the sport has been growing in popularity in the Lower Mainland.
