Consultants to update Gateway, plan CBS rec centre

By Craig Westcott/September 16, 2022

The Town of CBS is moving to revamp its Phase I site plan for the Gateway commercial park on Legion Road and has also hired a consultant to put together a concept plan for the new community centre that will be located in the same area.

Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse made both motions at last week’s public council meeting.

Pinnacle Engineering has been hired to update the Gateway site plan at a cost of $54,500 plus HST. A company called LAT49 Consulting has been contracted to develop a concept plan for the community centre. That contract is worth $52,000, plus HST.

“The concept plan for the Gateway development requires updating to include our existing businesses and the site identified for the new community centre,” Gosse said. “It will also update site work, costing and grading requirements for the whole business park.”

Gosse said the Town is continuing to speak with potential users of the Gateway park and the updated information compiled by the consultant will help with marketing efforts that are expected to intensify this fall.

“The people you talk to expect to have the best data and of course a lot has changed up in that area over the past number of years since the last site plan was done,” said Mayor Darrin Bent. “Of course, demographics in the area have increased dramatically and we’re very excited to move forward with that and to continue to work to get that place developed.”

The motion to hire Pinnacle passed unanimously. The only councillor who didn’t vote was Ward 1 councillor Shelly Moores, who was absent from last week’s meeting.

The debate on the second motion, meanwhile, saw Mayor Bent leave the chamber to avoid any potential conflict of interest as his day job is general manager of the CBS Soccer Association, which could be a potential user of a recreation centre.

After he left, Gosse said the development of a new community centre continues to be a priority for council.

“It’s already been announced that our preferred location for the facility will be at the Gateway,” Gosse said. “The next phase of the project will be to complete a functional programming and schematic design concept plan to help with further consultations and council’s decision making.”

Gosse noted that potential components of the rec centre were identified last year during public consultations for the Town’s recreation and culture master plan. Some of those components included gymnasia, courts, synthetic field surfaces, an indoor track, multi-purpose rooms, and, possibly as part of a future expansion, Gosse added, an aquatic centre. 

“A flexible performance space with retractable spectator seating may or may not be part of the same building,” Gosse said.

The deputy mayor said the concept plan that LAT49 will put together will be used to develop a budget for the construction of the rec centre and support the Town’s funding applications to other levels of government.

The motion to hire the consultant passed unanimously amongst the councillors who were available for the vote.