GABRIOLA – At its August 25 the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) board meeting initial steps were taken for the creation of a new recreation property on Gabriola Island. At the meeting the Board approved the terms of a land purchase contract, with its current owner Emcon Services, for three lots totaling 8.5 acres on Paisley Place, adjacent to Gabriola Elementary School.
The RDN will now develop a bylaw under the Gabriola Island Recreation Service, for approval of the electors, to authorize borrowing of up to $455,000. The Board will consider moving forward with the process at an upcoming meeting. It is expected that the borrowing amount could be included in a referendum on Gabriola in early 2016.
“These lands have excellent potential for recreation use in an accessible location, and I would like residents to have the opportunity to consider them,” said Howard Houle, RDN Electoral Area ‘B’ Director. “If secured, the RDN would work with residents and stakeholders to develop a management plan strategy for the site and to determine what community recreation facilities are best suited at the location.”
The three lots under consideration were part of a subdivision that provided separate adjacent community parkland in 2011. The lots are institutional zoned (IN3) lands, which includes public assembly use, recreation, and government offices. The agreement with Emcon requires that on or before March 27, 2016, the RDN successfully obtains approval of the electors for the borrowing of up to $455,000, to purchase the lands. The contract has a closing date of March 31, 2016.
Pending elector approval and acquisition, the Board also directed that any capital and operational costs for recreation facilities onsite be funded through the Gabriola Island Recreation Services function; any development and operational costs related to community park and trails use would be funded through the Electoral Area ‘B’ Community Parks function.
Based on a 20 year amortization period, the costs of acquiring the property are estimated to be $32,000 per year, which equates to approximately $4.00 per $100,000 of assessed value for a residential taxpayer.
