Colwood Council has directed staff to notify the public of the opportunity to expand the amount of parkland that will be dedicated to the City at Quarry Park in Royal Bay to create space for a future Colwood Community Centre and athletic fields. Staff will proivde Council with documentation to consider proceeding.
Meeting the recreation needs of a growing community
With well-being as one of Colwood Council's key strategic priorities for our community, it is important to ensure there are opportunities for healthy recreation for a growing number of residents. Colwood’s population is projected to increase by 30% in the next 15 years.
The Colwood Parks + Recreation Master Plan identifies the need for more community parks, outdoor sports courts, athletic fields and a community centre.
Creating new opportunities as land uses change
The use of three parcels of land has recently changed, creating an opportunity for the City to explore obtaining 7.2 acres of land and $2M in funding to allow for a future community centre.
- Royal Bay Drive: School District 62 recently released a 5.5 acre parcel of land on Royal Bay Drive in upper Royal Bay that had previously been designated for an elementary school. This left the future of the land unresolved and potentially open to sale and multi-family development. GableCraft is proposing an expansion to Promenade Park and a limited collection of 11 single family homes consistent with the existing neighbouhood.
- Quarry Park: Land adjacent to the new Royal Bay Elementary School site and Quarry Park in Royal Bay Latoria South had been designated for townhomes, but offers the opportunity to expand the park and allow for a future community centre and athletic fields.
- City Lands: City owned lands on Metchosin Road just past the Royal BC Museum site that have historically been used for material storage are no longer required by the City. GableCraft proposes a mixed-use development on these lands as an opportunity to increase the potential of the property.
Securing Active Recreation
As part of the proposal the City would acquire 4.6 acres of land to expand Quarry Park increasing its size by 42%. This will allow for a future Community Centre, sports fields, and a public washroom and maintenance building with change rooms and an outdoor covered area for all-seasons park use.
New life to unused lands
Rezoning to permit higher and better uses of the City lands on Metchosin Road that has long been used as a gravel storage site will enable public benefits such as housing, shops, and services, including health services to support the Island Health long term care facility that will be built nearby.
Maintaining neighbourhood character with single family homes
The land that had been secured by School District 62 for an elementary school would currently allow for townhomes. Instead, this proposal will allow for single family homes that ensure consistency with the character of the neighbourhood, as well as a 2.6 acre expansion of Promenade Park with new pathways to increase connectivity and support a healthy lifestyle.
Learn more
Review the Community Centre Feasibility Study [PDF/23.4MB] and information about the proposal in greater detail in this Parks + Recreation Focus document.