The Gibsons Area Community Centre Society (GACCS) will host an open house on Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Elphinstone Secondary School library to present conceptual drawings and a project progress report.
There will also be an open house on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at municipal hall prior to the regular meeting of council.
And next week, GACCS will present the report to the Sunshine Coast Regional District's community services committee on Feb. 17.
"The open houses are an opportunity for the public to see the possibilities and provide their thoughts and comments to the society," said GACCS co-chair Gerry Tretick.
The committee has already started the process of unveiling its report.
At Tuesday's planning committee, Tretick gave a PowerPoint presentation that outlined results from consultants, project schedule, facility location options and recommendations, the next steps in the project, and asked for direction from council.
A survey conducted through questionnaires distributed to residential mailboxes in Gibsons, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound was used as a basis to determine which facilities should be housed within a proposed community centre.
Compiling the survey results into a "top 10 list," GACCS contracted CTA Design Group, specialists in construction of community centres, to review potential sites and prepare cost estimates and conceptual drawings. The resulting preliminary conceptual drawings show a building which reflects the roofline and log pillar motifs developed in Gibson's Landing (such as the wharfinger building).
A spacious foyer opens into designated centres for seniors, family programs such as parents and tots and youth, plus indoor racquet courts, meeting rooms, an exercise facility and seating for a multi-purpose arena.
"These are not final drawings," said Tretick. "The conceptual drawings serve as a visual aid to the community, so residents can envision what the project could look like and what might be included within the facility."
Once location and costs are determined, the project will go to referendum and, if it is approved, the project will be put out for tender in the usual manner.
GACCS has three sites under consideration, including the Shaw Road site at 3.5 acres (site A), north of Sunnycrest Mall on M&W Holdings donated land at 3.5 acres (site B) and within Brothers Park between the Field of Dreams and playing field, which is up to 3.95 acres (site C).
At the GACCS meeting of Feb. 3, there was a unanimous agreement to support the new community centre location north of Gibsons Way. By a resolution of the board of directors, GACCS is recommending to council that site C be chosen.
"There are many reasons we feel this is the desired site," Tretick told the committee. "It supports an early construction schedule not dependent on the Neighbourhood Plan process currently underway in Upper Gibsons. It's central to existing recreation amenities, and it meets all other criteria for a community centre location: close to public transportation, schools and a commercial area."
At the end of his presentation, Tretick asked the committee to make a recommendation for council's approval on the location."The selection of a location is critical in our timeline to ensure a referendum date of June 25," said Tretick.
Coun. Angela Letman moved that council adopt in principle the Brothers Park location (site C) and that staff investigate amending the covenant and further costs and zoning implications. A second recommendation was also brought forth stating that council rescind the Shaw Road site as a location for the project.
Both motions were passed unanimously by the committee and will go to Tuesday's council meeting for approval.
