A handful of parks and recreation sites will no longer be managed by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) as the district reviews its park service.
Directors voted on the change at a Jan. 10 meeting. Director Donna McMahon made the only comment, telling the planning committee, “I definitely support this.”
On Dec. 31, 2018, the SCRD’s five-year recreation site and trail agreement expired for Klein Lake Recreation Site, Secret Cove Falls Trail, Big Tree Trail and Sprockids Park.
The agreement, initially signed in 2003, allowed SCRD to manage those areas, all of which are located on provincially owned land. But with the agreement now up for renewal, the SCRD has decided to leave Klein Lake and Secret Cove Falls Trail out of the agreement, and to request more time to decide what to do about Sprockids.
In the last 10 years, the number of park areas managed by the SCRD has grown through donations and through subdivision amenity contributions, but how much it will cost to maintain these parks isn’t known. Meanwhile, existing assets are aging, increasing the cost of upkeep, according to a staff report. Asset management and service planning are underway, but as it stands, “SCRD is challenged to maintain and operate these areas with current resources.”
At the same time costs are increasing, the agreement has made site management more onerous for the SCRD. In the 2013 renewal, local governments were excluded from liability insurance that the province had paid for previously. It also increased record-keeping responsibilities, and stopped or reduced other park management support.
Rather than take on those extra costs, the SCRD proposed exploring “the possibility of other groups assuming responsibility … for maintenance and management of the recreation sites.”
“These groups would be held to the same standards as the SCRD, resulting in similar conditions on the ground for users,” said Ian Hall, general manager for planning, at the Jan. 10 planning committee meeting where the change was proposed.
Under the change, the SCRD will leave Klein Lake out of the agreement, since the popular campground is already being operated by the Egmont Community Club, with support from the province. The Suncoaster Trail runs through part of the recreation site, but that would be managed by the SCRD and the province, separate from the recreation site and trail agreement.
Another group that manages Homesite Creek has offered to also manage Secret Cove Falls. The areas are situated next to each other in Halfmoon Bay and the group also has a separate agreement with the province.
Sprockids, the popular mountain biking recreation area near Langdale, could also see a change in management. The park was originally managed largely by the non-profit group Sprockids, but it is now defunct and the area needs upgrading. A recently created mountain biking association has expressed interest in assisting with upkeep and the SCRD is asking the province to take part in a community dialogue this year to discuss the future of the site.
Directors voted to keep Big Tree Trail in the agreement renewal.
With the decision made, staff will engage with the province and trail groups and report back to the committee with next steps.
