Hope may soon become a disc golf or ‘frolf’ destination
A delegation of disc golfers descended upon district hall, to tell councillors why the sport is perfect for Hope.
Sam Masterton presented a proposal Feb. 13, a request for $10,000 to purchase tee pads and baskets for a 14-hole course to be constructed at Coquihalla River Park adjacent to the sports bowl. Five of the 14 holes are removable, allowing disc golfers to use the sports bowl as part of their course when events are not being held there.
Disc golf, also called frisbee golf or sometimes frolf, is played just as regular golf, substituting small discs or frisbees for golf balls and baskets with metal netting for holes.
The beauty of constructing a disc golf course, Masterton said, is how environmentally friendly it is.
“As far as the impact on the environment, there is none. There is a little bit of clearing brush, if you were just taking out ground brush, but all the trees, everything stays. The trees are your natural fairway,” he said.
Masterton said the course would attract tourists and keep them longer in Hope. The sport is also free to play and accessible for most abilities.
“Literally, if you can walk and you can throw something you can play disc golf,” he said.
Discs can be purchased at local sporting goods stores. Masterton also suggested building a free disc library, similar to a book library, by the course so anyone could borrow discs. He also promised to volunteer “until I kick the bucket or you kick me out of town,” as well as bring other enthusiasts to volunteer in the installation and upkeep of the course.
Councillor Medlock said disc golf came up in the initial design and consultations for the building of the park. Without an advocate for the sport, and with few knowing what it was, the idea was not adopted.
“Honestly, we didn’t have a champion in the community that was that into it,” Medlock said.
“It kept showing up on the reports because it was in those comments of something people wanted to see, but nobody really wanted to grab it and go with it.”
After positive responses from council, the disc golf delegation headed out to bowling for their weekly putting league. An open invite was extended to all at the meeting.
A new zone could be a mortgage helper or house seniors in the family
Council passed a motion to change 2.5 acres of land at 20200 Cypress St. to a new zone, compact single family residential with a secondary suite (RS-2T).
The designation is entirely new for the district of Hope. Rather than zoning the property for comprehensive development, Skoro said the city preferred to create a new zone as this will likely be used in future rezoning decisions as Hope grows and changes.
The move will only impact this one development, for now.
“It’s going to have all the attributes of a single family residence, only a smaller lot size,” planning assistant Cindy Skoro said, adding the land will be a 4,035 square foot parcel, instead of the RS-1 size of 4,950 square feet.
“They will allow a secondary suite inside the dwelling. Obviously we need more rental and it’s a mortgage helper. A lot of families are two generations, multi-generations.”
According to the district’s recommendation to council, the secondary suite can serve as a safety net in the case mortgage interest rates go up. Aging relatives moving into secondary dwellings is also happening in the Fraser Valley, the report states.
Coun. Bob Erikson asked whether there would be enough water and sewer to meet the needs of the development. This would only come to council if and when the rezoning happens, Skoro said.
Coun. Scott Medlock said the change was something Hope needed and was in line with the district’s official community plan.
The community plan states two thirds of properties in Hope are single-family homes, the other third are either apartments or mobile homes. The plan states the need is great for a variety of people, “options include a variety of single family homes, apartments, townhouses and a range of care facilities.”
The developer’s plans, if the rezoning is successful, will be to subdivide the land into 16 lots to “capture the housing and rental needs of the current residential market of Hope.” The rezoning will go to a public hearing before it returns to council to be decided on.
“All in favour” of smoking bylaw
It will now be against city rules to light up a cigarette, e-cigarette, hookah, joint or any other method of smoking tobacco or other substances in many of Hope’s public spaces.
Council unanimously passed an updated smoking bylaw, effectively banning smoking within public buildings, in parks, playgrounds, beaches, playing fields, at transit bus shelters and even at district cemeteries.
The bylaw, meant to bring Hope up to speed with provincial regulations, also creates “buffer zones.” For example, people are not allowed to smoke within 10 metres of a municipal park and within six metres of doorways, windows and bus shelters.
People are also banned from smoking at special events, except in designated smoking areas.
Both bylaw officers and RCMP can serve notices to people and businesses breaking the bylaw. Fines for smoking in banned areas and failing to display signs are all set at $100.
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