Lax rats, get your sticks ready – a new lacrosse box is coming to Sooke.
The local council has approved a development permit for a multi-use sports box in the Sun River Development area on Phillips Road.
Built for lacrosse, the box can also be used for basketball, ball hockey, roller sports and more.
Plans for the land at 2430 Phillips Rd. have been bounced around for nearly a decade, finally getting a successful grant in 2020, but the pandemic put the project in the penalty box until now. In the June 28 council meeting, a few members of the public called in to voice concerns, but none were serious enough for council to reject the request for development.
As Coun. Megan McMath said in the meeting, “There’s no perfect spot to place an easily accessible sports box that doesn’t affect any members of the community. Those pieces brought up for concern are easily remedied, but to stop the project, that’s not on the table. It’s time to push it forward.”
Council unanimously agreed.
Site preparation is scheduled to start July 5, and SEAPARC aims for a completion date of early next year. A tender for a builder has already been issued, and the file closes July 15.
Since the grant was awarded in 2020, Sooke staff identified the possibility of cost increases, with the recommendation of splitting the development into two phases — the sports box, gravel parking lot and bike racks for the first phase, and bathrooms, lights and trails in the second — to ensure that the main goal is accomplished within the initial budget of $1.3 million.
The grant is for $892,778 from the Canada Infrastructure Program, Community, Culture, and Recreation Program. Another $400,000 was contributed by Sunriver Estates.
The District of Sooke owns the land, surrounded by residential houses, and a new elementary school is planned for an adjacent property. SEAPARC will manage the site.
ALSO READ: Site work set to begin on multi-use sports box in Sooke
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