A school at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex would likely be built over at least one of the facilityís new soccer fields, but Aspen View School Division officials assure the public the field would be replaced in advance of breaking ground.
ìThe partners havenít decided on a conceptual design yet, but I think Ö there is a strong possibility that one soccer field would be impacted, and Aspen View will replace that,î said Brian LeMessurier, Aspen View superintendent.
LeMessurier said that on the property that would be acquired for building the new school, room would also have to be made for a football field so Edwin Parr Compositeís football team could be accommodated.
Although the school may not be built for years to come, Athabasca County councillor Kevin Haines told county council at its regular meeting last Tuesday that he was a little surprised when he learned that one of the proposed school designs, a plan to semi-attach the new school to the back of the Multiplex, would mean one of the soccer fields would be jeopardized.
County councillor Larry Armfelt said his phone was ringing off the hook with people calling him with accusations of ìstupid planningî for digging up the soccer fields.
ìI donít know the direction of this, but if someone would be willing to help me out, I would like to be able to phone these people back again (and clarify),î said Armfelt.
Members of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex Board as well as county and town councils were invited to the March 21 school board meeting where two consultants presented conceptual designs on how the new school may be placed next to the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, one of which Haines said impeded on a soccer field.
ìWe were thinking that there maybe would be a standalone school in the general vicinity, and nobody really contemplated a tie-in to the actual facility,î Haines noted.
LeMessurier said last week that all options are being considered but emphasized that nothing will be jeopardized because if any of the soccer pitches are impeded on by the design process of the new school, a new soccer field would be built before construction of the new school even begins.
ìEverything is so preliminary at this point,î Haines acknowledged. ìQuite honestly, some of the decisions will have to be made by the next councils,î he said, noting that the building of a new school is still ìa few years down the road.î
Haines said the current stage involves determining if thereís even enough room for a school in the area footprint, which is still under development.
He said the Multiplex Master Plan that was developed when the facility was first conceived included some of the amenities that are being installed now, and that budget cuts and higher costs inflated the Multiplex project from $9 million to $18 million.
At least 20 acres would be needed to accommodate the new school, said LeMessurier.
Mark Francis, Aspen View associate superintendent, said that could be utilized from whatís left from university land currently being leased by the Multiplex, but an expansion onto additional land next to the university would also be required.
Francis, also a soccer coach, said Haines ìabsolutelyî has nothing to worry about when it comes to the concept of one or more of the soccer fields being jeopardized by the placement of the new school.
ìWeíve had an excellent relationship with the Soccer Association for years, and years, and years. Theyíve been playing on school grounds for years,î said Francis.
ìWe see the incredible program that goes on through the soccer association as a real compliment to what weíre trying to do in the schools, which is get kids active and playing sports. We would want to see better facilities at the end of the day than what we have today in this town.î
Francis said if a school was located nearby, the Rotary Fieldhouse could prospectively be more actively utilized by children and youth passing through the Multiplex.
