By Laurie Watt

Barrie needs to create a policy to deal constructively with churches and private organizations building soccer fields and other recreational facilities, says Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard.

Until now, the city has been dealing with private schools and churches on an ad-hoc basis. Mapleview Community Church – known unofficially as the noisy church because of its loud modern music that some neighbours have objected to  – is moving east along Mapleview Drive and away from a residential area. Its plans feature not only a state-of-the-art worship arena and daycare centre, but also a large park area, including sports fields.

“By adding a spiritually relevant component with the value-added physical components of large parking lots, sports fields, park areas, recreation and childcare buildings to the congested south end, we believe the Mapleview Community Church vision will help attract, retain and enable family and business to succeed,” said Rev. Jay Davis, the church’s founding pastor.

“A real part of the MCC vision is to help resolve growth conflict in Barrie by providing residents with 70 quality childcare spaces, indoor and outdoor recreational fields and worship facilities to attract outside conference and concerts, as well as becoming a support to local business needs.

“If MCC’s land and vision (are) to be used to help create a park area, recreation facility, child care, conference and concert space and even possibly used for a disaster relief centre in case of emergency, at their own expense, would that not be of interest to the local politicians and community?”

Brassard said it is, and the city should create a policy that considers such visionary thinking and in the interim, hold the parkland fees the church must pay in abeyance until the city determines what breaks the city could offer.

“Ultimately, staff will meet with Mapleview, determine what the benefits are to the city and if so, recommend foregoing some parkland fees,” said Brassard, who urged his fellow councillors to create a policy to guide staff.

Last week, however, councillors wouldn’t agree to a guiding policy, but instead preferred the ad-hoc approach, which Brassard said can be protracted. The city began talking with Timothy Christian School three years ago about using its fields in exchange for a city grant that would effectively repay some of its development charges.

“I’m quite willing to deal with them on a one-by-one basis. I’m not sure if I want to exempt religious organizations from parkland dedication (fees),” said Ward 4 Coun. Barry Ward. “Someone else has to pay – and it’s usually the taxpayer.”