The public had made donations to the Millennium Park Committee to help establish Millennium Park. The Millennium Park Committee then gave $75,000.00 to the City to help acquire the park land. After the referendum during the last election (November 2008) the City passed a resolution to borrow the remainder of the funds needed to buy the property. This has happened. The land is now established as a park. (See earlier posts in this blog.)
What remains to be done is to complete negotiations with Island Timberlands Limited Partnership, which owns the current crop of trees. The City and the MP Committee have been in negotiations with Island Timberlands and have arrived at a point where a legal document has been created that delineates how and where the selective logging will take place on the acquired park land.
We are in the final phase, awaiting IT's response to the legal document and the selective logging plan. IT has been involved all along during the evolution of this plan and document over the last couple of years. We anticipate meeting again in November. Once agreement has been reached, representatives of the City, Island Timberlands and the MP Committee will jointly take the selective logging plans to the public for an Open House in the following months. This event will be advertised in the media.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Monday, November 24, 2008
Referendum Passed
For those of you that do not live in Powell River.
Voters approved the Millennium Park referendum question. Millennium Park was approved by 86 per cent, or 3,970 yes votes, while 632 voted no. The proposal is to borrow $1.4 million over 25 years to purchase the land to create the park.
Voters approved the Millennium Park referendum question. Millennium Park was approved by 86 per cent, or 3,970 yes votes, while 632 voted no. The proposal is to borrow $1.4 million over 25 years to purchase the land to create the park.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Ask Your Question
This is your chance to ask your question. Just click on the word "Comment" at the bottom of this post. Perhaps the information your are seeking is covered in these links:
- Millennium Park Capitalizes Powell River Property Values
- Millennium Park FAQ's
- The Peak's articles:
Council approves two referendum questions
Community rallies for park - Letter to the Peak Editor
- Read the reports to City Council (1.1 MB PDF file)
Council considers "Millennium Park Loan Authorization Bylaw 2213, 2008"
Monday, October 20, 2008
Candidates for Mayor and Council declare support for Millennium Park
On Sunday afternoon, October 19, nearly 200 people attended the Millennium Park Rally at Willingdon Beach to save the beach trail and McFall Creek corridor. Wunderkind Madeleine Hocking played airs on her violin as people arrived. The youngster who has been busking for Millennium Park throughout the community has already earned over $400 which apparently she is determined to donate to the Millennium Park Fund at a strategic moment.
The Millennium Park Committee welcomed the crowd, and Chief Councilor Clint Williams of the Sliammon First Nation declared support for the establishment of the park that will protect many culturally significant sites. Next spoke the candidates for mayor, followed by those for council. Sixteen of the 22 candidates running in the City of Powell River election attended and spoke to the Millennium Park referendum question. The other six did not attend because of prior commitments, or because they were still making up their minds.
Incumbent Mayor Stewart Alsgard, Michael Ashworth, Heinz Becker, and Les Magura declared their support for the referendum bylaw to acquire Millennium Park for $1.43 million. Paddy Goggins had a different point of view, despite wearing one of the coveted "Vote yes for Millennium Park" buttons on his tie. Jeffrey Renn and Derry Simpson were not present. Councilor hopefuls Rhonda Alton, William Ashworth (represented by his wife Jennifer), Debbie Dee, Doug Flesher, Dave Formosa, Maggie Hathaway, Myrna Leishman, Chris McNaughton, Jim Palm, Aaron Pinch, and Sandi Tremblay all spoke in favour of voting for Millennium Park. Not present, or represented at the rally, were Tony Colton, Gordon Crawford, David Dickson, and Troy Marshall. Guitarist/singer Chris King roused the crowd with the Millennium Park song, and continued to entertain with tunes as supporters tucked into the huge Millennium Park Rally cake baked for the occasion. The rally capped off with some people opting to walk up McFall Creek and the Cut Connector to see what variable retention actually looks like. Many others walked back on the beach trail to find signs indicating private property, and Vote Yes for Millennium Park. Only 300 meters of the Willingdon Beach trail is within the existing park. Another 1,000 meters of the trail lie within the private lands that we aspire to acquire through a solid yes vote on November 15.
We thank everybody for their support, and their willingness to raise the awareness of those who may think that the park is already a done deal, or that it will be a park without having to do anything because it's always been a greenspace used by the community. This is a one-time opportunity which we must grasp, or the property will be put on the market and snapped up by some developer or another. The waterfront alone is worth several millions and is an attractive property for condominiums, or estates whose sale would take care of PRSC's mortgage. It is critical at this time, that we undertake everything we can to ensure this space is a park for all time. Please make your family, friends and neighbours aware of the importance of a yes vote. A mere $12.75 a year will accomplish the possible. A hundred years from now our great grandchildren will say, "They voted this park into being." Thank you for your generosity and your help.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Millennium Park: The Numbers
Millennium Park Purchase Price .......................................$1,500,000
Property Purchase Tax..........................................................$28,000
Survey and subdivision costs....................................................$8,000
Contingency (Riparian Area Report, etc).......................................$9,000
___________________________________________________________________
Total.........................................................................$1,545,000
Less deposits (City $40,000, plus $75,000 from Millennium Park Fund)............................................................................$115,000
___________________________________________________________________
Borrowing amount........................................................$1,430,000
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Borrowing details
· If the City were to borrow $1,430,000, the estimated payments (principal and interest) would be $113,703 annually.
· The current borrowing rate is 5.55% at September 30, 2008
· The borrowing period is 25 years
What will it cost me?
· The average house value in Powell River is estimated to be $236,000
· It will cost the average household only $12.75 annually
What happened to the donations?
· The Millennium Park Committee paid $75,000 from the Millennium Park Fund to the City as a down payment for the park. This has helped reduce the cost of the park to $1.43 million (see details under Millennium Park Purchase Price at top of this post)
· Some of the remainder will be used to campaign for a successful YES referendum, and to publicly recognize donors to the Millennium Park Fund
Vote YES for Millennium Park
at the November 15, 2008 civic election
Friday, September 26, 2008
A Park for All Time
Island Timberlands owns the trees in this area. During negotiations with our Millennium Park and PRSC Forest Retention Committee Island Timberlands came up with a logging plan that involved some logging, largely on the part above the highway - but also below, to realize some value for their trees.
In response to Island Timberlands' plan we came up with an amended plan which included large tracts left intact, extensive buffers, and some selective logging with variable retention.
Walk through the Cut Connector Trail (see Millennium Park map ) to get a feel for what it looks like to have 50% retention after eight years post-harvest. The Cut Connector is not part of Millennium Park but it is a good example of retention logging. That trail has about a 20 metre buffer on either side of the path, with some small openings beyond that have now grown back in again with a vibrant young forest. It can easily be accessed from the top of the Cut (Marine Avenue) just to the south of the Haul Road overpass. To me, walking through there feels like walking through a park. There is more light in it than in the other parts. See what you think after a stroll through. Some parts of Millennium Park might end up looking like that depending on what details are agreed to .
Island Timberlands has not got back to us yet as of this date, but up until now your Millennium Park and PRSC Forest Retention Committee has been negotiating this plan with Island Timberlands in good faith. We expect to meet with them sometime in mid-October.
Once we have a final plan we will post its details. They will also be made public throughout the community. For now we have to concentrate on acquiring the park. A majority of voters have to vote yes. It's great to have your support. All of us together, we will create a lasting legacy for future generations, a park for all time, which we can also enjoy now.
Eagle Walz
In response to Island Timberlands' plan we came up with an amended plan which included large tracts left intact, extensive buffers, and some selective logging with variable retention.
Walk through the Cut Connector Trail (see Millennium Park map ) to get a feel for what it looks like to have 50% retention after eight years post-harvest. The Cut Connector is not part of Millennium Park but it is a good example of retention logging. That trail has about a 20 metre buffer on either side of the path, with some small openings beyond that have now grown back in again with a vibrant young forest. It can easily be accessed from the top of the Cut (Marine Avenue) just to the south of the Haul Road overpass. To me, walking through there feels like walking through a park. There is more light in it than in the other parts. See what you think after a stroll through. Some parts of Millennium Park might end up looking like that depending on what details are agreed to .
Island Timberlands has not got back to us yet as of this date, but up until now your Millennium Park and PRSC Forest Retention Committee has been negotiating this plan with Island Timberlands in good faith. We expect to meet with them sometime in mid-October.
Once we have a final plan we will post its details. They will also be made public throughout the community. For now we have to concentrate on acquiring the park. A majority of voters have to vote yes. It's great to have your support. All of us together, we will create a lasting legacy for future generations, a park for all time, which we can also enjoy now.
Eagle Walz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)